@article{21371, abstract = {There may be a newly identified early phase of supermassive black hole growth}, author = {Matthee, Jorryt J}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6787}, pages = {767--768}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Black holes disguised as little red dots}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adz8603}, volume = {391}, year = {2026}, } @article{22365, abstract = {Phase plates can, in principle, overcome the poor image contrast in cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and the resulting limits on the structural reconstruction of small proteins. However, previous designs have been unstable and compromised the high-resolution signal and have thus been unable to surpass results achieved by standard cryo-EM. Here, we show that the laser phase plate (LPP), installed in a modern, custom Titan Krios microscope, enhances the resolution in single-particle reconstruction of small proteins by improving specimen-motion correction and recovery of information from the early frames, as well as particle visualization, three-dimensional classification, and alignment. These advances use standard defocus ranges and reconstruction procedures but open the door to LPP-tailored protocols, offering further improvements by leveraging the LPP demonstrated here.}, author = {Petrov, Petar N and Zhang, Jessie T. and Remis, Jonathan and Axelrod, Jeremy J. and Cheng, Hang and Cooper, Eric S. and Hicklin, Ian K. and Sandhaus, Shahar and Schnurr, Cooper and Glaeser, Robert M. and Müller, Holger}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6807}, pages = {195--196}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Laser phase plate improves structure determination of small proteins by cryo-EM}}, doi = {10.1126/science.aeh0665}, volume = {393}, year = {2026}, } @article{21762, abstract = {Bacteria, like eukaryotes, use conserved cytoskeletal systems for intracellular organization. The plasmid-encoded ParMRC system forms actin-like filaments that segregate low–copy number plasmids. In multicellular cyanobacteria such as Anabaena sp., we found that a chromosomally encoded ParMR system has evolved into a cytoskeletal system named CorMR with a function in cell shape control rather than DNA segregation. Live-cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution, and cryo–electron microscopy revealed that CorM formed dynamically unstable, antiparallel double-stranded filaments that were recruited to the membrane by CorR through an amphipathic helix conserved in multicellular cyanobacteria. CorMR filaments were regulated by MinC, which excluded them from the poles and division plane. Comparative genomics indicated that the repurposing of ParMR and Min systems coevolved with cyanobacterial multicellularity, highlighting the evolutionary plasticity of cytoskeletal systems in bacteria.}, author = {Springstein, Benjamin L and Javoor, Manjunath and Megrian, Daniela and Hajdu, Roman and Hanke, Dustin M. and Zens, Bettina and Weiss, Gregor L. and Schur, Florian Km and Loose, Martin}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6795}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery into a cytoskeletal system controlling cell shape}}, doi = {10.1126/science.aea6343}, volume = {392}, year = {2026}, } @article{23000, abstract = {Ancient viral warfare could be at the root of modern class 1 CRISPR bacterial defense systems}, author = {Bravo, Jack Peter Kelly}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6817}, pages = {1187--1188}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{A viral origin for RNA-guided immunity}}, doi = {10.1126/science.ael0758}, volume = {393}, year = {2026}, } @article{22315, abstract = {Plant tropisms enable roots to navigate complex soils by responding to directional environmental cues. Biological decay, although central to nutrient cycling, also creates microbially active and potentially hostile niches. In this work, we identified “saprotropism,” a previously unrecognized growth response that enables roots to actively bend away from decaying plant-derived matter. Fungal-driven microbial decomposition released organic acids and formed stable pH gradients in surrounding soil, allowing roots to pinpoint decay without direct contact. Root epidermal cells sensed this acidic gradient through the root meristem growth factor peptide-receptor module, converting external pH asymmetry into asymmetric abscisic acid (ABA) distribution. ABA asymmetry drove microtubule reorganization, which was decoded into decay-avoidant root bending. Together, these findings establish microbial decay–derived chemical gradients as an instructive signal for root navigation and expand the framework of microbe-soil-plant communication.}, author = {Bao, Zhulatai and Wang, Huihui and Zhang, Ai and Gao, Ruxi and Gu, Wen and Fan, Ni and Friml, Jiří and Zhang, Yuzhou}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6807}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Roots navigate around decay regions by sensing local pH gradients}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adw6568}, volume = {393}, year = {2026}, } @article{21763, abstract = {Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in multiple signaling processes in plants, but the underlying mechanisms and roles remain enigmatic. In this study, we developed a method of live imaging of apoplastic ROS at the root surface. Distinct signals, including auxin, extracellular adenosine triphosphate, and rapid alkalinization factor 1 peptide, induce cytosolic calcium transients and apoplastic ROS bursts. Genetic and optogenetic manipulations of Arabidopsis identified calcium transients as necessary and sufficient for ROS bursts through activation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases RBOHC and RBOHF. Apoplastic ROS bursts are not required, but they do limit gravity-induced root bending. Root bending is sensed by the stretch-activated calcium channel MCA1, leading to NADPH oxidase activation. The resulting ROS production stiffens cell walls to facilitate soil penetration. Apoplastic ROS thus provides a means to balance tissue flexibility and stiffness to navigate soil.}, author = {Kulich, Ivan and Vladimirtsev, Dmitrii and Randuch, Marek and Gao, Shiqiang and Citterico, Matteo and Konrad, Kai R. and Nagel, Georg and Wrzaczek, Michael and Cascaro, Léa and Vinet, Pauline and Durand, Pauline and Asnacios, Atef and Verma, Lokesh and Bennett, Malcolm J. and Pandey, Bipin K. and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6795}, pages = {296--300}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Calcium-triggered apoplastic ROS bursts balance gravity and mechanical signals for soil navigation}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adu8197}, volume = {392}, year = {2026}, } @article{18985, abstract = {Persistent multiyear drought (MYD) events pose a growing threat to nature and humans in a changing climate. We identified and inventoried global MYDs by detecting spatiotemporally contiguous climatic anomalies, showing that MYDs have become drier, hotter, and led to increasingly diminished vegetation greenness. The global terrestrial land affected by MYDs has increased at a rate of 49,279 ± 14,771 square kilometers per year from 1980 to 2018. Temperate grasslands have exhibited the greatest declines in vegetation greenness during MYDs, whereas boreal and tropical forests have had comparably minor responses. With MYDs becoming more common, this global quantitative inventory of the occurrence, severity, trend, and impact of MYDs provides an important benchmark for facilitating more effective and collaborative preparedness toward mitigation of and adaptation to such extreme events.}, author = {Chen, Liangzhi and Brun, Philipp and Buri, Pascal and Fatichi, Simone and Gessler, Arthur and Mccarthy, Michael and Pellicciotti, Francesca and Stocker, Benjamin and Karger, Dirk Nikolaus}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6731}, pages = {278--284}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Global increase in the occurrence and impact of multiyear droughts}}, doi = {10.1126/science.ado4245}, volume = {387}, year = {2025}, } @article{19364, abstract = {Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are pivotal in modern heat management but face limitations in efficiency and manufacturing scalability. We address these challenges by using an extrusion-based 3D printing technique to fabricate high-performance thermoelectric materials. Our ink formulations ensure the integrity of the 3D-printed structure and effective particle bonding during sintering, achieving record-high figure of merit (zT) values of 1.42 for p-type bismuth antimony telluride [(Bi,Sb)2Te3] and 1.3 for n-type silver selenide (Ag2Se) materials at room temperature. The resulting TEC demonstrates a cooling temperature gradient of 50°C in air. Moreover, this scalable and cost-effective method circumvents energy-intensive and time-consuming steps, such as ingot preparation and subsequently machining processes, offering a transformative solution for thermoelectric device production and heralding a new era of efficient and sustainable thermoelectric technologies.}, author = {Xu, Shengduo and Horta, Sharona and Lawal, Abayomi Q and Maji, Krishnendu and Lorion, Magali and Ibáñez, Maria}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6736}, pages = {845--850}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Interfacial bonding enhances thermoelectric cooling in 3D-printed materials}}, doi = {10.1126/science.ads0426}, volume = {387}, year = {2025}, } @article{20532, abstract = {A unified mechanism directs synaptic vesicle release}, author = {Lichter, Katharina}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6770}, pages = {236--237}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Kiss, shrink, run}}, doi = {10.1126/science.aec0091}, volume = {390}, year = {2025}, } @article{22562, abstract = {Persistent multiyear drought (MYD) events pose a growing threat to nature and humans in a changing climate. We identified and inventoried global MYDs by detecting spatiotemporally contiguous climatic anomalies, showing that MYDs have become drier, hotter, and led to increasingly diminished vegetation greenness. The global terrestrial land affected by MYDs has increased at a rate of 49,279 ± 14,771 square kilometers per year from 1980 to 2018. Temperate grasslands have exhibited the greatest declines in vegetation greenness during MYDs, whereas boreal and tropical forests have had comparably minor responses. With MYDs becoming more common, this global quantitative inventory of the occurrence, severity, trend, and impact of MYDs provides an important benchmark for facilitating more effective and collaborative preparedness toward mitigation of and adaptation to such extreme events.}, author = {Chen, Liangzhi and Brun, Philipp and Buri, Pascal and Fatichi, Simone and Gessler, Arthur and McCarthy, Michael James and Pellicciotti, Francesca and Stocker, Benjamin and Karger, Dirk Nikolaus}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6731}, pages = {278--284}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Global increase in the occurrence and impact of multiyear droughts}}, doi = {10.1126/science.ado4245}, volume = {387}, year = {2025}, } @article{21817, abstract = {Ambidirectionality, which is the ability of structural elements to move beyond a reference state in two opposite directions, is common in nature. However, conventional soft materials are typically limited to a single, unidirectional deformation unless complex hybrid constructs are used. We exploited the combination of mesogen self-assembly, polymer chain elasticity, and polymerization-induced stress to design liquid crystalline elastomers that exhibit two mesophases: chevron smectic C (cSmC) and smectic A (SmA). Inducing the cSmC-SmA–isotropic phase transition led to an unusual inversion of the strain field in the microstructure, resulting in opposite deformation modes (e.g., consecutive shrinkage or expansion and right-handed or left-handed twisting and tilting in opposite directions) and high-frequency nonmonotonic oscillations. This ambidirectional movement is scalable and can be used to generate Gaussian transformations at the macroscale.}, author = {Yao, Yuxing and Wilborn, Atalaya Milan and Lemaire, Baptiste and Trigka, Foteini and Stricker, Friedrich J and Weible, Alan H. and Li, Shucong and Bennett, Robert K. A. and Cheung, Tung Chun and Grinthal, Alison and Zhernenkov, Mikhail and Freychet, Guillaume and Wąsik, Patryk and Kozinsky, Boris and Lerch, Michael M. and Wang, Xiaoguang and Aizenberg, Joanna}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6726}, pages = {1161--1168}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{Programming liquid crystal elastomers for multistep ambidirectional deformability}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adq6434}, volume = {386}, year = {2024}, } @article{17112, abstract = {The generation of cyclic oligoadenylates and subsequent allosteric activation of proteins that carry sensory domains is a distinctive feature of type III CRISPR-Cas systems. In this work, we characterize a set of associated genes of a type III-B system from Haliangium ochraceum that contains two caspase-like proteases, SAVED-CHAT and PCaspase (prokaryotic caspase), co-opted from a cyclic oligonucleotide–based antiphage signaling system (CBASS). Cyclic tri–adenosine monophosphate (AMP)–induced oligomerization of SAVED-CHAT activates proteolytic activity of the CHAT domains, which specifically cleave and activate PCaspase. Subsequently, activated PCaspase cleaves a multitude of proteins, which results in a strong interference phenotype in vivo in Escherichia coli. Taken together, our findings reveal how a CRISPR-Cas–based detection of a target RNA triggers a cascade of caspase-associated proteolytic activities.}, author = {Steens, Jurre A. and Bravo, Jack Peter Kelly and Salazar, Carl Raymund P. and Yildiz, Caglar and Amieiro, Afonso M. and Köstlbacher, Stephan and Prinsen, Stijn H.P. and Patinios, Constantinos and Bardis, Andreas and Barendregt, Arjan and Scheltema, Richard A. and Ettema, Thijs J.G. and van der Oost, John and Taylor, David W. and Staals, Raymond H.J.}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6682}, pages = {512--519}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{Type III-B CRISPR-Cas cascade of proteolytic cleavages}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adk0378}, volume = {383}, year = {2024}, } @article{15117, abstract = {The hippocampal mossy fiber synapse, formed between axons of dentate gyrus granule cells and dendrites of CA3 pyramidal neurons, is a key synapse in the trisynaptic circuitry of the hippocampus. Because of its comparatively large size, this synapse is accessible to direct presynaptic recording, allowing a rigorous investigation of the biophysical mechanisms of synaptic transmission and plasticity. Furthermore, because of its placement in the very center of the hippocampal memory circuit, this synapse seems to be critically involved in several higher network functions, such as learning, memory, pattern separation, and pattern completion. Recent work based on new technologies in both nanoanatomy and nanophysiology, including presynaptic patch-clamp recording, paired recording, super-resolution light microscopy, and freeze-fracture and “flash-and-freeze” electron microscopy, has provided new insights into the structure, biophysics, and network function of this intriguing synapse. This brings us one step closer to answering a fundamental question in neuroscience: how basic synaptic properties shape higher network computations.}, author = {Vandael, David H and Jonas, Peter M}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6687}, pages = {eadg6757}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Structure, biophysics, and circuit function of a "giant" cortical presynaptic terminal}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adg6757}, volume = {383}, year = {2024}, } @article{18446, abstract = {How living systems achieve precision in form and function despite their intrinsic stochasticity is a fundamental yet ongoing question in biology. We generated morphomaps of preimplantation embryogenesis in mouse, rabbit, and monkey embryos, and these morphomaps revealed that although blastomere divisions desynchronized passively, 8-cell embryos converged toward robust three-dimensional shapes. Using topological analysis and genetic perturbations, we found that embryos progressively changed their cellular connectivity to a preferred topology, which could be predicted by a physical model in which actomyosin contractility and noise facilitate topological transitions, lowering surface energy. This mechanism favored regular embryo packing and promoted a higher number of inner cells in the 16-cell embryo. Synchronized division reduced embryo packing and generated substantially more misallocated cells and fewer inner-cell–mass cells. These findings suggest that stochasticity in division timing contributes to robust patterning.}, author = {Fabrèges, Dimitri and Corominas-Murtra, Bernat and Moghe, Prachiti and Kickuth, Alison and Ichikawa, Takafumi and Iwatani, Chizuru and Tsukiyama, Tomoyuki and Daniel, Nathalie and Gering, Julie and Stokkermans, Anniek and Wolny, Adrian and Kreshuk, Anna and Duranthon, Véronique and Uhlman, Virginie and Hannezo, Edouard B and Hiiragi, Takashi}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6718}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Temporal variability and cell mechanics control robustness in mammalian embryogenesis}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adh1145}, volume = {386}, year = {2024}, } @article{17091, abstract = {DNA sequences are connected to genes and functions in the developing and adult brain}, author = {Novarino, Gaia and Bock, Christoph}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6698}, pages = {860--861}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Mapping the brain’s gene-regulatory maze}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adp4663}, volume = {384}, year = {2024}, } @article{15251, abstract = {Brassinosteroids are steroidal phytohormones that regulate plant development and physiology, including adaptation to environmental stresses. Brassinosteroids are synthesized in the cell interior but bind receptors at the cell surface, necessitating a yet to be identified export mechanism. Here, we show that a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily, ABCB19, functions as a brassinosteroid exporter. We present its structure in both the substrate-unbound and the brassinosteroid-bound states. Bioactive brassinosteroids are potent activators of ABCB19 ATP hydrolysis activity, and transport assays showed that ABCB19 transports brassinosteroids. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ABCB19 and its close homolog, ABCB1, positively regulate brassinosteroid responses. Our results uncover an elusive export mechanism for bioactive brassinosteroids that is tightly coordinated with brassinosteroid signaling.}, author = {Ying, Wei and Wang, Yaowei and Wei, Hong and Luo, Yongming and Ma, Qian and Zhu, Heyuan and Janssens, Hilde and Vukašinović, Nemanja and Kvasnica, Miroslav and Winne, Johan M. and Gao, Yongxiang and Tan, Shutang and Friml, Jiří and Liu, Xin and Russinova, Eugenia and Sun, Linfeng}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6689}, pages = {eadj4591}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{Structure and function of the Arabidopsis ABC transporter ABCB19 in brassinosteroid export}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adj4591}, volume = {383}, year = {2024}, } @article{17090, abstract = {Primordial neutral atomic gas, mostly composed of hydrogen, is the raw material for star formation in galaxies. However, there are few direct constraints on the amount of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i) in galaxies at early cosmic times. We analyzed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) near-infrared spectroscopy of distant galaxies, at redshifts ≳8. From a sample of 12 galaxies, we identified three that show strong damped Lyman-α absorption due to H i in their local surroundings. The galaxies are located at spectroscopic redshifts of 8.8, 10.2, and 11.4, corresponding to 400 to 600 million years after the Big Bang. They have H i column densities ≳1022 cm−2, which is an order of magnitude higher than expected for a fully neutral intergalactic medium, and constitute a gas-rich population of young star-forming galaxies.}, author = {Heintz, Kasper E. and Watson, Darach and Brammer, Gabriel and Vejlgaard, Simone and Hutter, Anne and Strait, Victoria B. and Matthee, Jorryt J and Oesch, Pascal A. and Jakobsson, Páll and Tanvir, Nial R. and Laursen, Peter and Naidu, Rohan P. and Mason, Charlotte A. and Killi, Meghana and Jung, Intae and Hsiao, Tiger Yu Yang and Abdurro’Uf, Unknown and Coe, Dan and Haro, Pablo Arrabal and Finkelstein, Steven L. and Toft, Sune}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6698}, pages = {890--894}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Strong damped Lyman-a absorption in young star-forming galaxies at redshifts 9 to 11}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adj0343}, volume = {384}, year = {2024}, } @article{15316, abstract = {Genomic DNA that resides in the nuclei of mammalian neurons can be as old as the organism itself. The life span of nuclear RNAs, which are critical for proper chromatin architecture and transcription regulation, has not been determined in adult tissues. In this work, we identified and characterized nuclear RNAs that do not turn over for at least 2 years in a subset of postnatally born cells in the mouse brain. These long-lived RNAs were stably retained in nuclei in a neural cell type–specific manner and were required for the maintenance of heterochromatin. Thus, the life span of neural cells may depend on both the molecular longevity of DNA for the storage of genetic information and also the extreme stability of RNA for the functional organization of chromatin.}, author = {Zocher, Sara and Mccloskey, Asako and Karasinsky, Anne and Schulte, Roberta and Friedrich, Ulrike and Lesche, Mathias and Rund, Nicole and Gage, Fred H. and Hetzer, Martin W and Toda, Tomohisa}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6691}, pages = {53--59}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Lifelong persistence of nuclear RNAs in the mouse brain}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adf3481}, volume = {384}, year = {2024}, } @article{15166, abstract = {Reducing defects boosts room-temperature performance of a thermoelectric device}, author = {Navita, Navita and Ibáñez, Maria}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6688}, pages = {1184}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{Electron highways are cooler}}, doi = {10.1126/science.ado4077}, volume = {383}, year = {2024}, } @article{14796, abstract = {Key innovations are fundamental to biological diversification, but their genetic basis is poorly understood. A recent transition from egg-laying to live-bearing in marine snails (Littorina spp.) provides the opportunity to study the genetic architecture of an innovation that has evolved repeatedly across animals. Individuals do not cluster by reproductive mode in a genome-wide phylogeny, but local genealogical analysis revealed numerous small genomic regions where all live-bearers carry the same core haplotype. Candidate regions show evidence for live-bearer–specific positive selection and are enriched for genes that are differentially expressed between egg-laying and live-bearing reproductive systems. Ages of selective sweeps suggest that live-bearer–specific alleles accumulated over more than 200,000 generations. Our results suggest that new functions evolve through the recruitment of many alleles rather than in a single evolutionary step.}, author = {Stankowski, Sean and Zagrodzka, Zuzanna B. and Garlovsky, Martin D. and Pal, Arka and Shipilina, Daria and Garcia Castillo, Diego Fernando and Lifchitz, Hila and Le Moan, Alan and Leder, Erica and Reeve, James and Johannesson, Kerstin and Westram, Anja M and Butlin, Roger K.}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6678}, pages = {114--119}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{The genetic basis of a recent transition to live-bearing in marine snails}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adi2982}, volume = {383}, year = {2024}, }