The koala, the only extant species of the marsupial family Phascolarctidae, is classified as 'vulnerable' due to habitat loss and widespread disease. We sequenced the koala genome, producing a complete and contiguous marsupial reference genome, including centromeres. We reveal that the koala's ability to detoxify eucalypt foliage may be due to expansions within a cytochrome P450 gene family, and its ability to smell, taste and moderate ingestion of plant secondary metabolites may be due to expansions in the vomeronasal and taste receptors. We characterized novel lactation proteins that protect young in the pouch and annotated immune genes important for response to chlamydial disease. Historical demography showed a substantial population crash coincident with the decline of Australian megafauna, while contemporary populations had biogeographic boundaries and increased inbreeding in populations affected by historic translocations. We identified genetically diverse populations that require habitat corridors and instituting of translocation programs to aid the koala's survival in the wild.

The carrier concentration of the electron-selective layer (ESL) and hole-selective layer can significantly affect the performance of organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, a facile yet effective two-step method, i.e., room-temperature colloidal synthesis and low-temperature removal of additive (thiourea), to control the carrier concentration of SnO quantum dot (QD) ESLs to achieve high-performance PSCs is developed. By optimizing the electron density of SnO QD ESLs, a champion stabilized power output of 20.32% for the planar PSCs using triple cation perovskite absorber and 19.73% for those using CH NH PbI absorber is achieved. The superior uniformity of low-temperature processed SnO QD ESLs also enables the fabrication of ≈19% efficiency PSCs with an aperture area of 1.0 cm and 16.97% efficiency flexible device. The results demonstrate the promise of carrier-concentration-controlled SnO QD ESLs for fabricating stable, efficient, reproducible, large-scale, and flexible planar PSCs.

Despite the rapid increase of efficiency, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) still face some challenges, one of which is the current-voltage hysteresis. Herein, it is reported that yttrium-doped tin dioxide (Y-SnO ) electron selective layer (ESL) synthesized by an in situ hydrothermal growth process at 95 °C can significantly reduce the hysteresis and improve the performance of PSCs. Comparison studies reveal two main effects of Y doping of SnO ESLs: (1) it promotes the formation of well-aligned and more homogeneous distribution of SnO nanosheet arrays (NSAs), which allows better perovskite infiltration, better contacts of perovskite with SnO nanosheets, and improves electron transfer from perovskite to ESL; (2) it enlarges the band gap and upshifts the band energy levels, resulting in better energy level alignment with perovskite and reduced charge recombination at NSA/perovskite interfaces. As a result, PSCs using Y-SnO NSA ESLs exhibit much less hysteresis and better performance compared with the cells using pristine SnO NSA ESLs. The champion cell using Y-SnO NSA ESL achieves a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 17.29% (16.97%) when measured under reverse (forward) voltage scanning and a steady-state efficiency of 16.25%. The results suggest that low-temperature hydrothermal-synthesized Y-SnO NSA is a promising ESL for fabricating efficient and hysteresis-less PSC.

The existence of many highly similar genes in the lymphocyte receptor gene loci makes them difficult to investigate, and the determination of phased “haplotypes” has been particularly problematic. However, V(D)J gene rearrangements provide an opportunity to infer the association of Ig genes along the chromosomes. The chromosomal distribution of H chain genes in an Ig genotype can be inferred through analysis of VDJ rearrangements in individuals who are heterozygous at points within the IGH locus. We analyzed VDJ rearrangements from 44 individuals for whom sufficient unique rearrangements were available to allow comprehensive genotyping. Nine individuals were identified who were heterozygous at the IGHJ6 locus and for whom sufficient suitable VDJ rearrangements were available to allow comprehensive haplotyping. Each of the 18 resulting IGHV|IGHD|IGHJ haplotypes was unique. Apparent deletion polymorphisms were seen that involved as many as four contiguous, functional IGHV genes. Two deletion polymorphisms involving multiple contiguous IGHD genes were also inferred. Three previously unidentified gene duplications were detected, where two sequences recognized as allelic variants of a single gene were both inferred to be on a single chromosome. Phased genomic data brings clarity to the study of the contribution of each gene to the available repertoire of rearranged VDJ genes. Analysis of rearrangement frequencies suggests that particular genes may have substantially different yet predictable propensities for rearrangement within different haplotypes. Together with data highlighting the extent of haplotypic variation within the population, this suggests that there may be substantial variability in the available Ab repertoires of different individuals.

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