Beyond The Scientist’s coverage of COVID-19’s molecular underpinnings were many other stories highlighting the advances made in scientists’ understanding of the biology of cells.

Scientists have genetically modified isolated microbes for decades. Now, using CRISPR, they intend to target entire microbiomes.

At 33, Dal Co had already founded her own microbial ecology lab at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

With the help of directed evolution, scientists inch closer to developing viral vectors that can cross the human blood-brain barrier to deliver gene therapy.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE Modern Biotechnology S B Penrose. Blackwell Scientific: September, 200 pp, $24.95. Provides detailed information on recombinant DNA technology, industrial microbiology, monoclonal antibodies, and plant and animal cell culture; includes a discussion of the legal, social and ethical issues surrounding biotechnology. EARTH SCIENCE Deformation of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks (No. 28). M.E. Jones and R.M.F. Preston, eds. Blackwell Scientific: September, 360 pp, $90. Reports

In the introduction to the book, author Sean B. Carroll draws the parallels between ecological and physiological maladies.

Uncovering the components used by Aspergillus fumigatus to avoid intracellular destruction broadens our understanding of the mold’s pathogenesis. 

Biofilms are home to millions of microbes, but disrupting their interactions could produce more effective antibiotics.

Staff Profile Jeffrey M. Perkel Senior Editor School/Degree BS in Microbiology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst; PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Pennsylvania