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Cover Story
Nuclear Pores Come into Sharper Focus
André Hoelz and Daniel H. Lin | Dec 1, 2016 | 10 min read
Solving a long-standing structural puzzle will open the door to understanding one of the cell’s most enigmatic machines.
Features
The Pangenome: Are Single Reference Genomes Dead?
Catherine Offord | Dec 1, 2016 | 10+ min read
Researchers are abandoning the concept of a list of genes sequenced from a single individual, instead aiming for a way to describe all the genetic variation within a species.
Top 10 Innovations 2016
The Scientist Staff | Dec 1, 2016 | 10+ min read
This year’s list of winners celebrates both large leaps and small (but important) steps in life science technology.
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the December 2016 issue of The Scientist.
Editorial
Doors and Pores
Doors and Pores
The awesome architecture of the gateways to the nucleus
Speaking of Science
Notable Science Quotes
Notable Science Quotes
The importance of science innovation, publishing and gender, and more
Notebook
Missing Link in Malaria Evolution Discovered in Historical Specimens
Missing Link in Malaria Evolution Discovered in Historical Specimens
A family’s collection of antique microscope slides became a trove of genetic information about the eradicated European malaria pathogen.
Birds Have Skills Previously Described as “Uniquely Human”
Birds Have Skills Previously Described as “Uniquely Human”
Scientists are enlisting the help of pigeons, parrots, crows, jays, and other species to disprove the notion that human cognitive abilities are beyond those of other animals.
Elephant Footprints Create Habitat for Tiny Aquatic Creatures
Elephant Footprints Create Habitat for Tiny Aquatic Creatures
Researchers discover diverse communities of invertebrates inhabiting the water-filled tracks of elephants in Uganda.
Freshwater Bacteria Might Help Explain the “Methane Paradox”
Freshwater Bacteria Might Help Explain the “Methane Paradox”
Certain microbes express genes in a methane-production pathway, offering an explanation for puzzlingly high levels of the gas in some lakes.
Critic at Large
Opinion: Not All Genetic Databases Are Equal
Opinion: Not All Genetic Databases Are Equal
Sorting out which data sets are clinical-grade is key to helping patients.
Modus Operandi
Synthetic Sensors
Synthetic Sensors
Engineered circuits detect endogenous transcription factors to drive cellular outputs.
The Literature
Cells Follow Stiffness Gradients by Playing Tug-of-War
Cells Follow Stiffness Gradients by Playing Tug-of-War
Cells with the best traction on a substrate pull their neighbors toward firmer ground.
Studies Conflict on Spores’ Need for Protein Synthesis
Studies Conflict on Spores’ Need for Protein Synthesis
Different assays lead to opposing conclusions on bacterial spores’ requirements during germination.
Distantly Related Conifers Share a Surprising Number of Cold-Tolerance Genes
Distantly Related Conifers Share a Surprising Number of Cold-Tolerance Genes
Spruce and pine and have relied on similar genetic toolkits for climate adaptation despite millions of years of evolution.
Profile
Pushing Boundaries
Pushing Boundaries
Applying physics, chemistry, and cell biology, Satyajit Mayor seeks to understand how cell membranes work.
Scientist to Watch
Vlad Denic on Exploring New Fields and Failing Successfully
Vlad Denic on Exploring New Fields and Failing Successfully
The Harvard professor is pursuing fundamental questions about autophagy, protein homeostasis, and other cellular processes, and he’s always on the lookout for his next new topic.
Lab Tools
How to Track Cell Lineages As They Develop
How to Track Cell Lineages As They Develop
Sequencing and gene-editing advances make tracing a cell’s journey throughout development easier than ever.
Using Raman Spectroscopy to Identify Cell Types
Using Raman Spectroscopy to Identify Cell Types
Improvements in instruments and statistical tools allow the capture and analysis of large data sets.
Bio Business
Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Near Approval
Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Near Approval
Successful late-stage clinical trials could mark the maturation of a new drug development platform, but the path to commercialization is not without hurdles.
Reading Frames
Is Medicine Ready for Clinical CRISPR?
Is Medicine Ready for Clinical CRISPR?
Using precision genome editing to treat or prevent human disease may require several leaps of faith.
Foundations
Early 3-D Image Analysis Revealed Surprising Symmetry in the Nuclear Pore
Early 3-D Image Analysis Revealed Surprising Symmetry in the Nuclear Pore
In 1992, advancements in microscopy zoomed in on the precise architecture of the complex, including unforeseen structural repetition in two halves of the ring.