A complete genome for the common marmoset.

August 6, 2026| Source: Cell

The common marmoset is a New World monkey widely used to study primate evolution and human disease. We present a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) reference assembly for the species, plus three near-T2T haplotypes. These resolve previously inaccessible regions, including the centromeres, sex chromosomes, subterminal satellites, acrocentric chromosomes, and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). We find marmoset centromeres carry dimeric alpha satellites with chromosomal specificity, flanked by inactive layers interpreted as ancestral centromere remnants. We assemble gene-poor, satellite-rich short arms of the acrocentrics and find that most can harbor rDNA and all share pseudo-homolog regions (PHRs). PHR-sharing chromosomes also share closely related centromeric satellites, consistent with a model of ongoing rDNA-facilitated recombinational exchange between heterologous chromosomes. We further identify over 500 marmoset-lineage-specific transcribed genes with previously unknown transcript models or expansions. These resources, along with a preliminary pangenome, improve the utility of the marmoset as a model organism and address gaps in primate genome evolution.

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Spontaneous gas film expansion at an oil-water interface.

Spontaneous interfacial separation of oil and water, by inserting a gas film between the two liquids, is thermodynamically unfavorable because the oil-water interface is replaced by oil-gas and water-gas interfaces with a higher combined interfacial energy. Here, we demonstrate that microstructural confinement enables this transition after bubble introduction through the coupling of wetting, capillarity, and gas transport. Spontaneous oil imbibition into a water-submerged micropillar array, toge

Health & MedicineNovember 10, 2026

Senescent CD8 T effector memory cells are functionally impaired, enriched in aging and disease, and a barrier to immunotherapy.

Senescent cells play important roles in various biological processes that promote fitness and health; however, their timely elimination by immune cells is critical to maintain tissue homeostasis and prevent disease. Despite this, senescent cells accumulate systemically with age, suggesting that certain immune cells also become senescent and dysfunctional during aging. In support of this, we previously demonstrated that CD8 T cells, immune cells capable of targeting senescent cells, increasingly

Health & MedicineNovember 10, 2026

Engineered T cell-agonist chimera for logic-gated STING activation and augmented cancer immunotherapy.

The efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy against solid tumors is markedly hindered by the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we demonstrate that stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation in tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) enhances the intratumoral infiltration and cytotoxicity of adoptive T cells. We next design a TAM-targeted nanoagonist and engineer a T cell - agonist chimera (SNTC) via covalent surface anchoring, to achieve synchronized biodistribution of STING agonist with a

Health & MedicineNovember 10, 2026

Dysregulation of mechanosensing signaling in monocytes of patients with systemic sclerosis is associated with skin inflammation.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe autoimmune connective tissue disease characterized by immune dysregulation and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, resulting in substantial organ dysfunction and increased mortality. Fibrosis is driven in part by infiltration of immune cells, including monocytes that become activated within fibrotic tissue. However, how the mechanical properties of fibrotic skin regulate their function remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that inc

Health & MedicineNovember 5, 2026

Hydrogen Derivatives Enable Cost-Effective Carbon Neutrality in China.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommended 1.5°C carbon reduction target, requiring powerful enforcement from major economies. China, the largest CO 2 emitter, is facing severe difficulties for both variable renewable accommodation and decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors. Hydrogen, as a critical green energy carrier bridging renewable to end-users, faces significant obstacles in real-world deployment such as costly transportation, storage and fuel-cell adoption. Affordab