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News & Views |
A microbe that uses crude oil to make methane
A microorganism that dwells in an underground oil reservoir has been found to degrade various petroleum compounds and use them to produce methane through a previously unreported biochemical pathway.
- Guillaume Borrel
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News Round-Up |
Imperilled glacier, COVID immunity and ‘touching’ the Sun
The latest science news, in brief.
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Nature Podcast |
The Nature Podcast annual holiday spectacular
Games, seasonal science songs, and Nature’s 10.
- Benjamin Thompson
- & Noah Baker
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Article
| Open AccessLocal and systemic responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adults
Mechanisms explaining the milder clinical syndrome that is observed in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Masahiro Yoshida
- , Kaylee B. Worlock
- & Kerstin B. Meyer
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Article |
Non-syntrophic methanogenic hydrocarbon degradation by an archaeal species
‘Candidatus Methanoliparum’ overexpresses genes encoding alkyl-coenzyme M and methyl-coenzyme M reductases—markers of archaeal multicarbon alkane and methane metabolism—and thrives on a variety of long-chain alkanes and n-alkylcyclohexanes, and n-alkylbenzenes with long n-alkyl (C≥13) moieties.
- Zhuo Zhou
- , Cui-jing Zhang
- & Lei Cheng
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Article
| Open AccessEnhanced fitness of SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern Alpha but not Beta
The Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 outcompetes progenitor SARS-CoV-2 in upper respiratory tract replication competition in vivo.
- Lorenz Ulrich
- , Nico Joel Halwe
- & Charaf Benarafa
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News |
Omicron overpowers key COVID antibody treatments in early tests
Nearly all of the monoclonal antibodies used to prevent severe disease fail to stand up to the new variant, laboratory assays show.
- Max Kozlov
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Article |
VLDLR and ApoER2 are receptors for multiple alphaviruses
Studies using viral coat glycoproteins show that alphaviruses can enter cells via the very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) and apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2), members of an evolutionarily conserved family of lipoprotein receptors.
- Lars E. Clark
- , Sarah A. Clark
- & Jonathan Abraham
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Nature Podcast |
Coronapod: Omicron - your questions answered
We dig into the data on Omicron and answer your quetsions about the variant that could change the game
- Noah Baker
- & Ewen Callaway
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News |
How severe are Omicron infections?
As cases spread and countries plan their response, researchers await crucial data on the severity of the disease caused by the coronavirus variant.
- Heidi Ledford
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News |
How COVID vaccines shaped 2021 in eight powerful charts
The extraordinary vaccination of more than four billion people, and the lack of access for many others, were major forces this year — while Omicron’s arrival complicated things further.
- Smriti Mallapaty
- , Ewen Callaway
- & Richard Van Noorden
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News |
Omicron blindspots: why it’s hard to track coronavirus variants
Researchers are rapidly sequencing the genomes of virus samples worldwide, but shortcomings in the global surveillance system make the task a challenge.
- Amy Maxmen
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Outlook |
Ovarian cancer and the microbiome: a complex relationship
Vaginal microbes influence the health of the reproductive system, but do they play a part in ovarian tumours?
- Julianna Photopoulos
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Article |
Towards the biogeography of prokaryotic genes
A survey of species-level genes from 13,174 publicly available metagenomes shows that most species-level genes are specific to a single habitat, encode a small number of protein families and are under low positive (adaptive) pressure.
- Luis Pedro Coelho
- , Renato Alves
- & Peer Bork
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News Feature |
Nature’s 10: ten people who helped shape science in 2021
An Omicron investigator, a Mars explorer and an AI ethics pioneer are some of the people behind the year’s big research stories.
- Ewen Callaway
- , Holly Else
- & Richard Van Noorden
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News |
The science news that shaped 2021: Nature’s picks
From Omicron to a Mars helicopter to an Alzheimer’s firestorm, our news editors choose the defining moments in science and research this year.
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News |
Merck’s COVID pill loses its lustre: what that means for the pandemic
Molnupiravir was initially heralded by public-health officials as a game-changer for COVID-19, but full clinical-trial data showed lower-than-expected efficacy.
- Max Kozlov
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Correspondence |
To beat Omicron, Delta and bird flu, Europe must pull together
- Amélie Desvars-Larrive
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News |
COVID evolution and the Webb telescope — the week in infographics
Nature highlights three key infographics from the week in science and research.
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Nature Podcast |
Coronapod: vaccines and long COVID, how protected are you?
Vaccines can provide vital protection from COVID-19, but what about long COVID?
- Noah Baker
- & Heidi Ledford
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News Feature |
The race to make vaccines for a dangerous respiratory virus
Millions of people a year are hospitalized by respiratory syncytial virus and tens of thousands die. After decades of failure, four vaccines are now in late-stage trials.
- Kendall Powell
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News |
Omicron likely to weaken COVID vaccine protection
Early lab results suggest that existing vaccines could be less effective against the fast-spreading coronavirus variant, but boosters should improve immunity.
- Ewen Callaway
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News & Views Forum |
Gut clues to weight gain after quitting smoking
Research has uncovered factors that underlie the weight gain associated with cessation of smoking. Here, scientists consider the implications of this finding from the perspectives of gut biology and of smoking.
- Matthew P. Spindler
- , Jeremiah J. Faith
- & Paul J. Kenny
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News Round-Up |
Metal planet, COVID pact and Hubble telescope time
The latest science news, in brief.
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Review Article |
The emergence, genomic diversity and global spread of SARS-CoV-2
The potential origins and global spread of SARS-CoV-2, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and the importance of genomic surveillance for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.
- Juan Li
- , Shengjie Lai
- & Weifeng Shi
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Article |
Gut microbiota modulates weight gain in mice after discontinued smoke exposure
A study of mice exposed to cigarette smoke suggests that smoking-cessation-induced weight gain is associated with a dysbiotic state that is driven by smoking-related metabolites.
- Leviel Fluhr
- , Uria Mor
- & Eran Elinav
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Editorial |
Omicron: the global response is making it worse
The pandemic will not end while vaccine equity keeps getting pushed to the margins.
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News Feature |
Beyond Omicron: what’s next for COVID’s viral evolution
The rapid spread of new variants offers clues to how SARS-CoV-2 is adapting and how the pandemic will play out over the next several months.
- Ewen Callaway
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Article
| Open AccessLong-acting capsid inhibitor protects macaques from repeat SHIV challenges
A single dose of a small-molecule HIV capsid inhibitor provides long-term protection from repeated simian–human immunodeficiency virus challenges in macaques and might serve as a novel strategy for HIV prevention in humans.
- Samuel J. Vidal
- , Elena Bekerman
- & Dan H. Barouch
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Nature Podcast |
Coronapod: How has COVID impacted mental health?
Millions of calls to helplines are helping paint a picture of mental health during the pandemic.
- Noah Baker
- & Heidi Ledford
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News |
Omicron is supercharging the COVID vaccine booster debate
The data are growing that booster jabs enhance protection — but their durability, impact and ability to quash the new variant are unknown.
- Elie Dolgin
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News |
How bad is Omicron? What scientists know so far
COVID researchers are working at breakneck speed to learn about the variant’s transmissibility, severity and ability to evade vaccines.
- Ewen Callaway
- & Heidi Ledford
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News |
Omicron-variant border bans ignore the evidence, say scientists
Researchers say travel restrictions in response to the newly detected coronavirus variant come too late and could even slow studies of Omicron.
- Smriti Mallapaty
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News Round-Up |
Pandemic mental health and Eurasia’s oldest jewellery
The latest science news, in brief.
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Editorial |
‘BRICS’ nations are collaborating on science but need a bigger global platform
A policy paper published 20 years ago led to expanded research collaboration between emerging economic powers. But its main recommendation was ignored.
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Comment |
Africa: tackle HIV and COVID-19 together
Failure to get COVID-19 vaccines to nations with high rates of uncontrolled advanced HIV puts people living with that virus at even greater risk, and could drive the emergence of coronavirus variants.
- Nokukhanya Msomi
- , Richard Lessells
- & Tulio de Oliveira
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News Explainer |
World commits to a pandemic-response pact: what’s next
After failing to rein in COVID, world leaders begin to shape an accord to prevent future disasters — one that holds them accountable.
- Amy Maxmen
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Article |
Antiviral activity of bacterial TIR domains via immune signalling molecules
The mechanism of Thoeris—a bacterial anti-phage defence system—is described in detail, revealing that bacterial TIR-domain proteins recognize infection and produce signalling molecules to execute cell death, akin to the roles of these proteins in plants.
- Gal Ofir
- , Ehud Herbst
- & Rotem Sorek
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News Explainer |
What the Moderna–NIH COVID vaccine patent fight means for research
Collaborators are locked in a high-stakes dispute over which researchers should be named as inventors on a key vaccine patent application.
- Heidi Ledford
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World View |
Victories against AIDS have lessons for COVID-19
Anthony Fauci on four decades of progress against HIV, and what’s needed for the future.
- Anthony Fauci
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Nature Podcast |
Coronapod: everything we know about the new COVID variant
Scientists are racing to gauge the threat posed by a heavily mutated variant spreading across South Africa
- Noah Baker
- & Richard Van Noorden
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Innovations In |
The COVID Cancer Effect
Oncologists are grappling with predicting—and mitigating—the effects of the pandemic.
- Usha Lee McFarling
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Career Column |
Trapped in a hotel room: my scientific life in the pandemic
Jen Lewendon’s move from the United Kingdom for a postdoc restricted her travel and led to extended stints in quarantine. Here’s what the experience taught her.
- Jen Lewendon
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News |
Heavily mutated Omicron variant puts scientists on alert
Researchers are racing to determine whether a fast-spreading coronavirus variant poses a threat to COVID vaccines’ effectiveness.
- Ewen Callaway
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Article
| Open AccessEnhanced fusogenicity and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Delta P681R mutation
The P681R mutation in the spike protein renders the Delta variant more pathogenic than prototypic SARS-CoV-2 in infected hamsters, and facilitates spike protein cleavage and enhances viral fusogenicity.
- Akatsuki Saito
- , Takashi Irie
- & Kei Sato
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News Round-Up |
COVID deaths, gravitational waves and pandemic PhD supervision
The latest science news, in brief.
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Article |
The N501Y spike substitution enhances SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission
Experiments in a hamster model of COVID-19 and human airway epithelial cells show that the spike N501Y mutation is the major determinant of increased fitness of the B.1.1.7 Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2.
- Yang Liu
- , Jianying Liu
- & Scott C. Weaver
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Article |
The human microbiome encodes resistance to the antidiabetic drug acarbose
Bacteria in the human gut and oral microbiome encode enzymes that selectively phosphorylate the antidiabetic drug acarbose—an inhibitor of both human and bacterial α-glucosidases—resulting in its inactivation and limiting the drug's effects on the ability of the host to metabolize complex carbohydrates.
- Jared Balaich
- , Michael Estrella
- & Mohamed S. Donia
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