Technology

A cholinergic hub in the nucleus accumbens gates opioid-reward learning

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10887-9 Cell-type-specific opioid blockade in accumbal cholinergic interneurons abolishes morphine-reward learning without impairing analgesia and decouples morphine-evoked…

Vacuum birefringence and the polarized X-ray emission from a radio magnetar

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10859-z Polarization measurements of the magnetar 1E 1547.0−5408 provide strong evidence that vacuum birefringence shapes X-ray propagation, offering an important…

An ancient mitochondrial program tunes translation to haem availability

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10885-x An evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial haem-sensing mechanism that predates the emergence of haemoglobin-based oxygen transport could have therapeutic value in…

FNIP1 variants are associated with favourable metabolism in 1 million humans

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10864-2 The FNIP1 pathway has a role in human energy metabolism, and its inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy in cardiometabolic disease.

AI Influencers Are Heading Into Uncharted Territory

Wired

AI Influencers Are Heading Into Uncharted Territory

Some creators fear the EU AI Act’s regulatory chaos will upend their lucrative businesses. Others are owning it by incorporating AI transparency into their creative process.

Wired

Can empty space can interact with light — and even change its properties?

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02289-8 Observations of a magnetized stellar core indicate that in an ultra-strong magnetic field, empty space can polarize light.

COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02443-2 Reactivation of typically harmless anelloviruses, in particular, seems to be linked with developing long COVID, study finds.

A compendium of next-generation patient-derived models for diverse cancers

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10806-y The international collaboration of the Human Cancer Models Initiative presents a comprehensive resource of next-generation cancer models from 2,780 donors with 25…

Switching off the FNIP1 gene protects against metabolic disease

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02391-x A study of more than one million people shows that rare genetic variants that disrupt the FNIP1 gene are associated with a favourable metabolic profile and a roughly…

Antigen presentation by CD40 + MHC-II + astrocytes promotes CNS autoimmunity

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10860-6 Astrocytes promote central nervous system (CNS) immunity through antigen presentation and activation of CD40 in astrocytes by CD40L expressed by CD4+ T cells in a…

Stimulation modulates gene-linked cell assemblies in the human brain

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10879-9 Stimulation of human cortex reorganizes neural assemblies and induces cell-type-specific gene regulatory programs, establishing an ex vivo framework that links…

Maps of chromosomal regions crucial for cell division reveal high diversity

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02327-5 Centromeres are regions of chromosomes that are required for cell division. Complete sequence characterization of centromeres from a diverse group of 65 individuals…