Denisovans are an extinct hominin group defined by ancient genomes of Middle to Late Pleistocene fossils from southern Siberia. Although genomic evidence suggests their widespread distribution throughout eastern Asia and possibly Oceania, so far only a few fossils from the Altai and Tibet are confidently identified molecularly as Denisovan. We identified a hominin mandible (Penghu 1) from Taiwan (10

One approach for closed-loop plastics recycling relies on reverting polymers back into monomers because one can then make new plastics without loss of properties. This depolymerization requirement restricts the molecular design to making polymers with high mechanical performance. We report a three-dimensional (3D) printing chemistry through stepwise photopolymerization by forming dithioacetal bonds

Variants in GBA1 resulting in decreased lysosomal glucocerebrosidase (GCase) activity are a common risk factor for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Incomplete penetrance of GBA1 variants suggests that additional genes contribute to PD and DLB manifestation. By using a pooled genome-wide CRISPR interference screen, we identified copper metabolism MURR1 domain–containing

Human pelvic evolution following the human-chimpanzee divergence is thought to result in an obstetrical dilemma, a mismatch between large infant brains and narrowed female birth canals, but empirical evidence has been equivocal. By using deep learning on 31,115 dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans from UK Biobank, we identified 180 loci associated with seven highly heritable pelvic phenotypes. Birth

The future of drug discovery may be artificial intelligence (AI), but its present is not. AI is in its infancy in the field. To help AI mature, developers need nonproprietary, open, large, high-quality datasets to train and validate models, managed by independent organizations.

The bankruptcy filing by commercial genetic testing company 23andMe has put the spotlight, once again, on the limits and effectiveness of data privacy laws. Since the company was founded in 2006, it has amassed a database of around 15 million customers who shared their genetic and health information in return for insights into their ancestry, traits, disease risks, and other aspects. About 80% also

Supported noble metal cluster catalysts are typically operated under severe conditions involving switches between reducing and oxidizing atmospheres, causing irreversible transformation of catalyst structure and thereby leading to permanent deactivation. We discovered that various Pt precursors spontaneously disperse in Ge-MFI zeolite, which opposes the Ostwald ripening phenomenon, producing self-regenerating

Latency is a common strategy in a wide range of viral lineages, but its prevalence in giant viruses remains unknown. Here we describe a 617 kbp integrated giant viral element in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . We resolve the integrated viral genome using long-read sequencing, identify a putative polinton-like integrase, and show that viral particles accumulate primarily during the

Electrostatic dielectric capacitors with ultrahigh power densities are sought after for advanced electronic and electrical systems owing to their ultrafast charge-discharge capability. However, low energy density resulting from low breakdown strength and suppressed polarization still remains a daunting challenge for practical applications. We propose a microstructural strategy with dendritic nanopolar

The arrangement of genes along bacterial chromosomes influences their expression through growth rate–dependent gene copy number changes during DNA replication. Although translation- and transcription-related genes often cluster near the origin of replication, the extent of positional biases across gene families remains unclear. We hypothesized that natural selection broadly favors specific chromosomal

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a devastating citrus disease. In this work, we report an HLB resistance regulatory circuit in Citrus composed of an E3 ubiquitin ligase, PUB21, and its substrate, the MYC2 transcription factor, which regulates jasmonate-mediated defense responses. A helitron insertion in the PUB21 promoter introduced multiple MYC2-binding cis-elements to create a regulatory circuit linking the

Cachexia, a severe wasting syndrome associated with inflammatory conditions, often leads to multiorgan failure and death. Patients with cachexia experience extreme fatigue, apathy, and clinical depression, yet the biological mechanisms underlying these behavioral symptoms and their relationship to the disease remain unclear. In a mouse cancer model, cachexia specifically induced increased effort-sensitivity

The search for anyons, quasiparticles with fractional charge and exotic exchange statistics, has inspired decades of condensed matter research. Quantum Hall interferometers enable direct observation of the anyon braiding phase via discrete interference phase jumps when the number of encircled localized quasiparticles changes. Here, we observe this braiding phase in both the ν = 1/3 and 4/3 fractional

Despite the growing threat of pharmaceutical pollution, we lack an understanding of whether and how such pollutants influence animal behavior in the wild. Using laboratory- and field-based experiments across multiple years in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ; n = 730), we show that the globally detected anxiolytic pollutant clobazam accumulates in the brain of exposed fish and influences river-to-sea

Type III CRISPR-Cas systems defend against viral infection in prokaryotes using an RNA-guided complex that recognizes foreign transcripts and synthesizes cyclic oligo-adenylate (cOA) messengers to activate CARF immune effectors. Here we investigated a protein containing a CARF domain fused Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain, Cat1. We found that Cat1 provides immunity by cleaving and depleting

We used Hi-C, imaging, proteomics, and polymer modeling to define rules of engagement for SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) complexes as cells refold interphase chromatin into rod-shaped mitotic chromosomes. First, condensin disassembles interphase chromatin loop organization by evicting or displacing extrusive cohesin. Second, condensin bypasses cohesive cohesins, thereby maintaining sister

T cell priming is characterized by an initial activation phase that involves stable interactions with dendritic cells (DCs). How activated T cells receive the paracrine signals required for their differentiation once they have disengaged from DCs and resumed their migration has been unclear. We identified a distinct priming phase that favors CD8 T cells expressing receptors with high affinity for antigen

Data centres accounted for roughly 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024.

Neurons engineered to evade the immune system could work as cell-replacement therapy.

Researchers are experimenting with audio formats, and debating how to handle reviewer feedback.

Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 09 April 2025

People from modern Pakistan imported their musical technology all the way to what is now Oman.

Intersectionality describes interdependent systems of inequality related to sex, gender, race, age, class and other socio-political dimensions. By focusing on the compounded effects of social categories, intersectional analysis can enhance the accuracy and experimental efficiency of science. Here we extend intersectional approaches that were predominantly developed in the humanities, social sciences