Caskey’s contributions to the field were instrumental to modern genetics.

From a Nobel prize and photosynthesis-powered brains to neurodegeneration research and controversy over a new Alzheimer’s drug, a look back at some of the biggest brain-related developments of the year.

David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research on the ion channels involved in perceiving heat, cold, pain, and touch.

Conducting research to elucidate nature’s mysteries is reward enough.

The chemist refined nuclear magnetic resonance technology, giving rise to the development of MRI.

Senators raise concerns about how Eric Lander of the Broad Institute has handled equality issues.

Neuroscientist Rita Levi-Montalcini began her Nobel Prize–winning work in a makeshift laboratory in Italy during the Second World War.

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna reprogrammed the bacterial immune response into one of the most popular tools for genetics and molecular biology.

Harvey Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles Rice share the Physiology or Medicine award for their contributions to identifying the virus and demonstrating that it was responsible for hepatitis among blood transfusion recipients.

The Vanderbilt University professor was awarded a Nobel Prize for his discovery of epidermal growth factor.

For the Physiology or Medicine award, Peter Ratcliffe, William Kaelin, and Gregg Semenza are credited with figuring out molecular and genetic responses to oxygen levels.

As we await the announcement of the 2019 Nobel Prize winners, it’s time to question why female scientists still lag behind their male colleagues.

One of the foremost molecular biologists of the 20th century, the Nobel laureate established C. elegans as a model organism, mapping its genes and development.

Biomedical awards from the past 50 years reveal a gender imbalance, but it appears to be improving.

From the effects of political upheaval on research to claims of gene-edited babies, the year has been a tumultuous one for the scientific community.

Watch as Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan, who wrote the December Reading Frames essay, discusses Brexit and the importance of sharing scientific insights with the public.

In Chapter 13, “The Final Assault,” author Venki Ramakrishnan relays the moment when he and collaborators finally solved the structure of a ribosomal subunit.

Meet some of the people featured in the December 2018 issue of The Scientist.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.