Every kid knows that moms have “eyes in the back of their heads.” We are adept at fixing our gaze on one object while independently directing attention to others. Salk Institute neurobiologists are beginning to tease apart the complex brain networks that enable humans and other higher mammals to achieve this feat. read story
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are plain enough to look at, forming a nondescript clump within the hollow ball of an early embryo. But that generic character is key to their magical rejuvenating potential. Unlike all other cells, which are preordained toward a specialized form and function, ES cells have a clean slate. The developing embryo can mold them into any cell type it needs.
Using robots and other high-throughput technologies, the researchers screened more than 32,000 protein combinations, identifying 2,846 unique pairwise interactions in their study. Even so, says Fields, “We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s out there.” read in full issue (pdf)
Most traits that are inherited, including those that predispose individuals to certain diseases, are conferred not by single genes but by combinations of them. That’s both good news and bad news, says Charles Boone, an HHMI international research scholar at the University of Toronto.
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Max Delbrück, the physicist-turned-biologist who became a founding father of molecular biology, often told his students that “if you have to use statistics to interpret your experimental results, they can’t be true.” read in full issue (pdf)