Features
The Literature

Pesticide Resistance in a Plant Organelle Drives Down Whole-Genome Diversity
A chloroplast mutation has dramatically affected the genomes of railside populations of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Newly Discovered Emergency Responders to Liver Damage
Immune cells called macrophages from the peritoneal cavity of mice migrate to injured livers and aid in repair.

Increasing Seal Pup Numbers Influence Feral-Horse Feeding Habits
Researchers reveal how seals affect vegetation patterns and influence the movement of feral horse populations on Sable Island in Canada.
Profiles

Clyde A. Hutchison III: Genome Sequencer and Synthetic Biologist
From sequencing bacteriophages to synthesizing bacterial genomes to defining a minimal genome
Scientist to Watch

Cullen Buie Parses Pathogens With Passion
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT. Age: 34
Lab Tools

How to Build Bioinformatic Pipelines Using Galaxy
A point-and-click interface alternative to command-line tools that allows researchers to easily create, run, and troubleshoot serial sequence analyses

Software for Image Analysis
Profiles of five programs for quantifying data from Westerns, dot blots, gels, and colony cultures
Bio Business

The Growth of Iowa Biotech
The state’s industry draws inspiration from medicine as well as agriculture.
Reading Frames

The Neanderthal in the Mirror
Our evolutionary cousin is no longer a blundering caveman. Recent research has painted a picture of a human ancestor with culture, art, and advanced cognitive skills.
Foundations

First Micrographs of Myxobacteria Forming Fruiting Bodies
By ditching traditional agar-based media, two biochemists captured iconic images of Myxococcus in 1982.
Capsule Reviews

Hot Off the Presses
Idiot Brain, Wild Sex, Why Diets Make Us Fat, and The Ethics of Invention
Notebook

Do Schizophrenic Brains Repair Themselves?
Preliminary research suggests that the brains of schizophrenia patients may regain tissue mass as the illness wears on.

The Hormones and Brain Regions Behind Eye Contact
Can oxytocin help increase eye contact in patients with autism, thus opening up a whole new world of social interaction?

How Your Nose Got Its Shape
Climate variation has sculpted our schnozzes since the earliest humans evolved, but environmental pressures can’t explain everything.

New Lyme Disease Test Developed by Summer Student
The high schooler was studying cancer biomarkers in a George Mason University lab when her familial experiences with Lyme disease sparked an idea.
Critic at Large

Opinion: Our Inner Caveman
The modern human brain evolved in social and environmental settings very unlike today’s. Despite our cultural and technological progress, tribal instincts remain.
Thought Experiment

Opinion: Monogamy and Cooperation Are Connected Through Multiple Links
Why does cooperation evolve most often in monogamous animals?
Modus Operandi

Wanted: Transcriptional Regulators
Researchers have designed a screen to find unique molecules, called riboswitches, that determine whether transcription will proceed.
Editorial

On Becoming Human
Some thoughts on going to the Galápagos
Speaking of Science

Notable Science Quotes
Brexit's effect on science, melding disciplines, and more
Contributors

Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the August 2016 issue of The Scientist.