Nature, Published online: 14 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11109-y

Two-dimensional graphene films with unusual folded surfaces are synthesized through a modular assembly strategy and show enhanced strength, toughness and elastic strain owing to stress distribution between interlayer folds.

Nature, Published online: 13 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11257-1

Atomic-scale spin sensing of a 2D d-wave altermagnet via helical tunneling

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10997-4

Evidence from Bianfu Cave shows specialized hunting, expedient stone-tool production and extensive bone use of Denisovans, providing new insights into their ecology, behaviour and cultural legacy in eastern Asia.

Nature, Published online: 29 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10814-y

In Drosophila, cell fate switching in adult intestinal stem cells is determined through an epigenetic mechanism in which these cells count divisions, switching from producing enterocytes to producing an enteroendocrine mother cell every ninth division.

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10833-9

CRISPR–Cas systems transcriptionally tune diverse innate defences using CRISPR RNA-like guides to balance antiviral protection with fitness, and hyperactivate these defences when compromised, establishing a layered bacterial ‘immunity guard’ network.

Nature, Published online: 15 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10655-9

Scalable quasi-pure metal–organic framework membranes achieve near-intrinsic separation performance, enabling energy-efficient industrial gas separations with major cost reductions compared with distillation.

Nature, Published online: 13 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10869-x

Perovskite–organic tandem solar cells with a photo-transformable stabilizer

Nature, Published online: 08 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10737-8

Epitope editing of KIT enables antibody-based, non-genotoxic conditioning that selectively enriches therapeutic BCL11A-edited haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, supports durable engraftment, preserves clonal diversity and enhances induction of fetal haemoglobin, a therapeutic approach for conditions such as sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10662-w

Optical cooling in two-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures is demonstrated through phonon-assisted interfacial charge transfer, enabling cryogen-free thermal management without stringent quantum-efficiency requirements.

Nature, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09553-3

Fast formation in lithium-ion batteries outperforms conventional slow formation, lowering costs and improving battery capacity, stability and cycle life, offering broader application to electrode systems.

Nature, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10546-z

Researchers uncovered an enormous deep-sea accumulation of whale remains in the southeastern Indian Ocean, showing long-term, specialized ecosystems and an extensive fossil record that offers new insight into deep-ocean biodiversity and whale evolutionary history.

Nature, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10575-8

Teosinte alleles enhance nitrogen assimilation and seed protein without lowering crop yield when expressed in modern maize, providing a powerful strategy for crop improvement to meet future population demands.

Nature, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8

Chloroplast plastoglobules act as nitrogen-assimilation hubs in maize, with key enzymes enhancing nitrogen-use efficiency and offering new strategies for developing high-yield, sustainable crops.