Nature

The best science images of 2020

A new virus, wafer-thin solar cells, gene‑edited squid and more.

Moderna COVID vaccine becomes second to get green light in United States

Two RNA vaccines will be useful as US infections surge, but the speedy authorizations complicate clinical trials.
Heidi Ledford

News 18 Dec 2020
The WHO’s chief scientist on a year of loss and learning

The head of scientific work at the World Health Organization reflects on the agency’s challenges and achievements as it navigates the COVID pandemic.
Soumya Swaminathan

Comment 17 Dec 2020
Small-molecule inhibitors of human mitochondrial DNA transcription

Inhibitors of mitochondrial transcription that target human mitochondrial RNA polymerase provide a chemical biology tool for studying the role of mitochondrial DNA expression in a wide range of pathologies.
Nina A. Bonekamp
Bradley Peter
Nils-Göran Larsson

Article 16 Dec 2020
Daily briefing: The biggest retractions of the year

The Surgisphere scandal and a spate of spider-paper retractions top the list. Plus, how Biden can rebuild the ravaged EPA and a photo that took eight years to snap.
Flora Graham

Nature Briefing 17 Dec 2020
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Current Issue 17 Dec 2020

News & Comment

Ways to look after yourself and others in 2021

Scientists offer their views on what’s important for the coming year.
Virginia Gewin

Career Feature 18 Dec 2020
Arecibo Observatory: another great lost in 2020
Abel Méndez

World View 18 Dec 2020
The lightning-fast quest for COVID vaccines — and what it means for other diseases
Philip Ball

News Feature 18 Dec 2020
The pandemic bookshelf grows
Tilli Tansey

Book Review 18 Dec 2020
Moderna COVID vaccine becomes second to get green light in United States
Heidi Ledford

News 18 Dec 2020
The WHO’s chief scientist on a year of loss and learning
Soumya Swaminathan

Comment 17 Dec 2020
Is lightning striking the Arctic more than ever before?
Alexandra Witze

News 17 Dec 2020

Latest Reviews & Analysis

- Targeted wetland restoration could greatly reduce nitrogen pollution
  
  Wetlands remove nitrate pollution from water effectively. An analysis shows that this effect is constrained in the United States by the distribution of wetlands, and could be increased by targeting wetland restoration to nitrate sources.
  
  Jacques C. Finlay
  
  News & Views 17 Dec 2020
- European rivers are fragmented by many more barriers than had been recorded
  
  An atlas of European river barriers has been made, by curating and correcting existing records, and by surveying 2,700 kilometres of waterways. It reveals that rivers are fragmented by an amazing number of obstructions.
  
  Christiane Zarfl
  Bernhard Lehner
  
  News & Views 16 Dec 2020
- Quantum engineering for optical clocks
  
  Atomic clocks known as optical clocks are more accurate and stable than current timekeepers. Two quantum-engineering approaches could improve the performance of optical clocks even further and extend their applications.
  
  Christian Lisdat
  Carsten Klempt
  
  News & Views 16 Dec 2020
- AI weighs in on debate about universal facial expressions
  
  An analysis of more than 6 million YouTube videos finds that people around the world make similar facial expressions in similar social contexts. The study brings data science to the debate about the universality of emotion categories.
  
  Lisa Feldman Barrett
  
  News & Views 16 Dec 2020
- Precise mapping reveals gaps in global measles vaccination coverage
  
  Precise maps of routine first-dose measles vaccinations show slowing progress around the world between 2010 and 2019, and large gaps in coverage in many places. Many countries are unlikely to achieve global 2020 coverage targets.
  
  C. Edson Utazi
  Andrew J. Tatem
  
  News & Views 16 Dec 2020
- Viruses, microscopy and fast radio bursts: 10 remarkable discoveries from 2020
  
  News & Views 14 Dec 2020
- River conservation by an Indigenous community
  
  Edward H. Allison
  Violet Cho
  
  News & Views 11 Dec 2020
- Hit movie reveals how a tuberculosis drug halts ATP synthesis
  
  Valerie Mizrahi
  Clifton E. Barry III
  
  News & Views 09 Dec 2020
- Trade-offs for equitable climate policy assessed
  
  Wei Peng
  
  News & Views 09 Dec 2020
- Closest relatives found for pterosaurs, the first flying vertebrates
  
  Kevin Padian
  
  News & Views 09 Dec 2020

Latest Research

Mapping routine measles vaccination in low- and middle-income countries

Although progress in the coverage of routine measles vaccination in children in low- and middle-income countries was made during 2000–2019, many countries remain far from the goal of 80% coverage in all districts by 2019.
Alyssa N. Sbarra
Sam Rolfe
Jonathan F. Mosser

Article 16 Dec 2020
Small-molecule inhibitors of human mitochondrial DNA transcription

Inhibitors of mitochondrial transcription that target human mitochondrial RNA polymerase provide a chemical biology tool for studying the role of mitochondrial DNA expression in a wide range of pathologies.
Nina A. Bonekamp
Bradley Peter
Nils-Göran Larsson

Article 16 Dec 2020
Fat1 deletion promotes hybrid EMT state, tumour stemness and metastasis

In mouse and human squamous cell carcinoma, loss of function of FAT1 promotes tumour initiation, malignant progression and metastasis through the activation of a hybrid epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype.
Ievgenia Pastushenko
Federico Mauri
Cédric Blanpain

Article 16 Dec 2020
Entanglement on an optical atomic-clock transition

A many-atom state of trapped ¹⁷¹Yb atoms that are entangled on an optical atomic-clock transition overcomes the standard quantum limit, providing a proof-of-principle demonstration towards entanglement-based optical atomic clocks.
Edwin Pedrozo-Peñafiel
Simone Colombo
Vladan Vuletić

Article 16 Dec 2020
Self-assembly of a layered two-dimensional molecularly woven fabric

An anion and metal ion template is used to form woven polymer patches that are joined together by polymerization into a fully woven, two-dimensional, molecular patchwork.
David P. August
Robert A. W. Dryfe
Robert J. Young

Article 16 Dec 2020

Collections

Allergies

The role of an allergist has been likened to that of a detective, superior powers of observation, chance encounters and the rejection of evidence have all delivered medical breakthroughs.

Nature Outlook 02 Dec 2020