| |||||
| |||||
Hello Nature readers, | |||||
The sample-collection device from NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft includes material from asteroid Bennu. (Erika Blumenfeld, Joseph Aebersold/NASA via AP/Alamy) | |||||
Asteroid is rich in building blocks of lifeSamples of asteroid Bennu that were returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission contain some of the building blocks of life — carbon and water, trapped inside the crystal structure of clay minerals. "The pristine sample material from Bennu represents a valuable resource providing a window into the early Solar System," says astromaterials researcher Eileen Stansbery. And this is just what's on the surface of the sample container — it hasn't even been opened yet. Nature | 5 min read | |||||
Monkey lives with gene-edited pig kidneyA macaque lived for more than two years with a kidney from a gene-edited miniature pig — one of the longest-lasting interspecies organ transplants. It raises hopes that human organ shortages could one day be alleviated by using organs from donor animals. The donor pigs received 69 gene edits to prevent immune reactions after transplantation and to keep the organ healthy. Of the 15 monkeys that received a transplant, five survived for more than one year and one of those lived for 758 days. Nature | 6 min readReference: Nature paper | |||||
AI helps us prepare for the next pandemicResearchers are using machine-learning programs to get ahead of COVID-19 and stave off future pandemics. In one case, researchers used artificial-intelligence (AI) tools — including Google Deepmind's AlphaFold — to better understand the newly discovered Langya virus, and how it might be targeted with vaccines and treatments. Others are predicting mutations in SARS-CoV-2, with the hope of anticipating the virus's evolution so that we can keep pace with updated vaccines. Nature | 7 min readReference: bioRxiv preprint 1 & bioRxiv preprint 2 (both not peer reviewed), Nature paper | |||||
| |||||
Why the BMI is flawedFor decades, the body mass index (BMI) has reigned as the dominant diagnostic tool for obesity. But as a measure that accounts only for height and weight, it tells us little about someone's health, says obesity physician Fatima Cody Stanford. A growing movement is pushing to go beyond BMI and take into account factors such as cholesterol, blood sugar, family history and genetics. "You're starting to see this seep into guidelines," says Stanford. "Translation into clinical practice will be a larger hurdle to overcome." Nature | 9 min read | |||||
ACCESS NATURE AND 54 OTHER NATURE JOURNALS Nature+ is our most affordable 30-day subscription, giving you online access to a wide range of specialist Nature Portfolio journals, including Nature. Nature+ is for personal use and is suitable for students. | |||||
Dear journals: stop hoarding our papersOrganizational-behaviour researcher Dritjon Gruda has seen papers languish in editorial limbo, delaying the dissemination of important research and hobbling his career advancement. The prohibition against simultaneously submitting a paper to several journals must end, he argues. In the meantime, he shares his suggestions for how authors can avoid blockages in the publication pipeline. Nature | 5 min read | |||||
How the world can eliminate malariaLast week, a second malaria vaccine won global approval after decades of development. "But vaccine approval must be accompanied by a comprehensive funding and eradication plan," argues a Nature editorial. To make more than just glacially slow progress towards reducing the disease's toll, the world must pull together to plug gaping funding holes and radically ramp up local vaccine manufacturing. Nature | 5 min read | |||||
Quote of the day"I thought it was the most boring thing ever, but I enjoyed the autonomy of independent lab work."Immunologist Dequina Nicholas doesn't have the fondest memories of her chemistry honours project, but recalls it as one of the first steps on a challenging path to running her own lab. (Nature | 6 min read) | |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
You received this newsletter because you subscribed with the email address: [email protected] Please add [email protected] to your address book. Enjoying this newsletter? You can use this form to recommend it to a friend or colleague — thank you! Want more Briefings? Update your subscription preferences. Had enough? Unsubscribe from all Nature Briefing newsletters. Fancy a bit of a read? View our privacy policy. Forwarded by a friend? Get the Briefing straight to your inbox: subscribe for free. Want to master time management, protect your mental health and brush up on your skills? Sign up for our free short e-mail series for working scientists, Back to the lab. Get more from Nature: Register for free on nature.com to sign up for other newsletters specific to your field and email alerts from Nature Research journals. Would you like to read the Briefing in other languages? Sign up for the weekly round-up e-mail in Arabic, curated and translated by the editors of Nature Arabic Edition. هل تود أن تقرأ هذا الموجز باللغة العربية؟ سَجِّل الآن لتصلك نشرة العلوم الموجزة أسبوعيًّا، التي يختار محتواها ويترجمه فريق محرري "نيتشر الطبعة العربية". Follow Nature Portfolio on WeChat for a weekly round-up post in Chinese, curated and translated by our team in China. 关注Nature Portfolio官方微信订阅号,每周二为您推送Nature Briefing精选中文内容——自然每周简报。
Nature | The Springer Nature Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW, United Kingdom Nature Research, part of Springer Nature. |