Jinbi Tian, Khanh T M Tran, Brett H Pogostin, Olivia Sheridan, Sevinj Mursalova, Amy H Lee, Shuai Liu, Jaya Hamkins, Daniel Antov, Alana L Power, Zane S Dash, Dongsoo Yun, Mina Konaković Luković, Robert S Langer, Ana Jaklenec
{"title":"Accelerated discovery of thermostable mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccines using data-efficient AI.","authors":"Jinbi Tian, Khanh T M Tran, Brett H Pogostin, Olivia Sheridan, Sevinj Mursalova, Amy H Lee, Shuai Liu, Jaya Hamkins, Daniel Antov, Alana L Power, Zane S Dash, Dongsoo Yun, Mina Konaković Luković, Robert S Langer, Ana Jaklenec","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03331-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03331-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The instability of mRNA-lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) necessitates ultra-cold storage, limiting global distribution and their broader application in advanced delivery systems. Solid-state, water-free formulations enhance thermostability and enable integration into emerging delivery modalities such as microneedle patches. Previous efforts to stabilize mRNA-LNPs have been constrained by narrow formulation scope and low-throughput screening methods. Here we introduce Algorithm-Guided Experimental design for lipid Nanoparticle Thermostabilization (AGENT), an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven framework that couples high-throughput experimentation with Bayesian optimization to identify thermostable mRNA-LNP formulations. AGENT extracts maximal information from sparse experimental datasets, enabling efficient formulation optimization in six iterations completed within 1 month. We stabilized mRNA vaccines with two clinically relevant LNPs representative of the Moderna (SM-102-based) and Pfizer-BioNTech (ALC-0315-based) compositions into solid-state formulations that retained 100% bioactivity after storage at 37 °C for more than 2 months. In rodents and non-human primates, thermostable, solid-state vaccine formulations induced antigen-specific immune responses non-inferior to those elicited by intramuscular delivery of freshly prepared soluble vaccines.</p>","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149075520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Songtao Dong, Fanglin Gong, Tyler Thomson, Yunshu Cai, Lauren Healy, Rick X Z Lu, Ziyu Zhou, Yue Xu, Jingan Chen, Margarita Savguira, Xianglei Fu, Sijin Luozhong, Muye Zhou, Payton Kirtley, Brandon K Wilder, Bowen Li
{"title":"Lipid nanoparticles optimized for large RNA cargo and tissue targeting enhance in vivo genome editing.","authors":"Songtao Dong, Fanglin Gong, Tyler Thomson, Yunshu Cai, Lauren Healy, Rick X Z Lu, Ziyu Zhou, Yue Xu, Jingan Chen, Margarita Savguira, Xianglei Fu, Sijin Luozhong, Muye Zhou, Payton Kirtley, Brandon K Wilder, Bowen Li","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03298-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03298-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although lipid nanoparticles are clinically validated for RNA delivery, their potency often declines as transcript size increases. Here we report a large-cargo-informed lipid discovery strategy that incorporates mRNA size into ionizable lipid screening. A combinatorial library of 384 lipids was screened using a 5.7-kb ABE-NanoLuc reporter mRNA, identifying large-cargo-optimized lipids led by LC-1. Following intravenous, intrathecal and intratracheal administration, LC-1 achieved up to 79% Cas9-mediated knockout in liver and 48% and 27% in brain and lung, up to fourfold higher than LP-01 and ALC-0315, and produced higher ABE-mediated reporter correction across all three routes. LC-1 supported base editing of PCSK9, CFTR<sup>R55X</sup> and Ube3a-ATS. Mechanistic studies showed that, unlike the benchmarks, LC-1 forms stronger lipid-RNA interactions and retains an ordered, fusogenic inverted-hexagonal structure and pH-responsive membrane disruption as mRNA size increases, rather than becoming disordered. These findings establish cargo size as a key design parameter for ionizable lipid discovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149075540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Robert A. Piscopio,Alex Chialastri,Chieh Wang,Mikolaj Godzik,Kellie A. Heom,Weiyue Wang,Lauren J. Li,Neha Saxena,Maxwell Z. Wilson,Siddharth S. Dey
{"title":"Photolabile oligonucleotides with topological light gradients enable spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics","authors":"Robert A. Piscopio,Alex Chialastri,Chieh Wang,Mikolaj Godzik,Kellie A. Heom,Weiyue Wang,Lauren J. Li,Neha Saxena,Maxwell Z. Wilson,Siddharth S. Dey","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03328-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03328-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":46.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149049732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinchang Zheng, Sonia Garcia-Ruiz, Emil K. Gustavsson, Mina Ryten, Fritz J. Sedlazeck
{"title":"The novel transcripts we keep rediscovering","authors":"Xinchang Zheng, Sonia Garcia-Ruiz, Emil K. Gustavsson, Mina Ryten, Fritz J. Sedlazeck","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03321-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41587-026-03321-y","url":null,"abstract":"Interpreting transcript diversity requires moving beyond ‘known’ versus ‘novel’ and towards a multidimensional framework based on technical credibility, contextual prevalence, reproducibility, molecular consequence and phenotypic relevance.","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":"44 10","pages":"1598-1601"},"PeriodicalIF":44.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149021851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gene editing using large insertions","authors":"Alexandra Despang","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03319-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41587-026-03319-6","url":null,"abstract":"While technologies for smaller gene edits, such as base editing, have already entered clinical trials, larger gene cargoes face different challenges, including low editing efficiencies, delivery vehicle size constraints, and possible immunogenicity. Programmable genome engineering systems using recombinases; transposases, including CRISPR-associated transposases (CASTs); genome writing systems; and retrotransposons promise different avenues for therapy, but each system has unique limitations. What are the most promising strategies to further develop these technologies, and which parameters need to be further improved to make them efficient and safe for therapy? We asked three experts in the field to share their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities.","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":"44 10","pages":"1602-1605"},"PeriodicalIF":44.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148990771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"FDA approves pioneering breast cancer drug that nips resistance in the bud","authors":"Charlotte Harrison","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03333-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41587-026-03333-8","url":null,"abstract":"A breast cancer drug linked with a test to detect ESR1 mutations in circulating tumor DNA is one of a wave of new drugs developed to tackle resistance to estrogen-receptor-targeted therapies.","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":"44 10","pages":"1589-1591"},"PeriodicalIF":44.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-026-03333-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ensuring safety and accountability in China’s biomedical translation system","authors":"Jianqiang Wu","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03314-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41587-026-03314-x","url":null,"abstract":"China’s Decree 818 aims to bring hospital-based cell, gene and individualized therapies into the clinic safely. Its success will depend on whether it is consistently applied and whether adverse outcomes are reported, keeping patient safety at the forefront and holding institutions accountable for the results.","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":"44 10","pages":"1595-1597"},"PeriodicalIF":44.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148977542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An engineered nanopore identifies saccharides, amino acids, peptides and ribonucleotides.","authors":"Lang Yao, Zixuan Wang, Jialu Chen, Wen Sun, Kefan Wang, Yunqi Xiao, Hanhan Zhang, Wenzheng Li, Yifan Wang, Lulu Zhao, Xinyi Dai, Lu Qian, Panke Zhang, Shuo Huang","doi":"10.1038/s41587-026-03308-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41587-026-03308-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Simultaneous characterization of proteins, RNAs and glycans with a nanopore remains a substantial challenge. To advance toward this goal, we introduce a multifunctional adaptor, maleimido-C2-formylphenylboronic acid (maleimido-C2-FPBA), into the Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) nanopore at the pore constriction site. Here we demonstrate that the engineered nanopore, MspA-FPBA, enables the simultaneous identification of a diverse set of analytes, including 21 proteinogenic amino acids, three post-translationally modified (PTM) amino acids, four canonical nucleoside monophosphates (NMPs), three epigenetically modified NMPs, four monosaccharides and five peptides. Combined with machine learning, this sensor achieves an overall accuracy of 98.7%. Furthermore, it generates predictable event signatures for specific analyte types, enabling the machine learning model to identify analytes without strictly relying on prearchived event features, as demonstrated by the nanopore analysis of yeast cell extract. Lastly, we apply MspA-FPBA for compositional analysis of G2 glycopeptides. Future integration of hydrolase with MspA-FPBA may further improve MspA-FPBA utility as a single system to identify diverse biomolecules.</p>","PeriodicalId":19084,"journal":{"name":"Nature biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148970342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}