Visualization of single-cell RNA-seq data using PHATE. PHATE is a new data visualization method that captures both local and global structure of high-dimensional data while reducing dimensionality for visualization purposes.

See Moon et al.

A series of bright fluorescent RNAs enable imaging of RNA in live cells. This original image shows heterogeneity of protein translation in a cancer cell line, where mCherry protein (red) and its corresponding mRNA (green, labeled with Pepper530) are seen. Blue indicates Hoechst DNA staining.

See Chen et al.

The scarcity of organs for transplantation could be addressed in part by extending viable preservation time of retrieved organs. Using an ice-free supercooling approach, Uygun and colleagues extend preservation of human livers by 27 hours. The image shows the liver during machine perfusion, when it is preconditioned with protective agents for supercooled storage.

See de Vries et al.

Advances in neurotechnologies are providing new opportunities for understanding brain function as well as developing and applying new therapeutic strategies for brain disease. The image is a solar plate etching from an MRI of the artist’s brain (coronal view of the neocortex).

See In this issue

High-resolution image of the primate dentate gyrus, a structure in the hippocampus, showing neurons (green), glia (purple), cell nuclei (blue) and divalent siRNAs (Di-siRNA, red). Alterman et al. demonstrate that Di-siRNAs distribute broadly in the brains of mice and non-human primates and enable potent and persistent gene silencing.

See Alterman et al.

A scanning electron micrograph of phlegm in the trachea with bacteria shown in mauve. Charalampous et al. devise a metagenomics diagnostic method for bacterial lower respiratory tract infection that includes saponin-based host DNA depletion and nanopore long-read sequencing. Magnification: x1,500 when printed at 10cm wide.

See Charalampous et al.

Hand-painted picture of a rice plant, showing the extensive root system. Zhang et al. show that rice recruits specific bacteria to the root microbiota to optimize nitrogen acquisition from soil.

See Zhang et al.

A depiction of a cell-based sensor for cancer. Aalipour et al. engineer macrophages to express reporter proteins traceable in the blood when they activate the arginase-1 promoter.

See Aalipour et al.

Wearable sensors are evolving to provide accurate, continuous and wireless monitoring of our health and disease states. Using designs and materials that interface seamlessly with skin, accessing a range of bodily fluids with minimally invasive systems, and measuring analytes that inform on human physiology, wearable devices are poised to provide data resources for research and clinical applications.

See In this issue

A field of an elite rice variety is shown. Wang et al. demonstrate that rice hybrids can be self-pollinated to produce true-breeding progeny through seeds by targeted editing of four endogenous genes.

See Wang et al.

A representation of bacteria and viruses (not to scale), along with a search bar and a DNA query. Bradley et al. report an approach for building a search index of the global archives of microbial DNA.

See Bradley et al.