
March 2021
Viruses' Sex Bias
The immune systems of males and females respond differently to viral intruders
Features
The Literature

Neurons for Taste Loosely Distributed in Mouse Gustatory Cortex
Neurological representations of different tastes—like those of different smells but unlike those of sight, hearing, and touch—do not cluster in distinct spots within a murine brain region, a study shows.

Long-Lived Trees’ Epigenetic Mutations Serve as a Molecular Clock
Cells found in different branches of a tree have different patterns of DNA methylation, changes in which accumulate over time.

Macrophages of the Human Eye Come into Focus
Imaged in real time in living people, immune cells at the surface of the retina could serve as biomarkers to detect retinal and possibly neurological diseases and track their progression.
Critic at Large

Opinion: Toward Better Data Sharing
The network effect can improve the ways that biomedical researchers collaborate.
Notebook

Researchers Propose Automating the Naming of Novel Microbes
With modern technologies unearthing novel bacterial and archaeal species by the dozens, hundreds, or even thousands, manually naming them all is no longer practical, scientists say.

Deep-Sea Jelly Reignites Debate on Remote Species Identification
Researchers say they have discovered a novel species of comb jelly using video footage, but they couldn’t recover a physical specimen. Is that enough?
Scientist to Watch

Derek Applewhite’s Actin Research Inspires the Next Generation
The biologist’s undergraduate-centered lab allows students to play a meaningful role in research.
Infographics

Infographic: Envisioning Macrophages
Researchers find different distributions of the immune cells in young, older, and diseased eyes.

Infographic: How SARS-CoV-2 Immune Responses May Differ by Sex
Males and females show differences in gene expression, cell activation, and antibody production in response to some viral infections, but whether these influence COVID-19 outcomes is still unclear.

Infographic: VR, Radar, and Other Tricks for Studying Insects
Researchers are getting creative to understand flight behavior in the fast-moving and tiny animals.
Careers

Science with Borders: Researchers Navigate Red Tape
Scientists who work with foreign biological specimens face a patchwork of permits that threaten to block their projects, with potentially harmful consequences for the ecosystems they study.
Reading Frames

Lessons from Darwin’s “Mischievous” Birds
An unsung group of South American falcons yields clues to the prehistory of a continent, and hints at secrets of the avian brain.
Foundations

Identity Crisis, 1906
A famous account of multiple personality disorder in the early 20th century foreshadowed a century of controversial diagnoses and debate among psychiatrists.
Editorial

Democratized Discovery
In a triumph for science, COVID-19 statistics are finally trending favorably in the US. We must make sure the rest of the world is not left behind.
Speaking of Science

Ten Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.