Physics

Bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) are known to mediate intercellular communication, virulence, and immune modulation. Here we show that bacteria can utilise EVs also as recyclable nutrient reservoirs. Using Bacillus cereus as a model organism, we demonstrate that EVs exhibit distinct dynamics depending on growth conditions: EVs produced in complex nutrient-rich media undergo time-dependent degradation, while those produced in defined nutrient-limited conditions remain stable and accumulate. We observe similar EV degradation patterns in Staphylococcus aureus. Time-resolved multi-omics profiling reveals that EVs containing the lipid sphingomyelin undergo progressive degradation. Using pharmacological inhibition, knockout mutants, and enzymatic complementation, we show that this process is driven by secreted sphingomyelinase (SMase). This enzyme contributes to degradation of sphingomyelin-containing EVs, thereby releasing their biomolecular cargo which can be used as a nutrient source. Growth assays confirm that SMase-mediated EV degradation provides a growth advantage when nutrients become depleted, thus establishing EVs as dynamic nutrient reservoirs.

Ventral midbrain dopaminergic neurons are a key cell type for schizophrenia pathophysiology but information about cell type-specific genomic dysregulation in diseased brains is missing. We generated a unique midbrain functional genomics resource with 97 RNA-seq and 34 Hi-C chromosomal contact libraries for Nurr1 + /NeuN+ dopaminergic and their surrounding Nurr1-/NeuN- nuclei, collected from donors diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD) and compared to neurotypical controls. Among the 954 dopamine neuron genes specifically dysregulated in SCZ, 331 were downregulated, with selective enrichment for risk-associated synaptic plasticity and neuronal connectivity pathways and embedded within dopamine neuron-specific topologically associated chromosomal domains (TAD). Transcript-resolved analysis revealed 2,350 transcripts with altered expression in SCZ dopamine neurons, affecting key susceptibility genes such as the FOXP1, MAPK10, PCM1 and NRXN1. Therefore, genomic dysregulation in the ventral midbrain of subjects diagnosed with SCZ selectively affects dopaminergic neurons, and includes a unilateral association of genetic risk with down-, but not upregulated transcription at the sites of highly organized chromosomal domains harboring neuron-specific genes with complex transcriptional architectures.

The adult sex ratio plays a crucial role in shaping breeding systems and traits linked to sexual selection. Recent studies associate adult sex ratio with mate choice, pair-bonding, and parenting, as the rarer sex gains advantages in mate selection and parental investment. However, the causal relationships between the demographic factors that generate adult sex ratio bias and its broader implications remain debated. Skewed adult sex ratios can result from sex-biased mortality and maturation, which influence mating and parental behaviours. Conversely, the costs of these behaviours may further drive sex differences in mortality and maturation, reinforcing adult sex ratio biases. Here, we compile demographic and behavioural data from 261 bird species across 69 families to examine these associations within a phylogenetic framework. Our analyses confirm that demographic traits are associated with adult sex ratio and reveal links between adult sex ratio, pre-copulatory sexual selection, and parenting. Phylogenetic path analyses further demonstrate that sex differences in mortality and maturation drive adult sex ratio biases, which subsequently influence mating and parenting rather than the reverse. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between demography, social environment, and breeding systems, highlighting adult sex ratio as a crucial link. Our findings underscore the need for further research on the demographic underpinnings of social behaviour and reproductive strategies.

Euglenophyta is a representative phylum of green-lineage secondary endosymbiotic eukaryotes. These organisms have evolved far-red light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) composed of diadinoxanthin and chlorophyll a/b, which are now classified as the LHCE family. Here we report a 2.35-Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of photosystem I (PSI) supercomplex from Euglena gracilis, with all subunits and their paralogs assigned. This structure reveals a minimal PSI core associated with twelve LHCE and four LHCII subunits. Most LHCE subunits are organized into dimers through a helix C-to-helix C interaction. Two dimers, together with a monomeric LhcE8, assemble into a (2 + 2 + 1)-type LHCE pentamer. The red-shifted pairs in the two LhcE6 subunits likely contribute to far-red absorption. The LHCII subunits form a distinct heterodimer and associate with the PsaF side. Overall, these results provide a structural basis for understanding energy transfer and dissipation, antenna subunit assembly, and far-red light-harvesting strategies in green-lineage secondary endosymbiotic organisms.

Low-platinum-loading electrocatalysts, offering both high activity and durability under practical conditions, are essential for sustainable hydrogen production. Here we report a scalable synthesis of a platinum single-site catalyst supported on Ni-N-doped carbon nanotubes, achieved via a facile Ni-driven one-step reduction-displacement of Pt⁴⁺. The catalyst NCNT-Ni/Pt features a N₂-Pt-Cl₂ initial coordination, where the dynamic evolution of Pt-Cl bonds regulates the hydrogen evolution reaction performance. Excitingly, the catalyst demonstrates an overpotential of 7.78 ± 0.86 mV at 10 mA cm^-2. With a Pt loading of 6 μg cm^-2, it enables industrially relevant proton exchange membrane water electrolysis at 1.63 V@1 A cm^-2, with a degradation rate of 3.3 μV h^-1, sustained over 4500 h. Coupled with a 21%-efficient photovoltaic module, it delivers a 16.06% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency at industrial-level current density. This study presents a practical strategy for minimizing precious-metal use in the synthesis of industrial-grade hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts.

Many proteins can reach the cell surface through a Golgi-independent unconventional protein secretion (UPS) pathway, particularly under cellular stress conditions. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate UPS remain largely elusive. In this study, VPS26A-containing retromer complex, along with the sorting nexin SNX27, is identified as a regulator of UPS of transmembrane proteins, including the trafficking-deficient ∆F508 mutant CFTR, which causes cystic fibrosis, and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, associated with COVID-19. A targeted CRISPR knockout screen identified VPS26A as a key contributor in the UPS of ∆F508-CFTR. Subsequent molecular analyses revealed that SNX27 recruits ∆F508-CFTR to the VPS26A-VPS35-VPS29 retromer complex, facilitating its transport to the cell surface under UPS-inducing conditions. Additionally, VPS26A and SNX27 are necessary for UPS of the spike protein, enabling the formation of intact SARS-CoV-2 virions. These findings suggest that the retromer complex and SNX27, known for their roles in recycling endosomes, mediate previously unrecognized functions in the UPS of transmembrane proteins.

Despite striking efficacy against hematologic malignancies, the cost and complexity of CAR T manufacturing present significant barriers to broader patient access. Beyond manufacturing challenges, ex vivo expansion of T cells may be detrimental to their function and persistence. Thus, delivery of CARs to reprogram host cells in vivo would represent a significant advance towards a readily available therapy, but has been limited by low efficiency, low specificity, and immunogenicity of viral vectors. Here, we describe the design of pseudotyped lentiviral vectors (LV) with superior functionality and high target specificity. We show that LV pseudotyped with chimeric envelope glycoproteins from dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) can be engineered to selectively infect human T cells and evade neutralizing antibody responses in measles-vaccinated human serum. We further demonstrate that camelid-derived nanobodies are a superior retargeting domain, overcoming limitations inherent to the use of single-chain variable fragment antibodies. Using a chimeric DMV-pseudotyped virus targeting the CD7 receptor, we demonstrate efficient and highly specific infection of T cells both in vitro and in vivo, generating functional CAR T cells and inducing therapeutic efficacy in a preclinical B cell lymphoma model.

Most phosphate precursors used in atomic layer deposition are either thermally unstable or require activation. Therefore, our aim is to identify additional phosphate precursors that have not yet been widely used by the scientific community. This paper describes the deposition of titanium phosphate coatings via atomic layer deposition using in various pulse sequences titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP), tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphate (TTMSP), and water as the precursors. We performed the deposition predominantly onto carbon fibers. For x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), in a limited number of cases, we coated flat silicon wafers, bearing 100 nm oxide layers. Film growth without a water pulse (pulse sequence TTMSP/TTIP) did not yield reliable results. Therefore, the pulse sequences TTMSP/H2O/TTIP, TTMSP/TTIP/H2O, and TTMSP/H2O/TTIP/H2O were used. All these sequences exhibited self-limiting growth behavior at 200 °C. The growth per cycle (GPC) was 0.21–0.24 nm/cycle for TTMSP/H2O/TTIP and TTMSP/H2O/TTIP/H2O, while TTMSP/TTIP/H2O yielded a lower GPC of 0.11 nm/cycle. Chemical analyses of the deposited coatings via induction coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and XPS revealed a molar ratio P/Ti in the range of 0.31–0.91. These values are lower than the value of 1.33, which is expected for Ti3/4PO4. Therefore, these coatings have compositions between titanium phosphate and titanium oxide. The coatings with the TTMSP/TTIP/H2O pulse sequence comprised the highest phosphorus content: XPS sum formula = TiP0.53O3.1C0.2, ICP-OES P/Ti = 0.52–0.91. The sequence TTMSP/H2O/TTIP yielded XPS sum formula = TiP0.38O2.8C0.3 and ICP-OES P/Ti = 0.32–0.45. The sequence TTMSP/H2O/TTIP/H2O yielded a similar composition with XPS sum formula = TiP0.39O3.1C0.1 and ICP-OES P/Ti = 0.35–0.53. We increased the P/Ti ratio using multiple subcycles of TTMSP/H2O up to a maximum P/Ti value of 1.47. All coated fibers were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis in air to test their ability to increase the oxidation resistance of the fibers. As a criterion for the oxidation resistance, we selected the temperature at which a mass loss of 3% with respect to the mass at 400 °C occurs. For uncoated fibers, this 3% mass loss occurs at a temperature3% of 648 °C. All coated fibers showed a moderate upshift of this temperature3%. The maximum temperature3% that we achieved was 711 °C with coatings deposited via the pulse sequence TTMSP/H2O/TTIP/H2O.

Cerium diantimonide (CeSb$_2$) is a layered heavy-fermion Kondo lattice material that hosts complex magnetism and pressure-induced superconductivity. The interpretation of its in-plane anisotropy has remained unsettled due to structural twinning, which superimposes orthogonal magnetic responses. Here we combine controlled crystal growth with magnetization and rotational magnetometry to disentangle the effects of twinning. Nearly untwinned high-quality single crystals reveal the intrinsic in-plane anisotropy: The in-plane easy axis saturates at $M_{\text{easy}}(4~\text{T}) \approx 1.8~μ_{\text{B}}$/Ce, while the in-plane hard axis magnetization is strongly suppressed, nearly linear, and comparable to the out-of-plane response. These results resolve long-standing discrepancies in reported magnetic measurements, in which in-plane metamagnetic transition fields and saturation magnetization varied significantly across previous studies. Growth experiments demonstrate that avoiding the proposed $α$-$β$ structural transition $-$ through Sb-rich flux and slower cooling $-$ systematically reduces twinning. However, powder X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis measurements show no clear evidence of a distinct $β$ phase. Our results establish a consistent magnetic phase diagram and provide essential constraints for crystal-electric field models, enabling a clearer understanding of the interplay between anisotropic magnetism and unconventional superconductivity in CeSb$_2$.

ABSTRACT Potassium metal batteries (KMBs) have currently been regarded as one of the most promising energy storage devices for achieving high energy density. However, some inevitable challenges including high reactivity of metallic potassium, dendrite growth, and huge volume expansion impose a heavy burden on potassium metal batteries. Herein, an isocyanate molecule – 4‐(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl isocyanate (TPI) is proposed to tailor the electrolyte solvation structure and interfacial chemistry in KMBs for the first time. The as‐obtained electrolyte exhibits enhanced ionic conductivity, excellent electrode wettability and high exchange current density. Due to the energy levels difference, TPI preferentially accepts or donates electrons and undergoes redox reactions faster, thereby reducing the excessive decomposition of solvent molecules. Moreover, its inherent excellent film‐forming property could form a protective layer at the electrode interface, effectively inhibiting the electrolyte decomposition and the adverse reactions caused by potassium metal. When assembled symmetrical batteries, at a current density of 0.5 mA cm −2 and 0.5 mAh cm −2 , the electrolyte could stably run for more than 1400 h. The PTCDA||K full‐cells could cycle 2000 times with good stability, and the Coulombic efficiency remained at approximately 99.84%. This strategy presents a promising pathway toward achieving performance metrics in KMBs.

ABSTRACT Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are a promising energy storage technology, attracting significant interest for their high theoretical energy density, safety, and cost‐effectiveness. However, their commercialization is hindered by persistent interfacial issues at the zinc anode, including dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and passivation. This review provides a systematic examination of these challenges, delving into their electrochemical origins and associated anode limitations. We categorize recent optimization strategies into three key domains: electrolyte engineering, anode design, and separator modification. Specific approaches, such as tailoring electrolyte solvation structures, modifying zinc surface and architecture, and functionalizing separators, are detailed to illustrate their effectiveness in stabilizing the anode interface. Finally, we summarize the prevailing constraints and outline future research directions, aiming to inspire the development of innovative materials and strategies for high‐performance AZIBs.