Cover Story
Inspired by Nature
Daniel Cossins | Aug 1, 2015
Researchers are borrowing designs from the natural world to advance biomedicine.
Features
Drugging the Environment
Megan Scudellari | Aug 1, 2015
Humans have spiked ecosystems with a flood of active pharmaceuticals. The drugs are feminizing male fish, confusing birds, and worrying scientists.
The Prescient Placenta
Christopher Coe | Aug 1, 2015
The maternal-fetal interface plays important roles in the health of both mother and baby, even after birth.
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the August 2015 issue of The Scientist.
Editorial
Mimicry Muses
Mimicry Muses
The animal world is full of clever solutions to bioengineering challenges.
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
August 2015's selection of notable quotes
Freeze Frame
Caught on Camera
Caught on Camera
Selected Images of the Day from the-scientist.com
Notebook
Building Bigger Beefsteaks
Building Bigger Beefsteaks
Understanding the genetics of stem cell population maintenance in plants producing jumbo tomatoes could help scientists generate more-massive fruits.
The Spleen Collectors
The Spleen Collectors
Donated organs are helping researchers map out the immune system in humans.
TB over Time
TB over Time
Eighteenth-century DNA sequences yield insights into the history of tuberculosis infections.
Silence of the Lambs
Silence of the Lambs
A die-off of newborn lambs in Australia leads to the discovery of a new toxin and clues to a devastating liver disease in children.
Critic at Large
Putting Phytoremediation into Action
Putting Phytoremediation into Action
Researchers studying the use of bacteria and plants to remove toxins from the soil must better communicate their results if they want their techniques to be used by practitioners in the field.
Modus Operandi
Gene Expression in a Drop
Gene Expression in a Drop
Tens of thousands of individual cells can have their transcriptomes analyzed simultaneously thanks to two new techniques.
The Literature
Rethinking Lymphatic Development
Rethinking Lymphatic Development
Four studies identify alternative origins for cells of the developing lymphatic system, challenging the long-standing view that they all come from veins.
Profile
Leaving an Imprint
Leaving an Imprint
Among the first to discover epigenetic reprogramming during mammalian development, Wolf Reik has been studying the dynamics of the epigenome for 30 years.
Scientist to Watch
Yun “Nancy” Huang: Eager for Epigenetics
Yun “Nancy” Huang: Eager for Epigenetics
Assistant Professor, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston. Age: 35
Lab Tools
Messages in the Noise
Messages in the Noise
After spending more than a decade developing tools to study patterns in gene sequences, bioinformaticians are now working on programs to analyze epigenomics data.
Get With the Program
Get With the Program
DIY tips for adding coding to your analysis arsenal
Bio Business
The Human Touch
The Human Touch
Can mice with humanlike tissues better model drug effects in people?
Reading Frames
Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations
Does a delicately orchestrated balance between quantum and classical physics distinguish living from nonliving things?
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
Gods of the Morning, Hedonic Eating, A Beautiful Question, and Genomic Messages
Foundations
