Reviews & Analysis

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  • Standards and recommendations for transitioning organizations to quantum-secure cryptographic protocols are outlined, including a discussion of transition timelines and the leading strategies to protect systems against quantum attacks.

    • David Joseph
    • Rafael Misoczki
    • Royal Hansen
    Perspective
  • Life on Earth depends on the ability of cells to duplicate their genetic material, encoded in DNA molecules, and pass this information on to the next generation. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism underlying the priming step of this copying process provides insights into how DNA replication begins.

    Research Briefing
  • The beating of hair-like structures that enable microorganisms to swim has been replicated in a polymer material that bends and twists with the help of light-sensitive molecular machines.

    • Dhanya Babu
    • Nathalie Katsonis
    News & Views
  • It has long been thought that two enzymes, the kinases CDC7 and CDK2, are both needed to trigger DNA replication in mammalian cells. This view is challenged by evidence that offers a revised view of which kinases are essential.

    • Masato T. Kanemaki
    News & Views
  • Many mysteries remain about how antiviral responses shape the ability of viruses to infect bacteria. The finding that viruses interfere with signalling mediated by molecules called second messengers sheds light on bacterial defences.

    • Urs Jenal
    News & Views
  • Experiments on the mouse brain reveal that neuronal signals from the midbrain to the cortex act as a switch that transforms the dynamics of cortical neuronal activity and, in turn, initiates movement.

    • Oliver M. Gauld
    • Chunyu A. Duan
    News & Views
  • Waste streams of the plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) that can be recycled into material suitable for food packaging are limited, creating a shortfall of feedstocks. An enzyme has been discovered that widens the feedstock options.

    • Eggo U. Thoden van Velzen
    • Giusy Santomasi
    News & Views
  • In an impressively thorough study, phosphorylation in the core of a transfer RNA molecule has been described for the first time, and the enzymes that add and remove the phosphate group have been characterized.

    • Mark Helm
    • Yuri Motorin
    News & Views
  • A long-standing puzzle in molecular biology is how the enzyme USP14 is activated by the proteasome and regulates protein degradation. Time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy combined with deep learning reveals this mechanism in unprecedented detail.

    Research Briefing
  • Analysis of zebrafish larvae reveals that epithelial cells in their skin undergo tension-driven division without DNA replication. This allows rapid expansion, enabling the cells to cover the fast-growing organism.

    • Aki Stubb
    • Sara A. Wickström
    News & Views
  • Experiments and fieldwork show that teams working together online produce fewer ideas than those collaborating in person — a first step towards answering the question of which modes of communication are generally best for creativity.

    • Emőke-Ágnes Horvát
    • Brian Uzzi
    News & Views
  • Policies that aim to reduce poverty often prioritize economic interventions. We show that a programme that addresses not only financial but also psychological and social barriers is effective at helping extremely poor households in Niger. Our results point to a cost-effective approach for alleviating extreme poverty that can be scaled up using government systems.

    Research Briefing
  • Fatty structures called plaques can form in arteries, and are separated from nerves by the artery walls. But this is no barrier to communication — it seems that nerves interact with plaques and immune cells to drive cardiovascular disease.

    • Courtney Clyburn
    • Susan J. Birren
    News & Views
  • The formation of body segments in vertebrate embryos has long been attributed to the spatio-temporal patterning of molecular signals. But segment length in zebrafish is now found to be adjusted by tissue mechanics.

    • Miki Ebisuya
    • Xavier Trepat
    News & Views
  • A robotic jumper combines inspiration from biology with clever engineering to reach new heights. Crucial to the design is the combination of a rotary motor with a hybrid spring that maximizes stored energy density.

    • Sarah Bergbreiter
    News & Views
  • A findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) data infrastructure is discussed to turn the large amount of research data generated by the field of materials science into knowledge and value.

    • Matthias Scheffler
    • Martin Aeschlimann
    • Claudia Draxl
    Perspective