Mudskippers are known for their unusual ability to climb trees, but now they have been spotted hopping across water. They are thought to be a living example of how fish transitioned to land

Most tadpoles breathe air but they are too weak to break the elastic "skin" on top of ponds created by water tension – so they suck air bubbles from the surface

Title: Laser Process May Kill Bacteria on Metal Surfaces
Category: Health News
Created: 4/16/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

ABSTRACT

Pneumocystis, a major opportunistic pathogen in patients with a broad range of immunodeficiencies, contains abundant surface proteins encoded by a multicopy gene family, termed the major surface glycoprotein (Msg) gene superfamily. This superfamily has been identified in all Pneumocystis species characterized to date, highlighting its important role in Pneumocystis biology. In this report, through a comprehensive and in-depth characterization of 459 msg genes from 7 Pneumocystis species, we demonstrate, for the first time, the phylogeny and evolution of conserved domains in Msg proteins and provide a detailed description of the classification, unique characteristics, and phylogenetic relatedness of five Msg families. We further describe, for the first time, the relative expression levels of individual msg families in two rodent Pneumocystis species, the substantial variability of the msg repertoires in P. carinii from laboratory and wild rats, and the distinct features of the expression site for the classic msg genes in Pneumocystis from 8 mammalian host species. Our analysis suggests multiple functions for this superfamily rather than just conferring antigenic variation to allow immune evasion as previously believed. This study provides a rich source of information that lays the foundation for the continued experimental exploration of the functions of the Msg superfamily in Pneumocystis biology.

IMPORTANCE Pneumocystis continues to be a major cause of disease in humans with immunodeficiency, especially those with HIV/AIDS and organ transplants, and is being seen with increasing frequency worldwide in patients treated with immunodepleting monoclonal antibodies. Annual health care associated with Pneumocystis pneumonia costs ~$475 million dollars in the United States alone. In addition to causing overt disease in immunodeficient individuals, Pneumocystis can cause subclinical infection or colonization in healthy individuals, which may play an important role in species preservation and disease transmission. Our work sheds new light on the diversity and complexity of the msg superfamily and strongly suggests that the versatility of this superfamily reflects multiple functions, including antigenic variation to allow immune evasion and optimal adaptation to host environmental conditions to promote efficient infection and transmission. These findings are essential to consider in developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

ABSTRACT

The appressoria that are generated by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae in response to surface cues are important for successful colonization. Previous work showed that regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) and RGS-like proteins play critical roles in appressorium formation. However, the mechanisms by which these proteins orchestrate surface recognition for appressorium induction remain unclear. Here, we performed comparative transcriptomic studies of Morgs mutant and wild-type strains and found that M. oryzae Aa91 (MoAa91), a homolog of the auxiliary activity family 9 protein (Aa9), was required for surface recognition of M. oryzae. We found that MoAA91 was regulated by the MoMsn2 transcription factor and that its disruption resulted in defects in both appressorium formation on the artificial inductive surface and full virulence of the pathogen. We further showed that MoAa91 was secreted into the apoplast space and was capable of competing with the immune receptor chitin elicitor-binding protein precursor (CEBiP) for chitin binding, thereby suppressing chitin-induced plant immune responses. In summary, we have found that MoAa91 is a novel signaling molecule regulated by RGS and RGS-like proteins and that MoAa91 not only governs appressorium development and virulence but also functions as an effector to suppress host immunity.

IMPORTANCE The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae generates infection structure appressoria in response to surface cues largely due to functions of signaling molecules, including G-proteins, regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS), mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways, cAMP signaling, and TOR signaling pathways. M. oryzae encodes eight RGS and RGS-like proteins (MoRgs1 to MoRgs8), and MoRgs1, MoRgs3, MoRgs4, and MoRgs7 were found to be particularly important in appressorium development. To explore the mechanisms by which these proteins regulate appressorium development, we have performed a comparative in planta transcriptomic study and identified an auxiliary activity family 9 protein (Aa9) homolog that we named MoAa91. We showed that MoAa91 was secreted from appressoria and that the recombinant MoAa91 could compete with a chitin elicitor-binding protein precursor (CEBiP) for chitin binding, thereby suppressing chitin-induced plant immunity. By identifying MoAa91 as a novel signaling molecule functioning in appressorium development and an effector in suppressing host immunity, our studies revealed a novel mechanism by which RGS and RGS-like proteins regulate pathogen-host interactions.

ABSTRACT

Dermonecrotic toxin (DNT) is one of the representative toxins produced by Bordetella pertussis, but its role in pertussis, B. pertussis infection, remains unknown. In this study, we identified the T-type voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channel Ca_V3.1 as the DNT receptor by CRISPR-Cas9-based genome-wide screening. As Ca_V3.1 is highly expressed in the nervous system, the neurotoxicity of DNT was examined. DNT affected cultured neural cells and caused flaccid paralysis in mice after intracerebral injection. No neurological symptoms were observed by intracerebral injection with the other major virulence factors of the organisms, pertussis toxin and adenylate cyclase toxin. These results indicate that DNT has aspects of the neurotropic virulence factor of B. pertussis. The possibility of the involvement of DNT in encephalopathy, which is a complication of pertussis, is also discussed.

IMPORTANCE Bordetella pertussis, which causes pertussis, a contagious respiratory disease, produces three major protein toxins, pertussis toxin, adenylate cyclase toxin, and dermonecrotic toxin (DNT), for which molecular actions have been elucidated. The former two toxins are known to be involved in the emergence of some clinical symptoms and/or contribute to the establishment of bacterial infection. In contrast, the role of DNT in pertussis remains unclear. Our study shows that DNT affects neural cells through specific binding to the T-type voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channel that is highly expressed in the central nervous system and leads to neurological disorders in mice after intracerebral injection. These data raise the possibility of DNT as an etiological agent for pertussis encephalopathy, a severe complication of B. pertussis infection.

ABSTRACT

The human gut microbiota (HGM) has far-reaching impacts on human health and nutrition, which are fueled primarily by the metabolism of otherwise indigestible complex carbohydrates commonly known as dietary fiber. However, the molecular basis of the ability of individual taxa of the HGM to address specific dietary glycan structures remains largely unclear. In particular, the utilization of β(1,3)-glucans, which are widespread in the human diet as yeast, seaweed, and plant cell walls, had not previously been resolved. Through a systems-based approach, here we show that the symbiont Bacteroides uniformis deploys a single, exemplar polysaccharide utilization locus (PUL) to access yeast β(1,3)-glucan, brown seaweed β(1,3)-glucan (laminarin), and cereal mixed-linkage β(1,3)/β(1,4)-glucan. Combined biochemical, enzymatic, and structural analysis of PUL-encoded glycoside hydrolases (GHs) and surface glycan-binding proteins (SGBPs) illuminates a concerted molecular system by which B. uniformis recognizes and saccharifies these distinct β-glucans. Strikingly, the functional characterization of homologous β(1,3)-glucan utilization loci (1,3GUL) in other Bacteroides further demonstrated that the ability of individual taxa to utilize β(1,3)-glucan variants and/or β(1,3)/β(1,4)-glucans arises combinatorially from the individual specificities of SGBPs and GHs at the cell surface, which feed corresponding signals to periplasmic hybrid two-component sensors (HTCSs) via TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs). These data reveal the importance of cooperativity in the adaptive evolution of GH and SGBP cohorts to address individual polysaccharide structures. We anticipate that this fine-grained knowledge of PUL function will inform metabolic network analysis and proactive manipulation of the HGM. Indeed, a survey of 2,441 public human metagenomes revealed the international, yet individual-specific, distribution of each 1,3GUL.

IMPORTANCE Bacteroidetes are a dominant phylum of the human gut microbiota (HGM) that target otherwise indigestible dietary fiber with an arsenal of polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs), each of which is dedicated to the utilization of a specific complex carbohydrate. Here, we provide novel insight into this paradigm through functional characterization of homologous PULs from three autochthonous Bacteroides species, which target the family of dietary β(1,3)-glucans. Through detailed biochemical and protein structural analysis, we observed an unexpected diversity in the substrate specificity of PUL glycosidases and glycan-binding proteins with regard to β(1,3)-glucan linkage and branching patterns. In combination, these individual enzyme and protein specificities support taxon-specific growth on individual β(1,3)-glucans. This detailed metabolic insight, together with a comprehensive survey of individual 1,3GULs across human populations, further expands the fundamental roadmap of the HGM, with potential application to the future development of microbial intervention therapies.

In order to establish sustainable heat loading (heat removal and storage) in abandoned flooded mine workings it is important to understand the geomechanical impact of the cyclical heat loading caused by fluid injection and extraction. This is particularly important where significantly more thermal loading is planned than naturally occurs. A simple calculation shows that the sustainable geothermal heat flux from abandoned coal mines can provide less than a tenth of Scotland's annual domestic heating demand. Any heat removal greater than the natural heat flux will lead to heat mining unless heat storage options are also considered.

As a first step, a steady-state, fully saturated, 2D coupled hydromechanical model of a generalized section of pillar-and-stall workings has been created. Mine water rebound was modelled by increasing the hydrostatic pressure sequentially, in line with monitored mine water-level data from Midlothian, Scotland. The modelled uplift to water-level rise ratio of 1.4 mm m^–1 is of the same order of magnitude (1 mm m^–1) as that observed through interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data in the coalfield due to mine water rebound. The modelled magnitude of shear stress at the pillar corners, as a result of horizontal and vertical displacement, is shown to increase linearly with water level. Mine heat systems are expected to cause smaller changes in pressure than those modelled but the results provide initial implications on the potential geomechanical impacts of mine water heat schemes which abstract or inject water and heat into pillar-and-stall coal mine workings.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the SJG Collection on Early-Career Research available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research

Studies of the former NE England coalfield in Tyneside demonstrated that heat flow perturbations in boreholes were due to the entrainment and lateral dispersion of heat from deeper in the subsurface through flooded mine workings. This work assesses the influence of historical mining on geothermal observations across Greater Glasgow. The regional heat flow for Glasgow is 60 mW m^–2 and, after correction for palaeoclimate, is estimated as c. 80 mW m^–2. An example of reduced heat flow above mine workings is observed at Hallside (c. 10 km SE of Glasgow), where the heat flow through a 352 m deep borehole is c. 14 mW m^–2. Similarly, the heat flow across the 199 m deep GGC01 borehole in the Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site is c. 44 mW m^–2. The differences between these values and the expected regional heat flow suggest a significant component of horizontal heat flow into surrounding flooded mine workings. This deduction also influences the quantification of deeper geothermal resources, as extrapolation of the temperature gradient above mine workings would underestimate the temperature at depth. Future projects should consider the influence of historical mining on heat flow when temperature datasets such as these are used in the design of geothermal developments.

Supplementary material: Background information on the chronology of historical mining at each borehole location and a summary of groundwater flow in mine workings beneath Glasgow are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4681100

Thematic collection: This article is part of the ‘Early Career Research’ available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research

Key Points

High magnetic fields have revealed a surprisingly small Fermi surface in underdoped cuprates, possibly resulting from Fermi-surface reconstruction due to an order parameter that breaks translational symmetry of the crystal lattice. A crucial issue concerns the doping extent of such a state and its relationship to the principal pseudogap and...

A ubiquitous structural feature in biological systems is texture in extracellular matrix that gains functions when hardened, for example, cell walls, insect scales, and diatom tests. Here, we develop patterned liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) particles by recapitulating the biophysical patterning mechanism that forms pollen grain surfaces. In pollen grains, a...

Lucy A. Winder, Stewart A. White, Andreas Nord, Barbara Helm, and Dominic J. McCafferty

During winter at temperate and high latitudes, the low ambient temperatures, limited food supplies and short foraging periods mean small passerines show behavioural, morphological and physiological adaptations to reduce the risk of facing energy shortages. Peripheral tissues vasoconstrict in low ambient temperatures to reduce heat loss and cold injury. Peripheral vasoconstriction has been observed with food restriction in captivity but has yet to be explored in free-ranging animals. We experimentally food restricted both wild and captive great tits (Parus major) during winter months and measured surface temperatures of the bill and eye region using thermal imaging, to investigate whether birds show rapid local heterothermic responses, which may reduce their thermoregulatory costs when facing a perceived imminent food shortage. Our results of a continuously filmed wild population showed that bill temperature was immediately reduced in response to food restriction compared with when food was available ad libitum, an apparent autonomic response. Such immediacy implies a ‘pre-emptive’ response before the bird experiences any shortfalls in energy reserves. We also demonstrate temporal variation in vasoconstriction of the bill, with bill temperature gradually rising throughout the food restriction after the initial drop. Eye-region temperature in the wild birds remained at similar levels throughout food restriction compared with unrestricted birds, possibly reflecting the need to maintain steady circulation to the central nervous and visual systems. Our findings provide evidence that birds selectively allow the bill to cool when a predictable food supply is suddenly disrupted, probably as a means of minimising depletion of body reserves for a perceived future shortage in energy.

Contact between inflammatory cells and endothelial cells (ECs) is a crucial step in vascular inflammation. Recently, we demonstrated that the cell-surface level of endomucin (EMCN), a heavily O-glycosylated single-transmembrane sialomucin, interferes with the interactions between inflammatory cells and ECs. We have also shown that, in response to an inflammatory stimulus, EMCN is cleared from the cell surface by an unknown mechanism. In this study, using adenovirus-mediated overexpression of a tagged EMCN in human umbilical vein ECs, we found that treatment with tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) or the strong oxidant pervanadate leads to loss of cell-surface EMCN and increases the levels of the C-terminal fragment of EMCN 3- to 4-fold. Furthermore, treatment with the broad-spectrum matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor batimastat (BB94) or inhibition of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10) and ADAM17 with two small-molecule inhibitors, GW280264X and GI254023X, or with siRNA significantly reduced basal and TNFα-induced cell-surface EMCN cleavage. Release of the C-terminal fragment of EMCN by TNF-α treatment was blocked by chemical inhibition of ADAM10 alone or in combination with ADAM17. These results indicate that cell-surface EMCN undergoes constitutive cleavage and that TNF-α treatment dramatically increases this cleavage, which is mediated predominantly by ADAM10 and ADAM17. As endothelial cell-surface EMCN attenuates leukocyte–EC interactions during inflammation, we propose that EMCN is a potential therapeutic target to manage vascular inflammation.

Arrestin-1 is the arrestin family member responsible for inactivation of the G protein–coupled receptor rhodopsin in photoreceptors. Arrestin-1 is also well-known to interact with additional protein partners and to affect other signaling cascades beyond phototransduction. In this study, we investigated one of these alternative arrestin-1 binding partners, the glycolysis enzyme enolase-1, to map the molecular contact sites between these two proteins and investigate how the binding of arrestin-1 affects the catalytic activity of enolase-1. Using fluorescence quench protection of strategically placed fluorophores on the arrestin-1 surface, we observed that arrestin-1 primarily engages enolase-1 along a surface that is opposite of the side of arrestin-1 that binds photoactivated rhodopsin. Using this information, we developed a molecular model of the arrestin-1–enolase-1 complex, which was validated by targeted substitutions of charge-pair interactions. Finally, we identified the likely source of arrestin's modulation of enolase-1 catalysis, showing that selective substitution of two amino acids in arrestin-1 can completely remove its effect on enolase-1 activity while still remaining bound to enolase-1. These findings open up opportunities for examining the functional effects of arrestin-1 on enolase-1 activity in photoreceptors and their surrounding cells.

While flagella have been studied extensively as motility organelles, with a focus on internal structures such as the axoneme, more recent research has illuminated the roles of the flagellar surface in a variety of biological processes. Parasitic protists of the order Kinetoplastida, which include trypanosomes and Leishmania species, provide a paradigm for probing the role of flagella in host-microbe interactions and illustrate that this interface between the flagellar surface and the host is of paramount importance. An increasing body of knowledge indicates that the flagellar membrane serves a multitude of functions at this interface: attachment of parasites to tissues within insect vectors, close interactions with intracellular organelles of vertebrate cells, transactions between flagella from different parasites, junctions between the flagella and the parasite cell body, emergence of nanotubes and exosomes from the parasite directed to either host or microbial targets, immune evasion, and sensing of the extracellular milieu. Recent whole-organelle or genome-wide studies have begun to identify protein components of the flagellar surface that must mediate these diverse host-parasite interactions. The increasing corpus of knowledge on kinetoplastid flagella will likely prove illuminating for other flagellated or ciliated pathogens as well.

Streptococcus pyogenes (Lancefield group A Streptococcus [GAS]) is a β-hemolytic human-selective pathogen that is responsible for a large number of morbid and mortal infections in humans. For efficient infection, GAS requires different types of surface proteins that provide various mechanisms for evading human innate immune responses, thus enhancing pathogenicity of the bacteria. Many such virulence-promoting proteins, including the major surface signature M protein, are translocated after biosynthesis through the cytoplasmic membrane and temporarily tethered to this membrane via a type 1 transmembrane domain (TMD) positioned near the COOH terminus. In these proteins, a sorting signal, LPXTG, is positioned immediately upstream of the TMD, which is cleaved by the membrane-associated transpeptidase, sortase A (SrtA), leading to the covalent anchoring of these proteins to newly emerging l-Ala–l-Ala cross-bridges of the growing peptidoglycan cell wall. Herein, we show that inactivation of the srtA gene in a skin-tropic pattern D GAS strain (AP53) results in retention of the M protein in the cell membrane. However, while the isogenic AP53 srtA strain is attenuated in overall pathogenic properties due to effects on the integrity of the cell membrane, our data show that the M protein nonetheless can extend from the cytoplasmic membrane through the cell wall and then to the surface of the bacteria and thereby retain its important properties of productively binding and activating fluid-phase host plasminogen (hPg). The studies presented herein demonstrate an underappreciated additional mechanism of cell surface display of bacterial virulence proteins via their retention in the cell membrane and extension to the GAS surface.

IMPORTANCE Group A Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) is a human-specific pathogen that produces many surface factors, including its signature M protein, that contribute to its pathogenicity. M proteins undergo specific membrane localization and anchoring to the cell wall via the transpeptidase sortase A. Herein, we explored the role of sortase A function on M protein localization, architecture, and function, employing, a skin-tropic GAS isolate, AP53, which expresses a human plasminogen (hPg)-binding M (PAM) Protein. We showed that PAM anchored in the cell membrane, due to the targeted inactivation of sortase A, was nonetheless exposed on the cell surface and functionally interacted with host hPg. We demonstrate that M proteins, and possibly other sortase A-processed proteins that are retained in the cell membrane, can still function to initiate pathogenic processes by this underappreciated mechanism.

Deep-subsurface hot brines in northwest Poland, extracted through boreholes reaching 1.6 and 2.6 km below the ground surface, were microbiologically investigated using culture-independent and culture-dependent methods. The high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed a very low diversity of bacterial communities, which were dominated by phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Bacterial genera potentially involved in sulfur oxidation and nitrate reduction (Halothiobacillus and Methylobacterium) prevailed in both waters over the sulfate reducers ("Candidatus Desulforudis" and Desulfotomaculum). Only one archaeal taxon, affiliated with the order Thermoplasmatales, was detected in analyzed samples. Bacterial isolates obtained from these deep hot brines were closely related to Bacillus paralicheniformis based on the 16S rRNA sequence similarity. However, genomic and physiological analyses made for one of the isolates, Bacillus paralicheniformis strain TS6, revealed the existence of more diverse metabolic pathways than those of its moderate-temperature counterpart. These specific traits may be associated with the ecological adaptations to the extreme habitat, which suggest that some lineages of B. paralicheniformis are halothermophilic.

IMPORTANCE Deep-subsurface aquifers, buried thousands of meters down the Earth’s crust, belong to the most underexplored microbial habitats. Although a few studies revealed the existence of microbial life at the depths, the knowledge about the microbial life in the deep hydrosphere is still scarce due to the limited access to such environments. Studying the subsurface microbiome provides unique information on microbial diversity, community structure, and geomicrobiological processes occurring under extreme conditions of the deep subsurface. Our study shows that low-diversity microbial assemblages in subsurface hot brines were dominated by the bacteria involved in biogeochemical cycles of sulfur and nitrogen. Based on genomic and physiological analyses, we found that the Bacillus paralicheniformis isolate obtained from the brine under study differed from the mesophilic species in the presence of specific adaptations to harsh environmental conditions. We indicate that some lineages of B. paralicheniformis are halothermophilic, which was not previously reported.

The best picture of the sun is more than five times more detailed than the previous highest-resolution images, revealing weird structures on our star’s surface

Pluto’s ancient oceans may have come about just after the icy world was born, melting from ice in a process that suggests the dwarf planet took just 30,000 years to form

An unusually round and symmetrical deposit on Mars may be the result of an impact that popped the surface of the planet, causing a volcanic eruption less than 200,000 years ago

Lucas Joppa, founder of Microsoft's AI for Earth program, is taking an engineering approach to environmental issues

The coronavirus has been found to stick to surfaces for days – but you’re more likely to catch it when close to infected people, or possibly through droplets spread via plumbing and ventilation systems

Surface Book 3 gets more RAM, Surface Go 2 gets a bigger display, and more.

'That is the most exciting thing I've ever had happen!'

'I truly do wonder what's going on inside of her brain,' one outraged tweeter wrote

Actor said he had to ask himself 'who am I?' after his 'world completely changed'

It’s a Microsoft heavy week! This week, Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by Alex Cranz, Gizmodo’s Senior Consumer Tech Editor, to chat about the bevy of new Surface devices. In particular, they explore why the Surface Go 2 and Book 3 are a bit disapp...

Judging the Surface Go 2 comes down to your expectations. Can you live with slow performance to get a well-designed $400 tablet PC (not including a keyboard)? Or are you OK with spending hundreds extra to get a slightly more capable machine that's as...

Microsoft will repair Surface Laptop 3 screens for free, particularly those that suddenly cracked for no discernible reason. Surface owners have been posting online about discovering hairline cracks on their new laptops’ display over the past few mon...

Scary stories about Zoombombing and privacy leaks may have you feeling tense about setting up a video call. But under current circumstances there aren’t a lot of other options available, so columnist Violet Blue has some advice on what you should (an...

Two new pairs of headphones join the laptops and tablets in today's announcement.

The research by Ben-Gurion University (BGU) and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), has received financial support from the Israel Innovation Authority as part of a call for proposals for coping with the coronavirus.

Joining gDiapers, the US Postal Service and more, Surface iQ's commercial wallcoverings have earned Cradle to Cradle certification. The only printed commercial grade wallcovering to have earned this certification, Surface iQ's products have an

The heat in the upper six miles of the earth's crust contains 50,000 times as much energy as found in all the world's oil and gas reserves combined. Despite this abundance, only 10,700 megawatts of geothermal electricity

Plus... Shell announces first carbon capture project in the Alberta Tar Sands; Arctic oil and natural gas's high cost to limit their global share.

Sweden shows how to build comfortable apartments for families, and stairs that people want to use.

Stocks were down slightly on Tuesday, but beneath the surface lies the continuation of a powerful rally.

USB-C, faster processors and new design options continue to keep Microsoft’s Windows 10 laptop near the top of the pile

Microsoft’s top-quality laptop is now in its third generation, with new ports, new processors and a slight redesign, with the option to ditch the unique Alcantara for plain old aluminium.

The £999 and up Surface Laptop 3 is Microsoft’s vision of what a traditional laptop should be. For the most part that’s the same as everyone else, with traditional aluminium body, glass-covered screen and hinge that does not rotate all the way round to the back.

Screen: 13.5in LCD 2256 x 1504 (201 PPI)

Processor: quad-core Intel Core i5 or i7 (10th generation)

RAM: 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB

Graphics: Intel Iris Plus

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 720P front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: wifi 6 (ax), Bluetooth 5, USB-A, USB-C, headphones, Surface Connect TPM

Dimensions: 308.1 x 223.3 x 14.5mm

Weight: 1,265 or 1,288g

Due to the angle of the side of the machine it can be difficult to plug the magnetic power cable in without lifting the side up for more leverage.

The black paint can be scratched revealing the silver aluminium underneath.

The screen supports 10-point touch and Microsoft’s Surface Pen stylus.

Pros: great keyboard, good trackpad, Alcantara or aluminium, sleek design, USB-A and USB-C port, great screen, good battery life, Windows Hello, powerful processor.

Cons: no SD card reader, limited configuration options, no Thunderbolt 3, only one USB-C port.

Surface Laptop 2 review: Microsoft’s sleeker answer to the MacBook Air

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: a fantastic tablet PC you shouldn’t buy

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

Long battery life, 4G and beautiful design can’t stop it being held back by a lack of apps for its ARM chip

The Surface Pro X is a glimpse of an ARM-powered Windows future, combining the best bits of phones and computers, but while that future is closer than ever, it isn’t quite ready yet.

The new £999 Surface Pro X might look like the rest of Microsoft’s Surface tablets on the outside, but it is fundamentally a different beast on the inside.

Screen: 13in LCD 2880x1920 (267 PPI)

Processor: Microsoft SQ1 (ARM)

RAM: 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256 and 512GB

Graphics: Adreno 685

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 10MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: Wifi ac, Bluetooth 5, 2x USB-C, Surface Connect, LTE, nano sim, esim

Dimensions: 287 x 208 x 7.3mm

Weight: 774g

The screen is far too dim on resuming from sleep until you hit the brightness button, at which point it returns to normal

The machine ran cool throughout, barely getting warmer than room temperature even when pushed hard

There’s no real mis-touch rejection at the edges of the screen, which means you have to be careful where you put your fingers when holding the tablet

Pros: slim, great 13in screen, 4G, kickstand, nine-hour battery, 2x USB-C, quick charging, Windows Hello, brilliant keyboard (essential additional purchase), smart stylus holder, Windows 10

Cons: not much ARM-native software, no good photo editors, no SD card reader, no headphone socket, no Thunderbolt 3, keyboard not included

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: a fantastic tablet PC you shouldn’t buy

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

USB-C completes top Windows 10 tablet with great screen, design and kickstand, plus latest Intel chips

The Surface Pro 7 is an update of the excellent Surface Pro 6 with new processors and, finally, a USB-C port.

That means the design of the new Surface Pro 7 hasn’t changed since the 2017 Surface Pro 5, with Microsoft taking an “if it ain’t broke” approach. It’s competitively priced at £699 and up – but you have to pay at least £125 for the keyboard if you want one – which annoyingly is not included in the standard price.

Screen: 12.3in LCD 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)

Processor: Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 (10th generation)

RAM: 4, 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB

Graphics: Intel UHD (i3) or Intel Iris Plus (i5/i7)

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5, USB 3.0, USB-C, headphones, TPM, microSD

Dimensions: 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm

Weight: 775 or 790g (i7 version)

The Surface Pro 7 ships with a standard version of Windows 10 Home with device encryption

The tablet no longer supports on-screen interaction with Microsoft’s Surface Dial accessory

Pros: great screen, good battery life, brilliant keyboard (essential additional purchase), microSD card reader, excellent kickstand, Windows Hello, solid build, easy to carry, USB-A and USB-C

Cons: no Thunderbolt 3, fairly expensive, keyboard should be included, Core i7 version fans are more audible

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: not yet ready for prime time

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

Windows-maker updates top and cheapest PCs, and launches new headphones

Microsoft is launching a revamped line of its most powerful and cheapest Windows 10 PCs, the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2, as it adjusts to continue operations during the pandemic.

The new products, announced by blogpost rather than an event, are Microsoft’s premium computers competing directly with the likes of Apple and Dell, but with more novel designs.

Microsoft launched the Surface Laptop 3 back in October 2019. Since purchasing and using the new device, users have been reporting cracks appearing on the laptop screen, even without causing any physical damage to the device itself. While the reason is