The discovery that sunflower seeds can develop without fertilization reveals a pathway to accelerate improvement of this crop — and potentially others.

Mirror-image isomer blends have been converted into a single isomer by a light-activated copper catalyst — a challenging reaction that prevents the waste of materials.

Innovative experimental and computational techniques have been developed to study the interface of oil droplets suspended in water, a model system of hydrophobic interaction. These techniques reveal greater water structural disorder than in bulk water and an intense electric field at the water–oil interface.

Psilocybin, a classic psychedelic, has therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders. A specific brain circuit and receptor have now been found to be required for psilocybin’s long-term effects on neural plasticity and depression-related behaviour.