The Food Issue

Meet some of the people featured in the June 2014 issue of The Scientist

Complex layers of science, policy, and public opinion surround the things we eat and drink.

June 2014's selection of notable quotes

Can putting invasive species on the menu contain troublesome animals and plants?

Genetic engineering could help keep harmful toxins out of barley and beer, but will consumers with a thirst for craft malts and brews buy into it?

Researchers and entrepreneurs divert food waste from landfills by turning it into a variety of ingenious products.

Meet the peptide-covered microcantilever device capable of differentiating subtypes of Salmonella.

As rich sources of genetic diversity, the progenitors and kin of today’s food crops hold great promise for improving production in agriculture’s challenging future.

Why are there so many contradictory nutrition studies, and how can they be improved?

Engineered bacteria can shape electricity-conducting nanowires.

Will the public swallow science’s best solution to one of the most dangerous wheat pathogens on the planet?

Researchers unmask a gene that protects C. elegans from lifespan-shrinking metabolic byproducts.

Drinking green tea appears to boost the activity of DNA repair enzymes.

Using just three dopaminergic neurons, Drosophila larvae can sense whether a food source lacks a full roster of essential amino acids.

Not one to shy away from controversy, Bruce Ames has pitted himself against industry groups, environmentalists, and his peers through his work identifying DNA mutagens. And he’s not done yet.

Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, Age: 32

New mass spectrometry–based techniques are blurring the lines between discovery and targeted proteomics.

Microfluidic tools and techniques for investigating cells, one by one

Coordinating the submission of manuscripts can strike a healthy balance between competition and collaboration.

Understanding our primate ancestors’ relationship with alcohol can inform its use by modern humans.
 

Proof, Caffeinated, A Sting in the Tale, and The Insect Cookbook

The Green Revolution of the 20th century began with Norman Borlaug’s development of a short-statured, large-grained wheat.