p.7

Research in this area deserves more attention — and not only for conditions related to reproduction.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02085-6

p.15

Some astronomers argue the flagship observatory — successor to the Hubble Space Telescope — will memorialize discrimination. Others are waiting for more evidence.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02010-x

p.17

Studies show that vaccines reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by more than 80%, but the Delta variant is creating fresh uncertainty.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02054-z

p.18

Electrons from a droplet of sodium and potassium turn water into a metallic material that conducts electricity.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02065-w

p.19

Fossil discovered in northwestern Canada could rewrite the early history of animal life — but some palaeontologists are not convinced it’s real.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02066-9

p.20

Researchers around the world are eagerly awaiting the completion of Tiangong, to study topics from dark matter and gravitational waves to the growth of cancer and pathogenic bacteria.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02018-3

p.22

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02088-3

p.26

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02089-2

p.37

Satellite imaging combined with population data shows that, globally, the number of people living in flood-prone areas is growing faster than is the number living on higher ground — greatly increasing the potential impact of floods.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-01974-0

p.38

At the outer border of the brain and spinal cord, immune cells have been observed that originate from the bone marrow of the adjacent skull and vertebrae. They reach this site through special bone channels, without passing through the blood.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-01962-4

p.40

Experiments show that a collection of bouncing fluid droplets can behave like a microscopic system of spins — the intrinsic angular momenta of particles. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of the physics of spin systems.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02077-6

p.41

The enzymes separase and cyclin-dependent kinase are key orchestrators of cell division. Structural data reveal the surprisingly intricate mechanism that renders them both inactive when bound to each other.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-01944-6

p.43

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03542-y

p.54

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03706-w

p.58

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03682-1

p.63

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03688-9

p.68

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03683-0

p.74

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03717-7

p.80

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03695-w

p.87

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03773-z

p.92

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03775-x

p.97

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03756-0

p.103

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03720-y

p.109

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03738-2

p.114

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03722-w

p.119

The authors use single-cell profiling and T cell receptor specificity screening to show how tumour antigen recognition shapes the phenotypes of CD8+ T cells and antitumour immune responses.

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03704-y

p.126

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03752-4

p.133

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03689-8

p.138

Structures of separase in complex with either securin or cyclin B–CDK1 shed light on the regulation of chromosome separation during the cell cycle.

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03764-0

p.143

Cryo-electron microscopy structures of human Cav2.2 in the presence or absence of ziconotide reveal the molecular basis of the specificity of this painkiller for Cav2.2, and provide insights into electromechanical coupling in Cav channels.

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03699-6