
October 2018
Bright Lights, Big Problems
Scientists are exploring the ecological damage caused by artificially lit night skies
Features

The Vanishing Night: Light Pollution Threatens Ecosystems

Life Thrives Within the Earth’s Crust
Notebook

Sports Videos Give Clues to Climate Change
Archived footage of cycling races and other events can help ecologists track the timing of plants’ leafing and flowering.

Hackers Are Breaking into Medical Databases to Protect Patient Data
Agencies such as the NIH reward the discovery of vulnerabilities in their computer systems—before criminals can exploit them.

In Their Earliest Days, Embryos Record Their Environments
Methylation patterns at so-called metastable epialleles in the genome stamp a memory into each of our cells.

Ancient Teeth Tell the History of Equine Dentistry
Researchers studied 3,000-year-old skeletal remains from Mongolia to understand the origins of veterinary dental practices.
Modus Operandi

Visualizing Gene Expression in Individual Cells in Thick Tissues
STARmap enables simultaneous analysis of multiple RNAs in intact, bulky samples.
The Literature

Chromosome Clusters Help Keep the Genome Together
Without certain DNA-binding proteins, chromosomes can escape the cell nucleus.

Alzheimer’s Gene Affects Energy Consumption in Mouse Brains
One variant limited the brain’s ability to use glucose.

Ibuprofen’s Effects Found in Offspring of Exposed Mosquitoes
Results of a study suggest that toxicologists should look further than exposed individuals for contaminant effects.
Profiles

Genome Collector: A Profile of Charles Rotimi
The NIH epidemiologist has worked to ensure genetic health and population genetics studies contain data from African—not just European—populations.
Scientist to Watch

Rotem Sorek Searches for Bacteria’s Defenses Against Viruses
Using his expertise in microbiology and bioinformatics, he is bringing a new understanding to microbial immune systems.
Editorial

Genes and Blues
Learning about your own genetic idiosyncrasies comes with complex emotions.
Contributors

Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the October 2018 issue of The Scientist.
Lab Tools

Integrating Multiple -Omics in Individual Cells
New techniques combine DNA, RNA, and protein information from single cells.
Reading Frames

Why Forgetting Is a Critical Part of Remembering
The Østby sisters, one a neuroscientist and the other a writer, explore the uncharted territory of memory in their new book.
Foundations

Charting Crescents, 1910
James Herrick, a Chicago doctor, was the first to describe sickled red blood cells in a patient of African descent.
Freeze Frame

Caught on Camera
Selected Images of the Day from the-scientist.com
Bio Business

Startups Plan the Health Data Gold Rush
Companies are building platforms based on blockchain technology to let individuals control and directly profit from their genomic and medical information.
Speaking of Science

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

Infographic: Effects of Satellite DNA–Binding Proteins
The linkers gather chromosomes together into chromocenters.

Infographic: Light Pollution Threatens Species
As artificial light increases in volume and geographical coverage around the world, a variety of animals are suffering ill effects.

Infographic: Visualizing Gene Expression
STARmap reveals expression levels of multiple genes within thick tissue sections.

Infographic: The Search for Life Below the Surface
The recent expansion of large-scale scientific drilling programs, combined with intensified efforts to take advantage of existing portals into the crust, has led to an explosion of research on the deep biosphere.

Infographic: The Omentum’s Role in Health and Disease
Belly fat helps fight infection, but is also a common site of metastasis.
Multimedia

Video: How Deep Have We Drilled?
Kilometers-deep holes in the ground give scientists access to deep in the Earth’s crust, where they're finding diverse forms of life.