Reviews & Analysis

Linking biological tissues with electronic devices is challenging owing to the softness of tissues and their arbitrary shapes and sizes. An innovative water-responsive, supercontractile polymer film, inspired by spider silk, allows the construction of soft, stretchable and shape-adaptive tissue–electronic interfaces.

The hormone oxytocin is secreted by the brain during labour and lactation. It has also been associated with lipid release from intracellular stores, but the physiological implications of this were unknown. This study shows that oxytocin is produced locally by neurons that innervate the adipose tissue and is required for maximizing energy release from fat.

Diabetes is a strong risk factor for viral respiratory infections, including influenza and COVID-19, which can be particularly dangerous for people with the condition. The discovery that the metabolism of lung dendritic cells, key sentinels of the immune system, is disrupted by high blood-sugar levels could provide a route to reversing this susceptibility.

Electron spin resonance is a standard method for studying the structure of chemical compounds, and it can also be used to control quantum spin states. Combining electron spin resonance with atomic force microscopy allows single spins to be manipulated in single molecules — with potential applications in quantum computing and elsewhere.

Analysis of a massive genomic data set reveals the profound effects that the movement of Bantu-speaking peoples had on Africa’s biological, linguistic and cultural landscape. These findings provide valuable insights for a wide range of disciplines and serve as a comprehensive data set of ancient and modern African individuals for comparative studies.

By comparing DNA sequences across hundreds of species of primates and other mammals, an analysis identifies non-coding regulatory elements that are conserved only in primates and that could have important roles in complex traits and diseases in humans.

A series of structures of the eukaryotic protein-synthesis machinery are imaged at high resolution in defined states of the elongation phase of protein synthesis. Analysis suggests that there are underlying molecular mechanisms that increase the accuracy of translation of genetic information in eukaryotes.

There is a long-standing assumption that large, densely populated cities inherently foster interactions between a diverse range of people. Analysis of 1.6 billion person-to-person encounters in the United States reveals that big cities are actually pockets of extreme segregation, highlighting a need for strategic urban design that fosters more integrated environments.

Exposure to the complex mix of pesticides used in agriculture in Europe significantly reduces bumblebees’ health. This suggests that current risk-assessment processes, in which pesticides are assessed separately, are not fit for purpose. Continuous monitoring is needed to quantify the real-world effects of pesticides on pollinator health.

The full promise of materials structured at the nanoscale can be realized only if they can be manufactured more efficiently and at the sizes required for device integration. An innovative method takes advantage of thermodynamic and kinetic effects to control the growth of stacked 2D nanosheets that can be used for practical applications from the nanoscale to the macroscale.

The spike protein of BA.2.86 — a subvariant of Omicron — has a large number of mutations, and binds to its receptor in host cells with high affinity. Despite these characteristics, BA.2.86 is no more resistant to antibodies from vaccinated individuals than are the dominant variants that are currently in circulation.

Clostridioides difficile can form iron-storage organelles known as ferrosomes. These protect bacteria from iron toxicity and promote infection by acting as a countermeasure to the host’s defence mechanism of iron sequestration.

In 2019, Cyclone Idai caused devastating flooding in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park when ecological studies of mammals were already under way. Small-bodied species and those in low-lying areas were affected most, suggesting that animals’ sensitivity to extreme weather depends on traits such as body size and habitat use.

Advanced materials engineered at the microscale have the potential to achieve unparalleled mechanical performance under extreme conditions. A laser-based characterization method enables the fast measurement of extreme properties in these materials, by extracting them from the sample’s vibrational ‘fingerprint’, without touching or permanently deforming the structure.

In both humans and bacteria, viral infections lead to the activation of enzymes that generate cyclic nucleotides as messengers to start the immune response. However, how bacteria sense viral invasion was unknown. A structured viral RNA molecule produced during infection has now been identified as a molecular trigger of the bacterial enzyme.

Amphotericin B is a clinically vital antifungal drug, but it has high renal toxicity. The compound kills cells by forming sponge-like aggregates on the cell surface that remove molecules called sterols from the cell membrane. High-resolution structures of these sterol sponges guided rational development and synthesis of a new class of antifungals that are better for renal health.

The number of helium atoms that gradually bind to a single sodium ion at the surface of a liquid helium nanodroplet has been measured as a function of time, as has the amount of energy that dissipates during this process. These findings provide a much-needed glimpse of the early steps of ion solvation.

How accurately a person recalls the COVID-19 pandemic is affected by motivational factors, including how they feel about their vaccination status. The recollections of vaccinated and unvaccinated people are skewed in opposite directions, leading to different retrospective narratives about the pandemic. This distorted recall influences how individuals evaluate past political action, and will complicate preparation for future crises.

The neural pathways involved in syncope, or fainting, are not well understood. Studies in mice have identified a defined subset of vagal sensory neurons that connect the heart and brain. Stimulation of these neurons causes reduced heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and neuronal activity in the brain, resulting in syncope.

Many human diseases lack accurate mouse models because it is technically difficult to create extensively genetically humanized mice. A technique that allows large stretches of DNA to be rapidly rewritten in mouse embryonic stem cells can be used to produce improved animal models.