Cover Story
On the Other Hand
Bob Grant | Sep 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
Handedness, a conspicuous but enigmatic human trait, may be shared by other animals. What does it mean for evolution and brain function?
Features
Beyond the Blueprint
Jennifer A. Schweitzer, Mark A. Genung, and Joseph K. Bailey | Sep 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
In addition to serving as a set of instructions to build an individual, the genome can influence neighboring organisms and, potentially, entire ecosystems.
The Second Coming of RNAi
Eric Bender | Sep 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
Now showing clinical progress against liver diseases, the gene-silencing technique begins to fulfill some of its promises.
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the September issue of The Scientist.
Editorial
Head Scratchers
Head Scratchers
Many natural phenomena elude our understanding.
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
September 2014's selection of notable quotes
Freeze Frame
Caught on Camera
Caught on Camera
Selected Images of the Day from www.the-scientist.com
Notebook
Six-Legged Syringes
Six-Legged Syringes
Researchers whose work requires that they draw blood from wild animals are finding unlikely collaborators in biting insects.
Filling In the Notes
Filling In the Notes
Why the brain produces musical hallucinations
Chagas Watchdogs
Chagas Watchdogs
Can screening dogs for Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies inform public health officials about the risk of Chagas disease to people?
Splitting Hairs
Splitting Hairs
Fragments of mitochondrial DNA from deer hair found on the clothing of an ice-entombed mummy offer a glimpse into Copper Age ecology.
Online First
Banking on iPSCs
Banking on iPSCs
A flurry of induced pluripotent stem cell banks are coming online, but they face significant business challenges.
Modus Operandi
Rewritten in Blood
Rewritten in Blood
A modified gene-editing technique corrects mutations in human hematopoietic stem cells.
The Literature
A Long Line of LINEs
A Long Line of LINEs
Different mechanisms repress mobile DNA elements in human embryonic stem cells depending on the elements’ evolutionary ages.
Sexless Hook-Up
Sexless Hook-Up
Genome fusion at stem graft junctions can generate new plant species.
Precisely Placed
Precisely Placed
Vein patterns in the wings of developing fruit flies never vary by more than the width of a single cell.
Profiles
Crossing Boundaries
Crossing Boundaries
A groundbreaker in the study of Listeria monocytogenes, Pascale Cossart continues to build her research tool kit to understand how to fight such intracellular human pathogens.
Scientist to Watch
Ruben Gonzalez Jr.: Molecular Visualizer
Ruben Gonzalez Jr.: Molecular Visualizer
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Chemistry, Columbia University. Age 42
Lab Tools
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Recent developments in cell transfection and molecular delivery technologies
Surviving the Ice Age
Surviving the Ice Age
A beginner’s guide to freezing and thawing pluripotent stem cells
Careers
Keeping Up with IP
Keeping Up with IP
It’s never too early to start thinking about intellectual property rights—even for biologists doing basic research.
Reading Frames
Aristotelian Biology
Aristotelian Biology
The ancient Greek philosopher was the first scientist.
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
An Indomitable Beast, What If?, Superintelligence, and Dataclysm
Foundations
Illustrating Alchemy, 18th Century
Illustrating Alchemy, 18th Century
As the science of chemistry developed, public perceptions of alchemists shifted from respect to ridicule.