Cover Story
Are the Brains of Transgender People Different from Those of Cisgender People?
Shawna Williams | Mar 1, 2018 | 10+ min read
Research into the biological basis of gender identity is in its infancy, but clues are beginning to emerge.
Features
Paleoproteomics Opens a Window into the Past
Catherine Offord | Mar 1, 2018 | 10+ min read
Researchers are looking to proteins to explore the biology of ancient organisms, from medieval humans all the way back to dinosaurs.
Eat Yourself to Live: Autophagy’s Role in Health and Disease
Vikramjit Lahiri and Daniel J. Klionsky | Mar 1, 2018 | 10+ min read
New details of the molecular process by which our cells consume themselves point to therapeutic potential.
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the March 2018 issue of The Scientist.
Editorial
The Skin We’re In
The Skin We’re In
How can science inform the debate on gender?
Speaking of Science
Ten-Minute Sabbatical
Ten-Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.
Notebook
Study Finds Epigenetic Differences Between Hatchery-Raised and Wild-Born Salmon
Study Finds Epigenetic Differences Between Hatchery-Raised and Wild-Born Salmon
The variation may help explain why stocked salmon don’t fare as well in the ocean.
UK Judges Receive Primers on Forensic Science
UK Judges Receive Primers on Forensic Science
Scientists in the U.K., in collaboration with members of the judiciary, have launched the first in a series of explanatory documents designed to help integrate science into the courtroom.
Could Rapamycin Help Humans Live Longer?
Could Rapamycin Help Humans Live Longer?
From extending lifespan to bolstering the immune system, the drug’s effects are only just beginning to be understood.
Stressed Rodents Make Different Choices
Stressed Rodents Make Different Choices
Chronic stress tweaks a circuit in the brain that influences how lab rodents make tough decisions.
Modus Operandi
Here Comes Single-Cell Optogenetics
Here Comes Single-Cell Optogenetics
A new protein may allow researchers to home in on individual neurons, determining their activity minute by minute.
The Literature
Bacterial Cell Envelope Size is Key to Membrane Stress Response
Bacterial Cell Envelope Size is Key to Membrane Stress Response
Transmission of stress signals in E. coli is dependent on the distance between its inner and outer membranes.
Circulating Mitochondrial DNA Alerts Immune System to Danger
Circulating Mitochondrial DNA Alerts Immune System to Danger
In response to short DNA fragments, lymphocytes release mitochondrial DNA that helps trigger an immune response.
A Systematic Approach to Finding Unannotated Proteins
A Systematic Approach to Finding Unannotated Proteins
A study suggests that there is more to the eukaryotic genome than was previously suspected.
Profiles
Parasitologist, Reprogrammed: A Profile of David Roos
Parasitologist, Reprogrammed: A Profile of David Roos
After discovering a novel organelle found in protozoan parasites, the University of Pennsylvania’s Roos created a widely used eukaryotic pathogen database.
Scientist to Watch
Jermaine Jones Seeks to Untangle the Genetics Behind Substance Abuse
Jermaine Jones Seeks to Untangle the Genetics Behind Substance Abuse
Studying pharmacogenetics in lab rodents prepared the Columbia University professor to investigate the biological underpinnings of substance use disorders in humans.
Lab Tools
New Methods to Detect CRISPR Off-Target Mutations
New Methods to Detect CRISPR Off-Target Mutations
Researchers have developed a variety of techniques to detect when CRISPR misses the mark.
Careers
How to Successfully Collaborate with Industry
How to Successfully Collaborate with Industry
In efforts to translate basic-science results into pharmaceuticals and other technologies, success cannot be taken for granted.
Reading Frames
The Forgotten History of World War I–Era Female Scientists
The Forgotten History of World War I–Era Female Scientists
As millions of men headed off to fight in the Great War, women researchers stayed behind to further science. Their struggle for equality rages on today.
Foundations
The Child Hatchery, 1896
The Child Hatchery, 1896
The incubator exhibitions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries publicized the care of premature babies.