Protocells are synthetic cell-like entities that mimic distinct cellular functions. A synthetic prototissue based on an interlinked protein–polymer protocells community that shows reversible contractibility is now reported.

See Gobbo et al.

Autoperforation of 2D materials for generating two-terminal memresistive Janus particles.

See Liu et al. and News & Views by He and Zhang.

The goal of the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative is to send in a few decades an unmanned nanospacecraft to Proxima Centauri b, consisting of a lightsail propelled by laser radiation pressure.

See Editorial, Comment by Ghidini and Perspective by Atwater et al

Tuning surface structure is key for electrocatalytic performance and stability of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Surface distortion as a structural descriptor can help to clarify the role of surface defects and to design enhanced nanocatalysts.

See Chattot et al

Monoatomic metallic glasses formed by rapidly quenching Sb films from a molten state are shown to work as phase change materials for memory applications at room temperature.

See Salinga et al. and News & Views by Zhang and Ma.

Magnetic vortices formed in antiferromagnetic haematite and imprinted on a Co ferromagnetic over-layer have been observed using X-ray magnetic linear and circular dichroism photoemission electron microscopy. These vortex pairs can be manipulated by the application of magnetic fields.

See Chmiel et al and News & Views by Fiebig

Immunotherapy offers a promising approach to treating a range of complications. This Review discusses strategies that employ bioengineering and immunological principles to develop engineered tissues for screening therapeutics and treating diseases.

See Gosselin et al.

Gas-filled vesicles derived from photosynthetic microbes are shown to elicit magnetic resonance imaging contrast in vitro and in vivo with the potential for acoustically modulated multiplexing and molecular sensing.

See Lu et al. and News & Views by Bulte

Coatings made of flexible, organic layered nanocomposites achieve high water repellence under harsh mechanical and chemical environments.

See Peng et al. and News & Views by Girard et al.

Reconfigurable electronic devices that can be shaped in two or more stable geometries modifying their functionalities have been realized by engineering the sequence in which the elastomeric substrates are mechanically buckled.

See Fu et al.

Coherent 1D MoS2 channels, which are free of dangling bonds and dislocations, can be fabricated in monolayer WSe2, driven by dislocations at the interface of the two materials.

Article p129

IMAGE: YIMO HAN, CORNELL UNIVERSITY

COVER DESIGN: DAVID SHAND

Type-I and type-II bulk Dirac cones and ladders of topological surface states are shown to form in six different transition-metal dichalcogenides.

Article p21

IMAGE: MOHAMMAD SAEED BAHRAMY

COVER DESIGN: DAVID SHAND