Scott Sternson has always wondered what drives behavior, especially those fundamental motivations required for survival. Hunger, for example, is so crucial that it must be evolutionarily “hard-wired” deep within the brain. After all, as Sternson observes, “if the animal doesn’t eat, it dies.” read story
Superbugs, the disease-causing bacteria that are resistant to even the most high-powered antibiotics, are becoming more commonplace. One dangerous strain called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), once restricted to hospital wards, is turning up in soccer fields and gym lockers. read in full issue (pdf)
Telomeres, the long chains of DNA letters capping the ends of chromosomes, seem like a Dr. Seuss creation. What they spell out, in the language of DNA, amounts to gibberish.
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HHMI investigator Richard Flavell and his team observed the first instance of genes from separate chromosomes coordinating their activities by touching each other.
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For a cell, destroying proteins is as essential as building them. The job of mincing proteins is performed by enzymatic machines called proteasomes. “Proteasomes affect almost all biological processes in the cell,” Verma says. By their deliberate destruction of regulatory proteins, they orchestrate activities from cell division to cell death. read in full issue (pdf)
At a recent seminar, HHMI investigator Larry Goldstein flashed a slide of Godzilla, the monster of Japanese sci-fi, towering over a cityscape, devouring a string of railroad cars. The next slide showed Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan the Barbarian, bedecked in fur loincloth and sword, muscles bulging. read in full issue (pdf)
Sidebar: Conducting the Choir