Issue | November 2013 | Neural Landscapes

Cover Story

Andres Lozano | Oct 28, 2013 | 10 min read

Deep-brain stimulation is allowing neurosurgeons to adjust the neural activity in specific brain regions to treat thousands of patients with myriad neurological disorders.

Features

The Psychiatrist’s Jigsaw

Megan Scudellari | Nov 1, 2013 | 10+ min read

Researchers are piecing together the devilishly complex sets of genetic alterations underlying schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

2013 Life Sciences Salary Survey

Chris Palmer and Kate Yandell | Nov 1, 2013 | 8 min read

The Scientist opened up its annual Salary Survey to our international readers for the first time, revealing stark differences between average pay in the U.S., Europe, and the rest of the world.

Contributors

Meet some of the people featured in the November 2013 issue of The Scientist.

Editorial

Exploring the Neuron Forest

Innovations in imaging techniques and genetic sequencing take neuroscience to a new level.

Speaking of Science

November 2013's selection of notable quotes

Notebook

Doggie Dialogue

Georgia Tech researchers develop technology that could allow assistance dogs to better communicate with their handlers.

Bad Blood

A rare bleeding disorder leads scientists to uncover an unusual blood component that might be common to us all.

Ye Old Parasites

Evidence of early-13th-century intestinal worms found in a medieval castle latrine yields clues about the lives and deaths of crusaders.

The Ultimate Wingman

Differential gene expression between dominant and subordinate male turkeys could help evolutionary biologists deconstruct the roots of sexual dimorphism.

Thought Experiment

How, If, and Why Species Form

Biologists have struggled for centuries to properly define what constitutes a “species.” They may have been asking the wrong question—many smaller organisms might not form species at all.

Dating the Origin of Us

Theoretical anthropogeny seeks to understand how Homo sapiens rose to a position of global dominance.

Modus Operandi

Detecting Diversity

High-throughput sequencing without PCR could make estimates of biodiversity more precise.

The Literature

Bacterial Scaffolders

In mycelial bacteria, a protein that self-assembles into cytoskeletal networks is recruited to growing tips to shore up newly synthesized cell walls.

Neurons Govern Immunity

Hunger-associated molecules in the hypothalamus suppress inflammation.

Guidance Counselors

Cell-adhesion molecules help newborn neurons migrate to their intended destinations within the neocortex.

Profile

Waste-Management Consultant

By audaciously pursuing an abandoned area of research, Ana María Cuervo discovered how cells selectively break down their waste, and revealed the health consequences when that process malfunctions.

Scientist to Watch

Thomas Gregor: Biological Quantifier

Assistant Professor, Physics, Princeton University. Age: 39

Lab Tools

Synapses on Stage

Light microscopy techniques that spotlight neural connections in the brain

Seeing Double

Combining two imaging techniques integrates molecular specificity with nanometer-scale resolution.

Bio Business

Penetrating the Brain

Researchers use molecular keys, chisels, and crowbars to open the last great biochemical barricade in the body—the blood-brain barrier.

Reading Frames

Chance and Necessity

War and justice brought together two of the greatest minds of the 20th century, a scientist and a writer.

Capsule Reviews

Tracks and Shadows, The Gap, The Cure in the Code, and An Appetite for Wonder

Foundations

The Neuron Doctrine, circa 1894

Santiago Ramón y Cajal used a staining technique developed by Camillo Golgi to formulate the idea that the neuron is the basic unit of the nervous system.