Contents
Vol 331, Issue 6017
Contents
This Week in Science
Editorial
Editors' Choice
Departments
Podcasts
- Science Podcast
The show includes the human genome sequence 10 years on, evolving a protein container, the ecoresponsive water flea genome, and more.
Products & Materials
- New Products
A weekly roundup of information on newly offered instrumentation, apparatus, and laboratory materials of potential interest to researchers.
News of the Week
- Around the World
In science news around the world this week, Egypt's political upheavals are threatening its famed antiquities, Intel is investing $100 million in computing and communications research, DOE is requesting big increases in two signature energy-research initiatives, 6000 transgenic dengue-fighting mosquitoes were released in Malaysia, preventive treatment was shown to reduce severe malaria in children up to age 5, CERN will wait another year before it shuts down the Large Hadron Collider for repairs, and 3000-year-old artifacts that were destroyed in a World War II bombing raid have been pieced back together and went on display in Berlin.
- Random Sample
"Bad Project," a lab-based parody of Lady Gaga's hit single "Bad Romance," has been viewed on YouTube more than 1.5 million times since it was posted on 20 January. Two hundred Cornell undergraduates swabbed their cheeks and submitted DNA samples to the Genographic Project, which tracks the history of human migration through DNA studies. And this week's numbers include funding to vaccinate children, carbon dioxide emissions, and university endowments.
Findings
News & Analysis
- Can Obama Strike a Deal With House Republicans?
Science talked with three Republican House members with seats on committees that oversee science about possible areas of agreement with the White House. Their answers suggest there may be some room for compromise on how best to foster innovation.
- With Reforms Under Way, International Centers Ask: Where Is the Money?
Scientists and administrators involved in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research say reforms aimed at reinvigorating research efforts and boosting financial support are bearing fruit, but they are also wondering what has happened to the promised money.
- USDA Decides Against New Regulation of GM Crops
After nearly 4 years of a court-imposed ban, U.S. farmers will once again be able to plant genetically modified alfalfa. The high-stakes decision was announced last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Obama Shifts Focus From Emissions to 'Clean' Energy
Letting market forces help the United States reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by choosing "cleaner" sources of electricity has been a popular notion among some Republicans. Now the idea has a new advocate: President Barack Obama.
- NIH Report Urges Greater Emphasis on Training for All Graduate Students
A new report by the flagship training institute at the U.S. National Institutes of Health attempts to redefine the goals of graduate and postdoctoral training and prods biomedical scientists to become better mentors.
News Focus
- Waiting for the Revolution
Having the complete human DNA sequence hasn't yet produced big advances in primary medicine, prompting some to ask what's delaying the genomic revolution in health care.
- Human Genetics in the Clinic, One Click Away
At Intermountain Healthcare network in Salt Lake City, geneticists are using digital tools to slip up-to-date education into the daily run of medicine in ways that doctors may find helpful.
- The Human Genome (Patent) Project
A decade of research has scientists asking if patent priorities are misaligned.
Letters
Books et al.
- Bringing Galileo to Life
Heilbron's rich biography portrays Galileo's work in the context of the social and cultural world of early modern Italy.
- Linked by Migrating Waterfowl
Focusing on the western United States, Wilson describes efforts over the past century to meet the needs of migrant ducks and geese in landscapes transformed by human demands for agriculture and water.
- Books Received
A listing of books received at Science during the week ended 28 January 2011.
Essays on Science and Society
- A Celebration of the Genome, Part I
The tenth anniversary of the first publications of the human genome sequence provides an opportunity for a set of diverse thinkers to reflect on what the achievement has meant for themselves and their communities, as well as future directions.
- Faces of the Genome
Real faces are now appearing that demonstrate the medical value of comprehensive genome sequencing.
- The Human Genome at 10: Successes and Challenges
We have come a long way in genomics; however, for genome sequencing to reach its full potential we still have a long way to go.
- The Golden Age of Human Population Genetics
Population genetics allows us to reconstruct human genealogical and mutational history.
- Genomics and Clinical Relevance
Personalized genomics requires clinical resources, detailed clinical histories, and deep phenotyping.
- What Defines Us?
The Human Genome Project undermines cherished ideas about human uniqueness. But it also hints at a new vision of humanity.
- Painting the Genome for the Public
Through art, the genome sequence helps us better understand how interconnected we are to one another and the natural world.
- Bringing Genomics and Genetics Back Together
New methods in genomics and genetics will add to our understanding of biology.
Policy Forum
- Better Science Needed for Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico
In the wake of the BP oil spill, U.S. agencies need research plans to collect data that will aid in managing and assessing marine species and ecosystems.
Perspectives
- A Genome for the Environment
Gene duplication might explain the phenotypic adaptability of water fleas.
- Climate and Human Evolution
Climate change and its effects on African ecosystems may have played a key role in human evolution.
- Happy People Live Longer
The pursuit of happiness can have concrete benefits for well-being.
- A Translational Pause to Localize
Cells optimize the response to protein stress by controlling the localization and splicing of an mRNA that encodes a transcription factor.
- Exciton Quenching and Migration in Single Conjugated Polymers
Single-molecule spectroscopy helps reveal the electronic transport mechanisms in polymer chains.
Review
Brevia
- The 2010 Amazon Drought
Amazonia experienced lower rainfall and higher calculated carbon emissions from tree deaths than in the 2005 drought.
Research Article
- The Ecoresponsive Genome of Daphnia pulex
The Daphnia genome reveals a multitude of genes and shows adaptation through gene family expansions.
Reports
- KOI-126: A Triply Eclipsing Hierarchical Triple with Two Low-Mass Stars
The Kepler telescope detected a triple stellar system and reveals details of the structure of low-mass stars.
- Ultralong-Range Polaron-Induced Quenching of Excitons in Isolated Conjugated Polymers
Visualization of the fluorescence of a single–conducting-polymer chain provides insight into energy-relaxation mechanisms.
- Two-Dimensional Nanosheets Produced by Liquid Exfoliation of Layered Materials
Layered transition metal dichalcogenides, such as tungsten disulfide, are exfoliated into atomically thin flakes.
- Protein Native-State Stabilization by Placing Aromatic Side Chains in N-Glycosylated Reverse Turns
Protein reverse turns that interact with a phenlyalanine group allow stable introduction of glycan groups at asparagine residues.
- Seasonal Erosion and Restoration of Mars’ Northern Polar Dunes
High-resolution images of Mars show active sand transport on northern polar dunes.
- 2500 Years of European Climate Variability and Human Susceptibility
Variability of central European temperature and precipitation shows correlations with some major historical changes.
- Passive Origins of Stomatal Control in Vascular Plants
The transition from passive to active metabolic control of stomata and plant water balance occurred about 360 million years ago.
- Translational Pausing Ensures Membrane Targeting and Cytoplasmic Splicing of XBP1u mRNA
A peptide-mediated translational pause facilitates the unconventional splicing of a messenger RNA on the endoplasmic reticulum.
- Directed Evolution of a Protein Container
An engineered protein container protects its bacterial host by efficient and selective encapsulation of a toxic protease.
- Aberrant Overexpression of Satellite Repeats in Pancreatic and Other Epithelial Cancers
Noncoding RNAs transcribed from DNA repeats in heterochromatin are expressed at surprisingly high levels in tumors.
- A Cryptic Subgroup of Anopheles gambiae Is Highly Susceptible to Human Malaria Parasites
Collecting mosquito larvae from West African ponds has revealed a previously unknown but highly abundant genotype.
- Action-Potential Modulation During Axonal Conduction
The waveform of an action potential can be physiologically modified while it travels along the axon.
