Comment in 2022

Writing in Nature communications, Seo and collaborators presented PICASSO as a method to achieve 15-color imaging of spatially overlapping proteins using no reference emission spectra in a single staining and imaging round. This accessible tool has the potential to be applied to diverse applications within the spatial biology field without neglecting accuracy.

Dense water production in the seas around Antarctica is a key process for century-scale carbon storage, slowing global warming. Results from an advanced new model reveal the prospect of system changes that may greatly reduce the efficiency of this carbon storage by the end of this century.

The impact of COVID-19 has been disproportionately felt by populations experiencing structural racial- and ethnicity-based discrimination. Here, the authors describe opportunities for COVID-19 response and recovery efforts to help build more equal and resilient societies.

Understanding gaps in academic representation while considering the intersectionality concept is paramount to promoting real progress towards a more inclusive STEM. Here we discuss ways in which STEM careers can be sown and germinated so that inclusivity can flourish.

Miscalculating the volumes of water withdrawn for irrigation, the largest consumer of freshwater in the world, jeopardizes sustainable water management. Hydrological models quantify water withdrawals, but their estimates are unduly precise. Model imperfections need to be appreciated to avoid policy misjudgements.

Tissue-based functional genomics resources including molecular quantitative trait loci datasets lack diversity in ancestry and tissue types and thus are inadequate for comprehensively investigating gene regulation. Global efforts to increase the tissue diversity will help achieve more equitable medical care.

Polygenic scores can identify individuals with high disease risk based on inborn DNA variation. We explore their potential to enrich clinical trials by identifying individuals based on higher risk of disease (‘prognostic enrichment’), or increased probability of benefit (‘predictive enrichment’).

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how structural social inequities fundamentally shape disease dynamics. Here, the authors provide a set of practical and methodological recommendations to address socioeconomic vulnerabilities in epidemic models.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mediates the glucose-lowering effect of the antidiabetic agent metformin, but the sites of action remain unclear. In the March issue of Nature Communications, Zhang and colleagues reported that intestinal epithelium-specific AMPKα1 knockout mice fail to respond to metformin and exhibit disruption in metabolic homeostasis secondary to changes in the gut microbiome. This highlights a therapeutic potential of targeting intestinal AMPK for diabetes.

Single-cell multi-omics (scMulti-omics) has brought transformative insights into immuno-oncology, demonstrating success in describing novel immune subsets and defining important regulators of antitumor immunity. Here, we give examples of how scMulti-omics has been used in specific tumor studies and discuss how this may develop in the future.

Several rankings of the relative importance of global threats to biodiversity have been proposed. This Comment argues that relative rankings of biodiversity threats have little application for conservation and might even mislead policymaking.

Catalytic reactions on flexible sheets generate fluid flows that transform the shape of the sheet, which in turn modifies the flow. These complex interactions make computer models vital for designing and harnessing these feedback loops to create soft active matter that autonomously performs self-sustained mechanical work.

On the cusp of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) elimination, Thailand is accelerating towards zero malaria by 2024. This commentary reviews the heart of its success—effective surveillance—and what else may be needed to reach zero on time.

Studying malaria transmission biology using scRNA-sequencing provides information on within-host strain diversity and transcriptional states. Here, we comment on our collaborative efforts at establishing single-cell capacities in sub-Saharan Africa and the challenges encountered in Mali’s endemic setting.

Economic evaluations of public health interventions to prevent malaria should consider the adoption of wider perspectives and the inclusion of non-health impacts, particularly economic development outcomes, such as education. This is especially relevant in malaria elimination settings and in the context of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Malaria cases and deaths remain unacceptably high and are resurgent in several settings, though recent developments inspire optimism. This includes the approval of the world’s first malaria vaccine and results from novel vaccine candidates and trials testing innovative combinatorial interventions.

This study explores the scientific potential of crowdsourced observations during volcanic eruptions, using the 2021 Fagradalsfjall (Iceland) and Cumbre Vieja (Canary Islands) events as case studies.

Cu-based single atom catalysts can convert CO₂ into multi-carbon products, however, the assignment of active sites needs great caution. In this comment, the authors discuss the transient Cu cluster formation as active sites and emphasise the need for operando characterisation in mechanistic study.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are critical in the elimination of cancer cells, a concept highlighted by recent advances in cancer immunotherapy. Significant evidence reveals that their organization in tertiary lymphoid structures together with specific subpopulation composition/balances stimulates cellular crosstalk and anti-tumor immunity in patients.