Science - USA (2022-01-14)

for the 5/2 ground state and

associated topological order,

but distinguishing among them

experimentally is tricky. Dutta et

al. developed a method for doing

so by interfacing a region in the

5/2 state with a region at an

integer filling, and the measure-

ments provided support for

the particle-hole Pfaffian order.

The technique can be used for

the investigation of other exotic

states in the quantum Hall set-

ting. —JS

Science, abg6116, this issue p. 193

TOPOLOGICAL MATTER

Teasing out the

topological order

Quantum Hall states, which form

in two-dimensional electron

gases at low temperatures and in

the presence of strong magnetic

fields, have long been known

to have nontrivial topological

properties. Among the most

intriguing is the state that arises

at the Landau level filling factor

of 5/2. Theoretical calculations

suggest several possibilities

MOLECULAR MAGNETS
Magnetic effects of
lanthanide bonding
Lanthanide coordination
compounds have attracted
attention for their persistent
magnetic properties near liquid
nitrogen temperature, well above
alternative molecular magnets.
Gould et al. report that introduc-
ing metal-metal bonding can
enhance coercivity. Reduction
of iodide-bridged terbium or
PHOTO: PCLARK2/ISTOCKPHOTO dysprosium dimers resulted in

SCIENCE science.org 14 JANUARY 2022 • VOL 375 ISSUE 6577 155

a single electron bond between

the metals, which enforced

alignment of the other valence

electrons. The resultant coercive

fields exceeded 14 tesla below

50 and 60 kelvin for the terbium

and dysprosium compounds,

respectively. —JSY

Science, abl5470, this issue p. 198

MARTIAN GEOLOGY

Abiotic formation

of organic molecules

Mars rovers have found com-

plex organic molecules in the

ancient rocks exposed on the

planet’s surface and methane

in the modern atmosphere.

It is unclear what processes

produced these organics, with

proposals including both biotic

and abiotic sources. Steele et al.

analyzed the nanoscale mineral-

ogy of the Mars meteorite ALH

84001 and found evidence of

organic synthesis driven by ser-

pentinization and carbonation

reactions that occurred during

the aqueous alteration of basalt

rock by hydrothermal fluids. The

results demonstrate that abiotic

production of organic molecules

operated on Mars 4 billion years

ago. —KTS

Science, abg7905, this issue p. 172

IMMUNOTHERAPY

Being a pro has

its benefits

A key to tumor immunotherapy is

revitalizing intratumoral immune

cells. Cytokine therapy can

rejuvenate these cells but causes

immense toxicity, limiting the clin-

ical efficacy of these treatments

for cancer. Xue et al. formulated

a shielded form of interleukin

(IL)–12 called pro–IL-12 that was

preferentially taken up by tumors

where matrix metalloproteinases

unshielded the cytokine. Systemic

pro–IL-12 induced profound

antitumor efficacy in multiple

mouse tumor models, limiting

toxicity compared with recom-

binant IL-12 treatment. Crucially,

pro–IL-12 improved the efficacy of

targeted inhibitors and immune

checkpoint blockade in various

tumor models without furthering

Edited by Michael Funk

IN SCIENCE JOURNALS

RESEARCH

EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

Coral adaptation in the world’s warmest seas

C

orals within the Persian and Arabian Gulf, a shallow inland sea flooded during the

Holocene, can withstand the highest temperatures known for coral reefs today (37°C)

and have a distinctive population structure across the basin. These corals evolved

extraordinary thermal tolerance within 10,000 years. Smith et al. examined portions of

the genome and epigenome of the brain coral Platygyra daedalea across the Gulf. This

work reveals thermal tolerance genotypes that will be critical to preserve in the quest to save

coral reefs from climate change. —MM Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.abl7287 (2022).

A genomic survey of brain corals, pictured here, reveals genotypes associated with recently evolved thermal

tolerance in some populations.