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Quantum beats of exciton-polarons in CsPbI3 perovskite nanocrystals
Abstract The optical response of semiconductors is governed by coupled electronic and vibrational excitations. In lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals, strong exciton–phonon interaction forms a ladder of exciton-polaron states accessible by femtosecond laser pulses. We demonstrate a fully coherent regime of exciton-polaron dynamics with long optical coherence times ( T 2 ≈ 300 ps) in CsPbI 3 nanocrystals embedded in glass. Using transient two-pulse photon echo at a temperature of 2 K, we observe quantum beats between exciton-polaron states, with decay determined by optical phonon lifetimes of 5-15 ps. Within a four-level model, we directly quantify the exciton–phonon coupling strength through Huang–Rhys factors of 0.05 − 0.12 and 0.02 − 0.04 for low-energy optical phonons with energies of 3.2 and 5.1 meV, respectively. The pronounced size dependence of both coupling strengths and phonon lifetimes offers a route to tune the optical transitions between exciton-polaron states and tailor the coherent optical dynamics in perovskite semiconductors for solid-state quantum technologies.
Paired DNA and RNA sequencing uncovers common and rare variation regulating human retinal gene expression
Abstract Genetic disorders impacting vision affect millions of individuals worldwide, including age-related macular degeneration (common) and inherited retinal disorders (rare). There is an incomplete understanding of the impact of genetic variation on gene expression in the human retina and its role in genetic disorders. Through the generation of whole genome sequencing and bulk RNA-sequencing of neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium from 201 post-mortem eyes, we uncover common and rare genomic variants shaping retinal expression profiles. This includes 1,483,595 significant cis-expression quantitative trait loci impacting 9,959 and 3,699 genes in neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium, respectively, with associated genomic variants enriched to cis-candidate regulatory elements and notable shared eGenes between both tissues. We also detect 1051 expression outliers and prioritise 299 rare non-coding single-nucleotide, structural variants or copy number variants as plausible drivers for 28% of outlier events. This study increases understanding of gene expression regulation in the human retina.
Topology-dependent node dynamics under mechanical manipulation in moiré ferroelectrics
Activity-guided substructure prioritization accelerates discovery of gut microbiota-derived immune-regulating metabolites
Topological structure optimization of B,N-doped nanographenes for deep-blue emitters
Unveiling gene modules at Atlas scale through hierarchical clustering of single-cell data
No evidence of neural feature-specific pre-activation during the prediction of an upcoming stimulus
Small extracellular vesicle signaling and mitochondrial transfer reprogram T helper cell function in human asthma
Abstract Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) orchestrate cell-cell communication, but the role of sEV signaling via mitochondria in perpetuating asthmatic airway inflammation is unknown. Myeloid-derived regulatory cells (MDRCs) control CD4 + T cell responses in asthma. We demonstrate that airway MDRC-derived sEVs from asthmatics mediate T cell receptor engagement and transfer of mitochondria that induce antigen-specific activation and polarization of Th17 and Th2 cells. sEV-dependent T cell activation and Th polarization were mediated by mitochondrial oxidant-dependent NF-κB signaling, which, when blocked, mitigated CD4 + T cell activation. Mitochondrial fission regulator, DRP-1, promoted mitochondrial packaging within MDRC-sEVs. Internalized sEVs co-localized with the polarized cytoskeleton and mitochondrial networks in recipient T cells. Intranasal transfer of mitochondria packaged sEVs enhanced allergic airway inflammation and Th polarization in a murine asthma model. Our studies indicate a previously unrecognized role for mitochondrial fission and sEV- mitochondria-mediated signaling in dysregulated T cell activation, Th polarization, and pathology in asthma.
Discovery of a KLHL41 Ligand for Muscle Specific Protein Degradation
A pivotal Wnt antagonist role promoting digit joint specification by constraining Wnt activity
Abstract Bmps and Wnts often act antagonistically. Here we report that in mouse digit progenitors, unlike long bone joints, they cooperate to promote chondrogenic over joint (interzone) commitment. Elevated Bmp signaling prevents 5’ Hoxd Δ/Δ digit progenitors from forming interzones, causing joint loss. We show that constitutive βCatenin activation (βCatCA) in 5’ Hoxd Δ/Δ interdigits restores digit joints indirectly and cell non-autonomously. RNA profiling reveals βCatCA induces secreted Wnt antagonists that restore 5’ Hoxd Δ/Δ digit joints by reducing digit-tip Bmp activity. Deleting the βCatCA-induced Wnt antagonist Dkk2 in 5’ Hoxd Δ/Δ interdigits abolishes joint rescue by βCatCA. Wnts inhibit Gsk3β kinase, which phosphorylates and destabilizes both βCatenin and Bmp-activated receptors pSmad1/5. In cultured limb buds, Gsk3β antagonists stabilize pSmad1/5, enhancing digit-tip Bmp activity. We propose that Wnt antagonists prevent precocious pSmad1/5 accumulation by stabilizing Gsk3β, favoring joint fate. Excess Bmp-pSmad1/5 activity in 5’ Hoxd Δ/Δ digit-tips accelerates chondrogenic commitment, impeding a switch to joint fate. Wnt antagonists maintain mesenchymal plasticity for normal phalanx-joint specification by slowing the pace of chondrogenic commitment.
Contextual gating of whisker-evoked responses by frontal cortex supports flexible decision making
Abstract Context-dependent sensory processing underlies important aspects of flexible behavior. Here, we investigate how mice can use a briefly-presented auditory contextual Go or Nogo cue after a delay period to gate the transformation of a whisker deflection into licking for reward. Spatiotemporally-specific optogenetic inactivation demonstrated an important contribution of various cortical regions during distinct trial epochs, with only whisker secondary motor cortex (wM2) contributing strongly to all task epochs including auditory cue, delay and whisker stimulus. Electrophysiological recordings revealed prominent context representation in both wM2 and anterolateral motor cortex (ALM) in the form of persistent activity with stable population dynamics. Notably, we found that context and whisker sensory processing appeared to be integrated first in wM2, whose activity predicted future lick initiation in both correct hit trials and false alarm error trials already within 30 ms after whisker deflection. We thus identify wM2 as a key node for the contextual gating of the transformation of whisker sensation into motor commands for goal-directed licking.
Layer-specific genetic variation unlocks secondary metabolite diversity in long-lived clonal peppermint
Mutations that arise in the shoot apical meristems can become fixed, but typically only in one of the meristem layers. Therefore, in long-lived, clonally propagated species, polymorphic genomes coexist in the form of periclinal chimeras. Given their evolutionary and economic impact, it is critical to understand the dynamics and phenotypic implications of layer-specific variation. Here, we γ-irradiated axillary buds from an elite peppermint clone and obtained 261 independent mutants carrying large indels. We produced a haplotype-aware, high-continuity assembly of this sterile allohexaploid and, using short-read sequencing, detected, on average, six large indels per mutant. Importantly, most of these mutants were periclinal chimeras: comparison of mutation frequency in root (derived solely from the L2/3 layer) and leaves (which contain cells from all three layers) demonstrated that the indels are confined to either the outer, L1-derived layer, or the inner L2/3 layers. We observed that the L1 layer was more often mutated, confirming that mutation rate in the shoot apical meristem is potentially optimized to each meristematic layer. To assess whether deletion of a single haplotype in a single meristematic layer could affect plant function, we characterized mutants under field conditions, detecting variation in secondary metabolite production. Two mutants produced an oil with very low (−)-menthol levels, associated with the loss of a single haplotype of the menthone-menthol reductase gene in the epidermal layer. These results highlight the evolutionary relevance of layer-specific genetic variation and present opportunities for improvement of clonally propagated crops that suffer from genetic diversity bottlenecks.
Transport of enzymatic activity across liquid-liquid interfaces using dynamic assemblies of magnetic particles via field-modulated interactions
Abstract Biological systems dynamically grow high-aspect-ratio architectures from a site, enabling traversal of phase boundaries and functional execution. Emulating this growth strategy in synthetic systems could yield functional microsystems for operation across interfaces. However, engineering such bio-inspired growth to proceed out of plane from a substrate in synthetic colloidal assemblies remains challenging, as it requires overcoming gravitational collapse while maintaining structural coherence during extension. Here, we present a field-driven particle system that achieves gravity-resisting growth of high-aspect-ratio structures via frequency-modulated magnetic and hydrodynamic interactions. This growth is enabled by combining static and oscillating magnetic fields, which guide the assembly of magnetic particles into dynamic structures exhibiting a distinct segmented, seaweed-like morphology. These architectures are reconfigurable, stabilizable, programmably actuatable, and capable of penetrating a perfluorohexane–water interface. When functionalized with enzymes, the growing structures act as micro-transporters, delivering catalytic activity across the interface and triggering detectable reactions in both bulk two-phase and microfluidic chip systems. This work establishes a field-driven assembly-to-function approach that integrates structural growth, phase-boundary penetration, and triggered functionality, enabling active microsystems capable of interfacial transport and functional execution.
Giant spin-orbit magnetic state readout enhanced by a magnetic tunnel junction
Abstract Magnetoelectric spin-orbit (MESO) logic, composed of a voltage-controlled magnetoelectric writing module and a spin-orbit readout module, is highly expected to substitute the silicon-based transistors and enable energy-efficient and scalable computing. Nevertheless, the output voltage of readout module based on spin-to-charge conversion is far less than the minimum magnetoelectric writing voltage, which greatly restricts the cascading function of MESO logic. Here, we first propose a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)-enhanced MESO logic to implement giant readout signal. Up to 1.5 mV output voltage is obtained, marking a significant improvement of approximately two orders of magnitude compared to previous findings. We ascribe the substantial enhancement to current modulation by junction resistance and the spin filtering effect of MgO-based MTJ. Moreover, the naturally integrated MTJ and MESO enables instantaneous and nonvolatile data exchange between computing module and external unit. Our work not only enhances output signal of readout module for direct cascading of MESO logic but also refines the design architecture, marking a pivotal stride forward in propelling MESO technology toward practical applications.
Switchable synthesis of aldehydes and alcohols by hydroformylation with ligand-modified Rh single-atom catalyst
Electrically reconfigurable polarization control with double tri-layer black phosphorus heterostructures
Unconditionally teleported quantum gates between remote solid-state qubit registers
Abstract Quantum networks connecting quantum processing nodes via photonic links enable distributed and modular quantum computation. In this framework, quantum gates between remote qubits can be realized using quantum teleportation protocols. The essential requirements for such non-local gates are remote entanglement, local quantum logic within each processor, and classical communication between nodes to perform operations based on measurement outcomes. Here, we demonstrate an unconditional Controlled-NOT quantum gate between remote diamond-based qubit devices. The control and target qubits are Carbon-13 nuclear spins, while NV electron spins enable local logic, readout, and remote entanglement generation. We benchmark the system by creating a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state, showing genuine 4-partite entanglement shared between nodes. Using deterministic logic, single-shot readout, and real-time feed-forward, we implement non-local gates without post-selection. These results demonstrate a key capability for solid-state quantum networks, enabling exploration of distributed quantum computing and testing of complex network protocols on full-stack systems.