Features
Alternative Medicines
The Scientist | Jul 1, 2012 | 10+ min read
As nonconventional medical treatments become increasingly mainstream, we take a look at the science behind some of the most popular.
On the Chain Gang
Keith D. Wilkinson and David Fushman | Jul 1, 2012 | 10 min read
More than simply helping haul out a cell’s garbage, ubiquitin, with its panoply of chain lengths and shapes, marks and regulates many unrelated cellular processes.
Growing Better Biofuel Crops
Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville | Jul 1, 2012 | 10+ min read
Research is underway to reduce the use of food crops for biofuels by shifting to dedicated energy crops and agricultural residues.
Editorial
Meeting of the Minds
Meeting of the Minds
New changes at The Scientist will ensure that we continue to showcase the best and brightest ideas in the life sciences.
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
July 2012's selection of notable quotes
Notebook
3-D Printing
3-D Printing
Is printing out your own lab equipment, molecular models, and drug compounds the wave of the future?
Killer Silk
Killer Silk
Silk impregnated with bleach may provide a new way to fight the formidable spores of the anthrax bacterium.
You Are Where You Eat
You Are Where You Eat
Laser-based isotope detection systems are moving into the realm of food authentication.
Medical Mavericks
Medical Mavericks
ALS patients take their fate into their own hands, self-administering an unapproved chemical and collating their results online.
Critic at Large
Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy
Dietary supplements can have serious side effects when mixed with prescription drugs, but not all herb-drug interactions are bad.
All’s Not Fair in Science and Publishing
All’s Not Fair in Science and Publishing
False credit for scientific discoveries threatens the success and pace of research.
Modus Operandi
Dynamic Delivery
Dynamic Delivery
Microscopic sponges made entirely of RNA enable efficient gene silencing.
The Literature
SNAREs at the Synapse
SNAREs at the Synapse
Using tiny lipid discs, scientists resolve contradictory evidence about how many proteins are required for neurotransmitter release.
Brain Mosaic
Brain Mosaic
Retrotransposons contribute to genetic variability in human brain cells.
Munching Macrophages
Munching Macrophages
Making macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques digest spent organelles instead of dying may help keep plaques stable.
Profiles
Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success
With persistence and pluck, Leslie Vosshall managed to snatch insect odorant receptors from the jaws of experimental defeat.
Scientist to Watch
Daniel Durocher: Change is Good
Daniel Durocher: Change is Good
Senior Investigator, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Age 40
Lab Tools
Move Over, Mother Nature
Move Over, Mother Nature
Synthetic biologists harness software to design genes and networks.
A Little Help from My Friends
A Little Help from My Friends
How to get the most out of your collaboration with bioinformaticians
Bio Business
The Little Cell That Could
The Little Cell That Could
Critics point out that cell therapy has yet to top existing treatments. Biotech companies are setting out to change that—and prove that the technology can revolutionize medicine.
Reading Frames
DNA Truth or Dare
DNA Truth or Dare
Learning the intricacies of your own genetic profile is a double-edged sword.
Foundations
The First Australopithecus, 1925
The First Australopithecus, 1925
The discovery of the 2.5-million-year-old Taung Child skull marked a turning point in the study of human brain evolution.
Slideshows
Meet the Relatives
Meet the Relatives
Meet some of the most famous fossil discoveries of the hominin clan in this slide show.
Better Biofuel Crops
Better Biofuel Crops
One way to increase biofuel production is to engineer plants that can withstand harsh environmental conditions, thereby expanding the range in which such crops can be grown.
Printing 3-D Molecules
Printing 3-D Molecules
View some molecular models produced by fast and inexpensive 3-D printing processes, and learn how they’re yielding a fuller understanding of biochemical interactions.
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
Evolving, The Moral Molecule, Aping Mankind, and Experiment Eleven
Infographics
Ubiquitin Chains in Action
Ubiquitin Chains in Action
Present in every tissue of the body, ubiquitin appears to be involved in a dizzying array of functions, from cell cycle and division to organelle and ribosome biogenesis, as well as the response to viral infection. The protein plays at least two role
Biofuels by the Numbers
Biofuels by the Numbers
Of the many available no- or low-carbon methods to harvest energy, including wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and solar approaches, conversion of plant biomass to liquid fuels is the most cost-effective strategy.
Ubiquitin basics
Ubiquitin basics
Despite its discovery as a protein that seems to show up everywhere, at least in eukaryotic cells, researchers are only beginning to scratch the surface of all of the cellular functions involving ubiquitin.
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the July 2012 issue of The Scientist.