Features
Reading Frames
Revolutionary Repurposing
Evolution needn’t make improbable leaps to facilitate transitions into uncharted biological territory. Adapting new uses for existing structures works just fine.
Scientist To Watch
Janelle Ayres Explores the Ways in Which Animals Tolerate Disease
The Salk Institute researcher was one of the first to show that killing a pathogen isn’t the only way to survive an infection.
Infographics
Infographic: Synthetases and the Evolution of Circulatory Systems
Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases picked up new protein domains that participate in vasculature formation around the same time that organisms evolved key adaptations in the circulatory system.
Infographic: DNA Isn’t Always Right-Handed
When the nucleic acid spirals to the left, it takes on a zig-zag shape known as Z-DNA that appears to regulate RNA editing.
Infographic: The Changing Infant Gut Microbiome
The microbial makeup of a newborn baby’s intestines has changed dramatically over the past 100 years, and we are now beginning to understand how and why this matters.
Infographic: How Cells Use Decoys to Defend Against Pathogens
Specialized exosomes sop up bacterial toxins, a study finds.
Infographic: Vaccines on Film
How an experimental preparation technique could make vaccines easier to transport, store, and administer
Foundations
Confronting a Pandemic, 1957
Microbiologist Maurice Hilleman foresaw the global spread of a novel influenza strain in 1957. His vaccine saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
The Literature
How a Pea Aphid Decides to Make Wings or Not
Wing development in females is environmentally controlled, but in males, an insertion on the sex chromosome appears to dictate whether the insects grow wings, according to a study.
Gut Microbiome Composition Linked to Human Behavior
A study uncovers connections between the bacteria in our guts and our social lives.
Host Cells Release Exosomes to Sop Up Bacterial Toxins
During bacterial infection, autophagy proteins appear to regulate the release of cell-saving exosomes, which bear the brunt of toxin damage.
Profiles
The Father of Autoimmunity: A Profile of Noel Rose
By revealing that animals could develop immune responses against their own tissues, the physician-scientist established an entirely new field of science.
Notebook
Did Contaminated Water Exacerbate Brazilian Babies’ Zika Symptoms?
Elevated levels of a neurotoxin in northeastern Brazil’s drinking water and a high incidence of microcephaly in the region led scientists to look for a link, and they found one.
How Squirrels Use Bird Chatter to Assess Safety
An undergraduate research project finds the animals are tuned in to reassuring information from other species.
The Hidden World of Millipede Sex
Researchers use advanced imaging techniques to see what happens when a male and a female mate.
A Citizen Scientist Makes Her Mark in Microbiome Research
The BioCollective, a company that transforms whole stool samples into microbial metadata, is developing the US’s first national microbiome reference material.
Careers
When Your Supervisor Is Accused of Research Misconduct
Early career researchers face unique challenges when a senior collaborator becomes embroiled in allegations of scientific malpractice.
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the June 2020 issue of The Scientist.
Modus Operandi
Vaccines Without Vials, Fridges, or Needles
A novel preparation technique could facilitate vaccine preservation, transportation, and administration.
Editorial
Armchair Virologists
Pretending to be a javelin aficionado is one thing. Professing to have real insight into the ongoing pandemic is quite another.
Speaking of Science
Ten Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.