Compression causes cancer cells to start spreading Summary This research briefing summarises a Nature paper (Hunter et al.) showing that mechanical compression from surrounding tissues can switch melanoma cells from…
The diversity of microbial enzymes that turn a pollutant into an inert gas Summary Reductase enzymes convert nitrous oxide (N2O) — a powerful greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance — into…
Damaged bridges flex and twist to prevent collapse Summary Like a spider web that compensates for a broken strand, steel truss bridges can sometimes survive the 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 to control neuronal electrical activity. These…
Rewiring of cortical glucose metabolism fuels human brain cancer growth Summary This Nature study used clinical stable-isotope infusions and metabolic flux analysis (MFA) in patients and orthotopic mouse models to…
Genetic suppression features ABHD18 as a Barth syndrome therapeutic target Summary This Nature study used genome-wide genetic suppression screens in TAFAZZIN (TAZ)‑deficient human cells to identify modifiers of Barth syndrome…
Dynamic fibroblast–immune interactions shape recovery after brain injury Summary This Nature paper maps how central nervous system (CNS) fibroblasts respond to focal brain injury and how they interact with immune…
Multiple overlapping binding sites determine transcription factor occupancy Summary The authors introduce PADIT-seq, an in vitro transcription-based sequencing assay that measures transcription factor (TF) affinity to every possible 10-base-pair DNA…
Adaptive and context-aware volumetric printing Summary This paper introduces GRACE (Generative, Adaptive, Context-Aware 3D Printing), a workflow that equips volumetric 3D printers with the ability to image their build volume,…
3D-printed micro ion trap technology for quantum information applications Summary This Nature paper demonstrates a new fabrication route for trapped-ion hardware: high-resolution 3D printing (two-photon polymerisation, 2PP) of microscopic electrode…
