Fifty years ago, a spacecraft designed and built by young Indian scientists redefined what a low-income country could achieve.

In this study, we tested the growth performance of Populus deltoides clones at two different geographic sites in China. Diameter at breast height (DBH) for 37 clones was measured through four consecutive years, and data were subjected to analysis using a linear mixed-effects model with heterogeneous errors. Subsequently, the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) values were analyzed with genotype

The thermoplastic starch/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (TPS/PBAT) antibacterial active films incorporated with cinnamon essential oil (CEO) were fabricated through extrusion granulation and extrusion casting processes. CEO was introduced at extrusion granulation stage through four different processes: (1) blending CEO with TPS and PBAT (marked as P/T-C-1 film), (2) blending CEO with starch

SummaryBig data, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, holds the potential to significantly enhance the accuracy of genome‐wide predictions. Motivated by the success reported for wheat hybrids, we extended the scope to inbred lines by integrating phenotypic and genotypic data from four commercial wheat breeding programs. Acting as an academic data trustee, we merged these data with

SummaryThe receptor‐like kinase FERONIA (FER) is a prominent member of the Catharanthus roseus RLK1 (CrRLK1L) family, functioning as a modulator of immune receptor kinase complex formation in response to rapid alkalinization factors (RALFs). Typically, FER recognizes mature extracellular RALFs to combat bacterial and fungal infections. However, any role of the FER‐RALF signalling cascade in plant viral

The ‘off-the-charts saturated’ greenish hue — called olo — has been seen by only five study participants.

Freshwater insects used ‘microplastic’ as a building material long before scientists coined the term.

Carbonate mineral is long-sought evidence of conditions that supported liquid water.

The National Science Foundation is the latest US agency to be disrupted by Elon Musk’s DOGE.

Researchers who spoke to Nature say they don’t have the money or staff to do fieldwork or process samples.

Study finds dozens of journals that have hiked their fees and started churning out papers after being acquired by small, recently formed companies.

Bold claims of ‘biosignature’ molecules trigger an outpouring of scepticism.

Scientists have captured a colossal squid in the deep sea for the first time. Plus, crows have surprising geometry skills and the world now has a plan in place for pandemics.

SummarySoybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.) are a major source of plant‐based protein for human nutrition and livestock feed. Enhancing the protein content of soybean seeds is vital for meeting growing dietary needs and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. In this study, we first performed QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) mapping analysis and constructed a Soybean Seed Protein Content Co‐expression

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 16, April 2025.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 16, April 2025.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 16, April 2025.

The cerebellar ventricular zone (VZ) is the primary source of progenitors that generate cerebellar GABAergic neurons, including Purkinje cells (PCs) and interneurons (INs). This study provides detailed characterization of human cerebellar GABAergic neurogenesis using transcriptomic and histopathological analyses and reveals conserved and unique features compared to rodents. We show that the sequential

Large-scale integration of microbattery systems on chips has long been hindered by the technical barrier between electrochemistry and microelectronics, particularly in terms of the compatibility of microbattery cells and their collective manufacturability. In this work, a silicon-based all-solid-state thin-film microbattery cell is developed at low temperatures for on-chip integration applications

The collective motion of epithelial cells is a fundamental biological process which plays a significant role in embryogenesis, wound healing, and tumor metastasis. While it has been broadly investigated for over a decade both in vivo and in vitro, large-scale coherent flocking phases remain underexplored and have so far been mostly described as fluid. In this work, we report an additional mode of large-scale

Structural homeostasis and proper distributions of signaling molecules in cilia require a constant flow of cargoes carried by intraflagellar transport (IFT) trains in both anterograde and retrograde directions within the thin, long ciliary shafts. In the motile cilium framework, the nine microtubule doublets of the same length serve as the transportation rails, and a preferential association to the

Brain oscillations in different behavioral states are essential for cognition, and oscillopathies contribute to cognitive dysfunction in neuropsychiatric diseases. Cannabis-1 receptor (CB1-R) activation was reported to suppress theta and fast gamma activities in rats during waking exploration, and here, we show that cannabis fundamentally alters network activity during sleep as well. Prominent theta

Understanding how localized brain interventions influence whole-brain dynamics is essential for deciphering neural function and designing therapeutic strategies. Using longitudinal functional MRI datasets collected from mice, we investigated the effects of focal interventions, such as thalamic lesions and chemogenetic silencing of cortical hubs. We found that these local manipulations disrupted the

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) reside on cell surfaces and uptake substrates, including L-glutamate, L-aspartate, and D-aspartate, using ion gradients. Among five EAATs, EAAT3 is the only isoform that can efficiently transport L-cysteine, a substrate for glutathione synthesis. Recent studies suggest that EAAT3 also transports the oncometabolite R-2-hydroxyglutarate (R-2HG). Here, we examined

The MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 (MRN) complex plays multiple roles in the maintenance of genome stability. MRN is associated with replication forks to preserve fork integrity and is also required for end resection at double-strand breaks (DSBs) to facilitate homologous recombination (HR). The critical need for proper control of the MRE11 nuclease activity is highlighted by the extensive nascent strand DNA degradation

Bestrophin-1 (BEST1) is a chloride channel expressed in the eye and other tissues of the body. A link between BEST1 and the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been proposed. The most appreciated receptors for extracellular GABA are the GABA B G-protein-coupled receptors and the pentameric GABA A chloride channels, both of which have fundamental roles in the central

Interdisciplinary research is essential for addressing complex global challenges, but there are concerns that scientific institutions like journals select against it. Prior work has focused largely on how interdisciplinarity relates to outcomes for published papers, but which papers get accepted for publication in the first place is unclear. Furthermore, journals may evaluate two key dimensions of

Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B (PHP1B) is a multihormone resistance disorder caused by aberrant GNAS methylation. Characteristic epigenetic changes at GNAS differentially methylated regions (DMRs), i.e., NESP, AS1, AS2, XL, and A/B, are associated with specific structural defects in different autosomal dominant PHP1B (AD-PHP1B) subtypes. However, mechanisms underlying abnormal GNAS methylation remain

Membrane frizzled-related protein (MFRP), present in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), is an integral membrane protein essential for ocular development and the normal physiology of the retina. Mutations in MFRP are associated with autosomal recessive nonsyndromic nanophthalmos, leading to severe hyperopia and early-onset retinitis pigmentosa. While several preclinical gene-augmentation and gene-editing

Spatial epigenomics and multiomics can provide fine-grained insights into cellular states but their widespread adoption is limited by the requirement for bespoke slides and capture chemistries for each data modality. Here, we present SPatial assay for Accessible chromatin, Cell lineages, and gene Expression with sequencing (SPACE-seq), a method that utilizes polyadenine-tailed epigenomic libraries

The elastic properties of nanoscale extracellular vesicles (EVs) are believed to influence their cellular interactions, thus having a profound implication in intercellular communication. However, accurate quantification of their elastic modulus is challenging due to their nanoscale dimensions and their fluid-like lipid bilayer. We show that the previous attempts to develop atomic force microscopy-based

We report a transition from the ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal (N F ) phase to a lower-temperature, apolar fluid phase having reentrant isotropic symmetry (I R ), in the liquid crystal compound RM734 doped with small concentrations of the ionic liquids 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF 6 ) or 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMIM-TFSI). Even

Elevated miR-155 levels in B cell malignancies, such as CLL and DLBCL, correlate with increased aggressiveness of the disease. We recently reported that, in two different mouse models of miR-155 -driven B cell malignancy, miR-155 targets and down-regulates transcripts encoding ICOSL, the ligand for the Inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS), thereby impairing the capacity of T lymphocytes to recognize

Phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ) enzymes are the principal effectors activated by G q heterotrimers. Both Gα q and Gβγ subunits can activate PLCβ, which requires precise positioning of PLCβ at the plasma membrane to relieve structural autoinhibition and give the active site access to the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) substrate. PLCβ enzymes possess a unique distal C-terminal domain (dCTD) that

There is great interest in hemp cultivation to obtain an oil rich in cannabinoids. Cannabidiol (CBD) is the most sought after because it has remarkable medicinal properties. But hemp crops are sometimes improperly dried, leading to excessive bacteria and moulds growth during storage, which jeopardizes the microbiological quality of the oil. As a result, the crop must be discarded with a large economic

Climate change amplifies the frequency and severity of fires in tropical regions, particularly in savanna ecosystems. Amidst these changes, we provide the first comprehensive analysis of future fire risks in northern South American tropical savanna ecosystems under diverse climate scenarios. Utilizing a compounded-event framework, we not only assess but also predict fire risks in savannas under varying

Terrestrial ecosystems play a crucial role in carbon sequestration and provide vital ecosystem services such as food, energy, and raw materials. Climate change, through rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme events, threatens the carbon sink potential of these ecosystems, with forests and grasslands particularly at risk. Long-term data from flux tower networks offer valuable

Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.

Henry Sila Nzioki has developed a weed-killing fungus to improve food security.

Conventional tests that look only at a small subset of genetic code often miss variations hiding outside the protein-coding genome.

Models estimate the ginormous potential impact of foreign-aid cuts.

Understanding the playbook that those in power use to twist numbers, and how they make others complicit, is only becoming more important in the post-truth world.

Somatic DNMT3A R882 codon mutations drive the most common form of clonal haematopoiesis (CH) and are associated with increased acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) risk1,2. Preventing expansion of DNMT3A-R882-mutant haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) may therefore avert progression to AML. To identify DNMT3A-R882-mutant-specific vulnerabilities, we conducted a genome-wide CRISPR screen on primary

replying to: J. J. S. Santos et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08821-6 (2025).replying to: P. Chopra et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08822-5 (2025).