How academics and ‘big tech’ can learn from one another Summary Steven C. Currall (executive director for academic–corporate initiatives at Harvard) argues that collaborations between academia and large technology firms…
Compression causes cancer cells to start spreading Summary A zebrafish model of melanoma shows that mechanical compression from surrounding tissues can switch cancer cells from a proliferative ‘grow’ state to…
Depriving brain tumours of an amino acid could enhance chemotherapy Summary Researchers report that glioblastoma — the most aggressive adult brain cancer — rewires cortical glucose metabolism and scavenges the…
Ant queens produce sons of two distinct species Summary Researchers report an extraordinary reproductive system in the Iberian harvester ant (Messor ibericus). New evidence (Juvé et al., Nature 2025) shows…
The diversity of microbial enzymes that turn a pollutant into an inert gas Summary Researchers report a previously unknown family of bacterial proteins that catalyse the reduction of nitrous oxide…
Damaged bridges flex and twist to prevent collapse Summary Steel truss bridges — built from connected elements in a framework — can sometimes survive the sudden failure of a load-bearing…
Cocaine-activated ion channels engineered to break the loop of addiction in rats Summary Researchers have engineered ion channels that are selectively activated by cocaine and used them to reprogramme neural…
Ancient DNA connects large-scale migration with the spread of Slavs Summary This Nature paper reports genome-wide ancient DNA from 1,243 samples (including 555 newly generated genomes) across transects in the…
Rewiring of cortical glucose metabolism fuels human brain cancer growth Summary This Nature study used clinical stable-isotope infusions and mouse models to compare how glucose is metabolised in human cortex…
Dynamic fibroblast–immune interactions shape recovery after brain injury Summary This Nature paper maps how central nervous system (CNS) fibroblasts and immune cells cooperate across time after focal brain injury. Using…
