UNESCO must reform to stay relevant — and reconnect people through science p.521

At 75, the UN agency with a focus on science cooperation is fighting for its future role.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03311-3

The COVID vaccine challenges that lie ahead p.522

As positive results emerge at last, researchers must help the world to address vaccine hesitancy, supply logistics and pricing.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03334-w

Legendary Arecibo telescope will close forever — scientists are reeling p.529

New satellite image reveals the damage that shut down the facility, ending an era in astronomical observation.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03270-9

Can dogs smell COVID? Here’s what the science says p.530

Canines seem to detect coronavirus infections with remarkable accuracy, but researchers say large-scale studies are needed before the approach is scaled up.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03149-9

Prospects for life on Venus fade — but aren’t dead yet p.532

Debate continues over controversial report of phosphine in the planet’s atmosphere, as researchers reanalyse data and find a fainter signal.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03258-5

Simulating the pandemic: What COVID forecasters can learn from climate models p.533

Methods that are routine in computation-heavy fields could lead to more reliable pandemic predictions.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03208-1

What the data say about asymptomatic COVID infections p.534

People without symptoms can pass on the virus, but estimating their contribution to outbreaks is challenging.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03141-3

California’s vote to revive controversial stem-cell institute sparks debate p.535

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will receive billions in state funding — but some scientists oppose the plan.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03147-x

How Iceland hammered COVID with science p.536

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03284-3

Genetic variability of memory performance is explained by differences in the brain’s thalamus p.549

An innovative approach has been used to link genetics to behaviour in mice. The analysis reveals that the gene Gpr12 underpins the role of the brain’s thalamus region in maintaining short-term memory.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03195-3

Neutrino detection gets to the core of the Sun p.550

The first detection of neutrinos produced by the Sun’s secondary solar-fusion cycle paves the way for a detailed understanding of the structure of the Sun and of the formation of massive stars.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03238-9

Neanderthal DNA highlights complexity of COVID risk factors p.552

A genetic analysis reveals that some people who have severe reactions to the SARS-CoV-2 virus inherited certain sections of their DNA from Neanderthals. However, our ancestors can’t take all the blame for how someone responds to the virus.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-02957-3

Isoforms of GPCR proteins combine for diverse signalling p.553

Many receptor proteins of the GPCR family exist in multiple isoforms. A comprehensive analysis of different combinations of GPCR isoforms that produce diverse signalling patterns in cells has implications for drug development.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-03001-0

Fibrosis: from mechanisms to medicines p.555

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2938-9

Discoveries in structure and physiology of mechanically activated ion channels p.567

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2933-1

Experimental evidence of neutrinos produced in the CNO fusion cycle in the Sun p.577

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2934-0

Observing the emergence of a quantum phase transition shell by shell p.583

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2936-y

Spin-enhanced nanodiamond biosensing for ultrasensitive diagnostics p.588

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2917-1

Lanthanide-doped inorganic nanoparticles turn molecular triplet excitons bright p.594

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2932-2

Antarctic ice dynamics amplified by Northern Hemisphere sea-level forcing p.600

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2916-2

Sensory pollutants alter bird phenology and fitness across a continent p.605

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2903-7

The major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neanderthals p.610

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2818-3

Microglia-organized scar-free spinal cord repair in neonatal mice p.613

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2795-6

A molecular cell atlas of the human lung from single-cell RNA sequencing p.619

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2922-4

Macrophage-derived glutamine boosts satellite cells and muscle regeneration p.626

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2857-9

DNA targeting and interference by a bacterial Argonaute nuclease p.632

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2605-1

Host ANP32A mediates the assembly of the influenza virus replicase p.638

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2927-z

Cell-type-specific 3D epigenomes in the developing human cortex p.644

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2825-4

Combinatorial expression of GPCR isoforms affects signalling and drug responses p.650

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2888-2

Papain-like protease regulates SARS-CoV-2 viral spread and innate immunity p.657

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2601-5

Site-specific RNA methylation by a methyltransferase ribozyme p.663

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2854-z

Structural mechanism of cGAS inhibition by the nucleosome p.668

Using cryo-electron microscopy, the authors determine the structure of cGAS bound to nucleosomes and present evidence for the mechanism by which nucleosome binding to cGAS prevents cGAS dimerization and its binding to free double-stranded DNA.

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2750-6

The molecular basis of tight nuclear tethering and inactivation of cGAS p.673

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2749-z

Structural basis for sequestration and autoinhibition of cGAS by chromatin p.678

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2748-0

Structural basis for the final steps of human 40S ribosome maturation p.683

doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2929-x