Features
Scientist To Watch

Amanda Tokash-Peters Links the Microbiome to Ecology
The Centenary University professor studies the far-reaching effects of changes in the gut bacteria of mosquitos and other species.
Notebook

Sponge Names for Sale, Proceeds to go to Conservation Efforts
A tidy-up of a New Zealand storage room led to the sale of naming rights for three new-to-science Galápagos Islands species.

Pain Researcher Quits Academia, Takes Lab Home with Him
After resigning from the University of New England last year, Geoffrey Bove continues to study the effects of massage on rats in a facility he set up in his house.
The Literature

Aphid Salivary Gene May Regulate Gall Color
Whether the galls that aphids make on witch hazel leaves are red or green is associated with a gene expressed in the insects’ salivary glands.

When Pursuing Prey, Bats Tune Out the World
As they close in for the kill, the flying mammals use quieter echolocation to focus on the chase.
Reading Frames

Opinion: Western Canada Must Stop Clearcutting Its “Mother” Trees
Feeding the world’s insatiable appetite for wood products is sacrificing the future of a crucial ecosystem.
Foundations

Stamping Out Science, 1948
Trofim Lysenko’s attacks on geneticists had long-term effects on Russian science and scientists, despite a lack of evidence to support his beliefs about biological inheritance.
Careers

Pandemic Accelerates Trend Toward Remote Clinical Trials
Now more than ever before, recruiting patients for a research study doesn’t have to mean getting them to leave their homes.
Critic at Large

Opinion: Science Advocacy in the Post-Trump Era
The election of Donald Trump brought about a sea change in activism among researchers. How will the movement change now that Trump is out of office?
Infographics

Infographic: Animals of Different Species Hybridize
The offspring of crosses between related species can sometimes fill a new environmental niche, and such hybridizations may even lead to speciation.

Infographic: Investigating Whether Single Cells Learn
Historical and modern experiments have hinted that unicelluar organisms can learn from their experiences, but the idea still has its critics.

Infographic: How to Ferret Out SARS-CoV-2 in Sewage
Researchers use magnetic nanoparticles and liquid-handling robots in an effort to detect COVID-19 outbreaks early.
Modus Operandi

Sewage Sampling Robots Speed SARS-CoV-2 Detection
An automated wastewater monitoring technique could enable researchers to predict outbreaks of the virus up to a week in advance.
Speaking of Science

Ten Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.
Editorial

Depoliticizing Science
Politicians should of course consider and respect the latest research findings in crafting policy, but elected officials should honor the scientific method by letting its practitioners hash out the details of the science.