Volume 597 Issue 7874

Editorials

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Benzene rings broken for chemical synthesis p.33

Benzene rings are almost unbreakable in typical reaction conditions. Chemistry has now been developed that selectively breaks these rings open, highlighting their potential as building blocks for making open-chain molecules.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02322-y

Insights into a receptor that lets insects sense scents p.37

In insects, odorant receptor proteins form membrane ion channels that open on binding to an odorant molecule. The structures of an inactive and an active channel lend insights into how insects detect and distinguish between odours.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02076-7

A brain signal that coordinates thought with metabolism p.39

In a brain structure called the hippocampus, sharp wave-ripples — oscillatory hallmarks of an ‘offline’ mode of cognitive processing — have been found to predict dips in glucose concentrations in the body.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02122-4

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