Reviews & Analysis

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  • The field of terahertz wireless communication is growing rapidly. Here the authors discuss the challenges for the architectures of wireless platforms above 100 GHz and their potential applications.

    • Josep M. Jornet
    • Edward W. Knightly
    • Daniel M. Mittleman
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Microrobotics is an emerging technology with wide implications for medical fields, such as assisted reproduction. Here the authors show how the key challenges regarding materials, processes and engineering as well as ethical and regulatory implications can be addressed towards a clinical adoption.

    • Richard Nauber
    • Sandhya R. Goudu
    • Mariana Medina-Sánchez
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • The cystic fibrosis landscape has changed dramatically over the last few decades, with improvements in patient quality of life, prognosis and predicted survival. In part, this is related to the availability of novel CFTR modulator drugs, although prior advances in symptom-directed therapies and diagnosis had already led to substantial improvements. However, the authors, part of a national CF focused group, recognize that more needs to be done and outline their considerations on research priorities in this perspective.

    • Lucy Allen
    • Lorna Allen
    • Jane C. Davies
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Zooplankton are a critical link to higher trophic levels and play an important role in global biogeochemical cycles. This Review examines key responses of zooplankton to ocean warming, highlights key knowledge and geographic gaps that need to be addressed, and discusses how better use of observations and long-term zooplankton monitoring programmes can help fill these gaps.

    • Lavenia Ratnarajah
    • Rana Abu-Alhaija
    • Lidia Yebra
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • In the field of lithium-based batteries, there is often a divide between academic research and industrial needs. Here, the authors present a view on applied research to help bridge academia and industry, focusing on metrics and challenges to be considered for the development of practical batteries.

    • James T. Frith
    • Matthew J. Lacey
    • Ulderico Ulissi
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Here the authors summarize current knowledge of the regulation of protein stability by various post-translational modifications (PTMs) including methylation and phosphorylation. PTM-regulated degrons act as signals for protein degradation or stabilization.

    • Ji Min Lee
    • Henrik M. Hammarén
    • Sung Hee Baek
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • CRISPR-Cas tools have shown exceptional promise in genome engineering over the past decade. Here the authors review the development of CRISPR-Cas9/Cas12/Cas13 nucleases, DNA base editors, prime editors, and RNA base editors, as well as their editing precision, off-target effects, and clinical considerations.

    • Jianli Tao
    • Daniel E. Bauer
    • Roberto Chiarle
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • During development the embryo must balance lineage specification against the preservation of plasticity using a limited molecular toolkit. In this Perspective, the authors propose Molecular Versatility as a paradigm for grouping molecular mechanisms that are repurposed through development to exert distinct functions.

    • Giacomo Furlan
    • Aurélia Huyghe
    • Fabrice Lavial
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Theoretical models and structures recovered from measured data serve for analysis of complex networks. The authors discuss here existing gaps between theoretical methods and real-world applied networks, and potential ways to improve the interplay between theory and applications.

    • Leto Peel
    • Tiago P. Peixoto
    • Manlio De Domenico
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Synthetic biology encompasses engineering approaches to either redesign biological organisms with new molecular abilities or build up organism from the bottom to improve our understanding of life. Here, the authors summarize current approaches that can be applied for the synthetic engineering of viral replication cycles and discuss the potential DURC risk associated with such bottom-up approaches in infectious disease.

    • Oskar Staufer
    • Gösta Gantner
    • Joachim P. Spatz
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • While the contribution of sharp wave ripples in memory consolidation and decision-making is established in rodent models, our understanding of their role in human memory is incomplete. Here, the authors discuss common methodological challenges in detecting, analyzing, and reporting sharp wave ripples, then they suggest practical solutions to distinguish them from other high-frequency events

    • Anli A. Liu
    • Simon Henin
    • György Buzsáki
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • Microbots have attracted attention due to an ability to reach places and perform tasks which are not possible with conventional techniques in a wide range of applications. Here, the authors review the recent work in the field on the fabrication, application and actuation of 3D printed microbots offering a view of the direction of future microbot research.

    • Sajjad Rahmani Dabbagh
    • Misagh Rezapour Sarabi
    • Savas Tasoglu
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • In this review, the authors define protein condensation diseases as conditions caused by aberrant liquid-like or solid-like states of proteins, and describe opportunities for therapeutic interventions to restore the normal phase behaviour of proteins. The review accompanies the related collection of articles published in Nature Communications focusing on possible therapeutic approaches involving liquid-liquid phase separation.

    • Michele Vendruscolo
    • Monika Fuxreiter
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • The impact of fungal infections on human health has been exacerbated by the rise of antifungal drug resistance. In this Review, the authors outline the problem of antifungal resistance and suggest how this growing threat might be mitigated.

    • Neil A. R. Gow
    • Carolyn Johnson
    • Keegan Edgar
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • Key to life, water is an often overlooked or over-simplified factor in materials and biology. In this perspective the importance of water in biomaterials is discussed as well as the need to more carefully consider water’s role in every aspect of a biomaterial’s function.

    • B. L. Dargaville
    • D. W. Hutmacher
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Acoustic techniques are moving towards the clinic. Here the authors highlight recent developments in the areas of acoustic mechanobiology, point-of-care diagnostics, in vivo manipulation and tissues engineering, and provide their thoughts on the current challenges and directions for future work.

    • Joseph Rufo
    • Peiran Zhang
    • Tony Jun Huang
    PerspectiveOpen Access