Features
Editorial
Drugs, Developed
In an era of instant communication, we must be careful how word of new and untested treatments is shared.
Critic at Large
Opinion: Individuals Are Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts
The study of evolution requires consideration of organisms’ microbiomes.
Lab Tools
The Challenge of Using CRISPR to Knock In Genes
Researchers are developing an array of techniques for accurately and efficiently inserting genes into DNA.
Foundations
How Chromosomes X and Y Got Their Names, 1891
A quirk of nomenclature originates in the study of insect cells.
Notebook
Prehistoric Microbes Inhabit an Oasis in the Northern Mexican Desert
The blue lagoons of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin provide a glimpse into the planet’s ancient past.
GPS-Tagged Seabirds Track the Tides
Birds drifting on the surface of the sea could provide valuable data for oceanographers.
Classic Mechanism of Epigenetic Inheritance Is Rare, Not the Rule
A study suggests that the direct transfer of DNA methylation marks from one generation to the next is much less common than scientists previously thought.
Humans Made Tools Atop the Tibetan Plateau More than 30,000 Years Ago
A finding pushes back the timeline on humankind’s conquest of one of Earth’s harshest environments, and may provide clues about interactions with their hominin relatives.
Modus Operandi
Stick-On Immune Cell Monitor
A microneedle-containing skin patch offers researchers a noninvasive way to survey immune responses in mice.
The Literature
Without This Enzyme, Insertions Thrive in the Yeast Genome
A study underscores the importance of Dna2 in maintaining the integrity of the genetic code.
Archaea CRISPR Systems Grab DNA Memories During Interspecies Mating
When different archaeal species mate, their CRISPR systems interact in ways that may influence their evolution.
Primordial RNA May Have Contained Inosine
The discovery that the adenosine derivative aids self-replication adds weight to the theory that life on Earth originated from a mixture of RNA molecules.
Profiles
Master Decoder: A Profile of Kári Stefánsson
A neurologist by training, Stefánsson founded Iceland-based deCODE Genetics to explore what the human genome can tell us about disease and our species’ evolution.
Scientist to Watch
Emily Derbyshire Looks for Malaria’s Vulnerabilities
The Duke University professor studies the parasite to find a way to thwart infection before it takes hold.
Careers
Is Mandatory Retirement the Answer to an Aging Workforce?
For many, it’s not a question of when senior academics should leave their posts, it’s about how to distribute scarce resources such as grants and faculty positions more fairly.
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the March 2019 issue of The Scientist.
Speaking of Science
Ten-Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.
Reading Frames
In Praise of Crazy Ideas
The author of a new book explains the dangers of orthodoxy in science and beyond.
Infographics
Infographic: Immune Cell Monitoring Via a Skin Patch
A stick-on patch enables sampling of immune cells in the skin.
Infographic: How Stray DNA Can Land in Double-Strand Breaks
A study on yeast illuminates how insertions may occur.
Infographic: Viruses on the Brain
Pathogens can take various routes to pass the blood brain barrier and damage cells.
Infographic: How General Anesthesia Works
Drugs that doctors use to sedate patients during traumatic medical procedures act on neural receptors to alter brain activity.
Infographic: Fighting Malaria Drug Resistance
The parasite that causes malaria has evolved to evade many of the drugs that researchers have developed to fight the tropical disease.