Cover Story
Using Gene Drives to Limit the Spread of Malaria
Tony Nolan and Andrea Crisanti | Jan 1, 2017 | 10 min read
Introducing genetic changes into mosquito populations could be key to effective malaria control.
Features
Forensics 2.0
Bob Grant | Jan 1, 2017 | 10+ min read
Meet the researchers working to untangle the mystery of a Missouri home filled with bones by bringing cutting-edge technologies into the crime lab.
Repurposing Existing Drugs for New Indications
Anna Azvolinsky | Jan 1, 2017 | 10+ min read
An entire industry has sprung up around resurrecting failed drugs and recycling existing compounds for novel indications.
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the January 2017 issue of The Scientist.
Editorial
Gene Drives and Other Controversies
Gene Drives and Other Controversies
Aedes and Anopheles control; three-parent babies; the PhD glut
Speaking of Science
Notable Science Quotes
Notable Science Quotes
Science under Trump, gene drive, medical marijuana, and more
Notebook
Reconstructing the Effects of the Fur Trade in the Brazilian Amazon
Reconstructing the Effects of the Fur Trade in the Brazilian Amazon
Researchers use a century of trade records to uncover differences in the resilience of terrestrial and aquatic species.
How an Invasive Bee Managed to Thrive in Australia
How an Invasive Bee Managed to Thrive in Australia
The Asian honeybee should have been crippled by low genetic diversity, but thanks to natural selection it thrived.
Caribbean Anoles Function as Model Organisms for Evolutionary Dynamics
Caribbean Anoles Function as Model Organisms for Evolutionary Dynamics
The small lizards adapted to unique niches among dozens of isles.
Researchers Track Eels on Their Cross-Atlantic Migration
Researchers Track Eels on Their Cross-Atlantic Migration
A mysterious migration is coming to light after more than a century of study.
Critic at Large
Opinion: Ethical Considerations of “Three-Parent” Babies
Opinion: Ethical Considerations of “Three-Parent” Babies
Mitochondrial replacement therapy raises important societal and ethical concerns, but should be embraced for its utility in preventing disease.
Modus Operandi
New Technique Enables Observation of Accessible Chromatin
New Technique Enables Observation of Accessible Chromatin
A test tube-based genome-labeling technique has been brought under the microscope.
The Literature
RNA Sequences Don’t Predict In Vivo Transcript Structure
RNA Sequences Don’t Predict In Vivo Transcript Structure
Eukaryotes prevent secondary RNA structures called G-quadruplexes, commonly observed in vitro, from forming in the cell.
Newly Found White Blood Cell Withstands Chemotherapy
Newly Found White Blood Cell Withstands Chemotherapy
Vaccine-induced macrophages open a new realm of study into remodeling the immune system to reduce the risk of infections during cancer treatment.
Transgenerational Epigenetics Prepares Plants for Drought
Transgenerational Epigenetics Prepares Plants for Drought
Plants grown in dry soil produce offspring that are hardier in drought conditions, and DNA methylation appears responsible.
Profiles
Methylation Maestro
Methylation Maestro
After initially discovering that DNA methylation represses transcription, Howard Cedar continues to explore how the epigenetic mark regulates gene expression.
Scientist to Watch
Jeremy Day Probes Reward Signaling in the Brain
Jeremy Day Probes Reward Signaling in the Brain
The University of Alabama, Birmingham, researcher seeks the neural roots of animal behavior
Lab Tools
Characterizing the Imprintome
Characterizing the Imprintome
Three techniques for identifying the collection of maternal and paternal genes silenced in offspring
Careers
Addressing Biomedical Science’s PhD Problem
Addressing Biomedical Science’s PhD Problem
Researchers and institutions seek to bridge the gap between emerging life science professionals and available positions.
Reading Frames
Moving Past the Myth of a Simple Biological Difference Between the Sexes
Moving Past the Myth of a Simple Biological Difference Between the Sexes
The public may still believe that male-specific traits, such as high testosterone levels, lead to many of the gender inequalities that exist in society, but science tells a different story.
Foundations
The Sled Dogs that Stopped an Outbreak
The Sled Dogs that Stopped an Outbreak
Balto, Togo, and other huskies famously delivered life-saving serum to a remote Alaskan town in 1925—but newspapers didn’t tell the whole story.