Photo of a cat with its shadow blending with the shadows of slats.
| 9 min read
David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel discovered how the cerebral cortex processes visual information. Their research won them the Nobel Prize and revolutionized our understanding of the brain.

Foundations

Electron Micrograph of Wolbachia in testes of the wasp Nasonia vitripennis.

Wolbachia Turns 100: The Journey of a Triumphant Endosymbiont

3D illustration of RNA polymerase (blue, middle) transcribing a segment of DNA (purple) into an RNA chain (red, extending to top).

The lac Operon: A Lesson in Simple Gene Regulation

Illustration showing high-resolution ion channel recordings using the patch clamp technique

Patch Clamp: Unlocking the Secrets of Ion Channels in Electrophysiology

3D illustration of a cell with a teal nucleus.

In Search of FACS: The History of Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting

Microscopy image of green and red neurons in a blue section of cortex.

Engineered Rabies Virus Illuminates Neural Circuitry

Stem cells are compressed into a ball (green) by a C-shaped biobot (red).

From Code to Creature

Photo of John Calhoun crouches within his rodent utopia-turned-dystopia

Universe 25 Experiment

Image showing monoclonal antibody treatment

The Resilience of Monoclonal Antibodies and their Makers

One Protein to Rule Them All

Diagram of the Cre-loxP system showing DNA recombination sites and gene editing process in mouse models

The Cre-loxP System: A Powerful Tool in the Genetic Toolbox

Yellow smiley faces on a black background

Coming Into the Fold: DNA Origami

Green and red fluorescent proteins in a zebrafish outline the animal’s vasculature in red and lymphatic system in green in a fluorescent image. Where the two overlap along the bottom of the animal is yellow.

Serendipity, Happenstance, and Luck: The Making of a Molecular Tool

Illustration showing origami tardigrade, fungi and bacteria.

Magnifying Curiosity with a Pocket Microscope

The image shows six different panels containing cells. On each panel, the cells are labelled using a different fluorescent dye that highlights features of a specific organelle within the cells.

Cell Painting: Exploring the Richness of Biological Images

A man sitting at a desk in a white lab coat holds up a large model of a <em >Drosophila</em> fly. In the background is a window and a bookcase.

The Origins and Recent Promise of Nonsense Suppressor tRNAs

Henry Erlich&nbsp;

A Not-So-Simple Idea

Sir Richard Roberts won the 1993 Nobel Prize &ldquo;for their discoveries of split genes.&rdquo;&nbsp;

How Restriction Enzymes Changed Biology

Doug Hanahan worked at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1982.&nbsp;

Cellular Competence: Making Recombinant DNA Accessible

Image showing recombinant DNA

A Sticky Situation: Recombinant DNA Technology

X-ray crystallography of penicillin

Crystal-Clear Penicillin, 1945

Trending

Photo of a woman with straight dark hair looking fatigued lying in bed with a grey blanket covering her.

Immune Markers Help Identify Subgroups of ME/CFS Patients

Photo of John Calhoun crouches within his rodent utopia-turned-dystopia

Universe 25 Experiment

A watercolor illustration of the human brain.

New Neurons Continue to Form in Adult Human Brains

Image of salmon and tuna nigiri as well as California rolls arranged on a circular black plate.

Engineered Bacteria Detox Mercury from a Fish-Rich Diet

Multimedia

A large number of stylized antibodies

The Holy Grail Hunt in De Novo Antibody Design

Twist Bio&nbsp;
Conceptual 3D image of a multicolored membrane protein on a black background.

Making the Most of Membrane Protein Production

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July Digest 2025
July 2025, Issue 1

What Causes an Earworm?

Memory-enhancing neural networks may also drive involuntary musical loops in the brain.

View this Issue
Explore synthetic DNA’s many applications in cancer research

Weaving the Fabric of Cancer Research with Synthetic DNA

Twist Bio&nbsp;
Illustrated plasmids in bright fluorescent colors

Enhancing Elution of Plasmid DNA

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An illustration of green lentiviral particles.

Maximizing Lentivirus Recovery

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Explore new strategies for improving plasmid DNA manufacturing workflows.

Overcoming Obstacles in Plasmid DNA Manufacturing

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Products

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Introducing the iQue 5 HTS Platform: Empowering Scientists  with Unbeatable Speed and Flexibility for High Throughput Screening by Cytometry

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Vanderbilt Selects Parse Biosciences GigaLab to Generate Atlas of Early Neutralizing Antibodies to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella

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Shift Bioscience proposes improved ranking system for virtual cell models to accelerate gene target discovery

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BRANDTECH Scientific Launches New Website for VACUU·LAN® Lab Vacuum Systems