Fertile Ground

Meet some of the people featured in the November 2012 issue of The Scientist.

From basic research to beneficial therapies

November 2012's selection of notable quotes

Borrowing techniques from nail and hair salons, researchers have devised a method to tag small, previously untrackable sea turtles.

Taking gastronomy to the molecular level creates unprecedented flavor combos.

A conference, started 10 years ago partly as a disease ecologist’s birthday party, has become one of the most valued meetings in the field.

Comparing the protein profile of a 500-year-old Inca mummy to modern humans reveals an active lung infection prior to sacrifice.

Continued overfishing of forage fish such as sardines and herring can result in devastating ecological and economic outcomes.

How neuroscience research can inform military counterintelligence tactics, and the moral responsibilities that accompany such research

Two-tone fluorescent tags track the movement and life span of proteins within living cells.

New noninvasive methods of selecting the most viable embryo could revolutionize in vitro fertilization.

A newly discovered family of tubulins—members of the cytoskeleton—encoded by bacteriophages plays a role in arranging the location of DNA within virus’s bacterial host.

Successive awakening of soil microbes drives a huge pulse of CO₂ following the first rain after a dry summer.

Large RNA-protein packets use a novel mechanism to escape the cell nucleus.

First, Aravinda Chakravarti drew a map of how scientists might unravel the genetics of complex disease. Then he blazed the trail.

Assistant Professor, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, & Biochemistry Brown University, Age: 36

Enhancing data collection from emulsion PCR reactions: three case studies

Quantitative real-time technology dominates the market today but digital PCR is on the rise.

Making sense of the data deluge

After two headline successes, companies rush to develop “smart bomb” cancer drugs.

Studying the consequences of behavior has shed light on a wide range of life-science phenomena, pathological as well as everyday.

Spillover, Answers for Aristotle, Who’s in Charge? and Science Set Free

On the bicentennial of his birth, Edward Lear is celebrated for his whimsical poetry and his stunningly accurate scientific illustrations.