nature

THIS WEEK

Editorials

The wrong message on vaccines ▶

Unfounded fears about vaccines are already reaching worrisome proportions. No public figure should stoke them — as US presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann has done.

Beyond the bomb ▶

Twenty years after the end of the cold war scientists and the military still need each other.

World View

China's new forests aren't as green as they seem ▶

Impressive reports of increased forest cover mask a focus on non-native tree crops that could damage the ecosystem, says Jianchu Xu.

Seven Days

Seven days: 16-22 September 2011 ▶

The week in science: Hope for James Webb Space telescope; Israel joins CERN; and fraudulent physicist Jan-Hendrik Schön loses his PhD.

NEWS IN FOCUS

Texas prepares to fight for stem cells ▶

Enthusiasm for unapproved treatments worries regulators.

Fermilab faces life after the Tevatron ▶

As collider shuts down, US particle physicists shift focus.

Hints of exo-Earths spark desire for a closer look ▶

Of the latest clutch reported, one is among the most Earth-like yet, another orbits two suns.

Pentagon rethinks bioterror effort ▶

Critics say US$1.5-billion initiative has not delivered results.

Austria reinstates disgraced doctor ▶

Physician at heart of retracted clinical trial can return to work.

Features

Power of the Pentagon: The changing face of military science ▶

Basic research funded by the Pentagon is facing an uncertain future.

Military surveillance data: Shared intelligence ▶

The military has a vast array of scientifically valuable data — some more accessible than you think.

Bombs' hidden impact: The brain war ▶

Wartime explosions may be creating an epidemic of brain damage — and a major challenge for scientists.

COMMENT

Medicine in war and peace: Joining forces ▶

Civilians and the military must cooperate on global disease control, say David Blazes and Kevin Russell.

JASON past, present, and future: The world's most independent defence science advisers ▶

Ann Finkbeiner explains JASON, the autonomous group of academics that has been reporting to the US government on military matters for more than 50 years.

Military robotics and ethics: A world of killer apps ▶

Leaders are ill-prepared for the ethical complications of new 'killer applications', says P. W. Singer.

Books and Arts

Energy: Burning desires ▶

An obsession with oil distorts an account of the security of energy supplies, argues Vaclav Smil.

In retrospect: Normal Accidents ▶

As Japan strives to overcome the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Nick Pidgeon reflects on Charles Perrow's classic book about why complex technologies fail.

Books in brief ▶

Q&A: The virtual trainer ▶

Robert Stone, director of the Human Interface Technologies Team at the University of Birmingham, UK, develops 'serious games' for training soldiers and sailors. He explains how immersion in virtual worlds can prepare military personnel for their experiences on the battlefield — and help them to heal after they return.

Correspondence

Military institute: US pathology centre units will live on Thomas P. Baker, John M. Mateczun & Charles L. Rice | Impact factors: China's academic autocracy must go Nai-Zhuo Zhao | Review boards: vital to protect subjects Cami Gearhart | Misconduct: Make integrity key to recruitment Alfred P. Zarb

Correction

Correction

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Deep sequencing reveals 50 novel genes for recessive cognitive disorders ▶

Hossein Najmabadi, Hao Hu, Masoud Garshasbi, Tomasz Zemojtel, Seyedeh Sedigheh Abedini et al.

Common diseases are often complex because they are genetically heterogeneous, wi...

Peripheral education of the immune system by colonic commensal microbiota ▶

Stephanie K. Lathrop, Seth M. Bloom, Sindhuja M. Rao, Katherine Nutsch, Chan-Wang Lio et al.

The instruction of the immune system to be tolerant of self, thereby preventing ...

Molecular organization of vomeronasal chemoreception ▶

Yoh Isogai, Sheng Si, Lorena Pont-Lezica, Taralyn Tan, Vikrant Kapoor et al.

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) has a key role in mediating the social and defensive...

A natural polymorphism alters odour and DEET sensitivity in an insect odorant receptor ▶

Maurizio Pellegrino, Nicole Steinbach, Marcus C. Stensmyr, Bill S. Hansson & Leslie B. Vosshall

Blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes are efficient vectors of human infectio...

Spontaneous epigenetic variation in the Arabidopsis thaliana methylome ▶

Claude Becker, Jörg Hagmann, Jonas Müller, Daniel Koenig, Oliver Stegle et al.

Heritable epigenetic polymorphisms, such as differential cytosine methylation, c...

Crystal structure of nucleotide-free dynamin ▶

Katja Faelber, York Posor, Song Gao, Martin Held, Yvette Roske et al.

Dynamin is a mechanochemical GTPase that oligomerizes around the neck of clathri...

The crystal structure of dynamin ▶

Marijn G. J. Ford, Simon Jenni & Jodi Nunnari

Dynamin-related proteins (DRPs) are multi-domain GTPases that function via oligo...

A reserve stem cell population in small intestine renders Lgr5-positive cells dispensable ▶

Hua Tian, Brian Biehs, Søren Warming, Kevin G. Leong, Linda Rangell et al.

The small intestine epithelium renews every 2 to 5 days, making it one of the mo...

ATP-induced helicase slippage reveals highly coordinated subunits ▶

Bo Sun, Daniel S. Johnson, Gayatri Patel, Benjamin Y. Smith, Manjula Pandey et al.

Helicases are vital enzymes that carry out strand separation of duplex nucleic a...

Mechanical strain in actin networks regulates FilGAP and integrin binding to filamin A ▶

A. J. Ehrlicher, F. Nakamura, J. H. Hartwig, D. A. Weitz & T. P. Stossel

Mechanical stresses elicit cellular reactions mediated by chemical signals. Defe...

Broad neutralization coverage of HIV by multiple highly potent antibodies ▶

Laura M. Walker, Michael Huber, Katie J. Doores, Emilia Falkowska, Robert Pejchal et al.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies against highly variable viral pathogens are much...

Articles and Letters

Multiple reference genomes and transcriptomes for Arabidopsis thaliana ▶

Xiangchao Gan, Oliver Stegle, Jonas Behr, Joshua G. Steffen, Philipp Drewe et al.

Genetic differences between Arabidopsis thaliana accessions underlie the plant|[...

CTCF-binding elements mediate control of V(D)J recombination ▶

Chunguang Guo, Hye Suk Yoon, Andrew Franklin, Suvi Jain, Anja Ebert et al.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) variable region exons are assembled from VH, D ...

Phylogenomics reveals deep molluscan relationships ▶

Kevin M. Kocot, Johanna T. Cannon, Christiane Todt, Mathew R. Citarella, Andrea B. Kohn et al.

Evolutionary relationships among the eight major lineages of Mollusca have remai...

Antibiotic resistance is ancient ▶

Vanessa M. D’Costa, Christine E. King, Lindsay Kalan, Mariya Morar, Wilson W. L. Sung et al.

The discovery of antibiotics more than 70 years ago initiated a period ...

Evidence for several waves of global transmission in the seventh cholera pandemic ▶

Ankur Mutreja, Dong Wook Kim, Nicholas R. Thomson, Thomas R. Connor, Je Hee Lee et al.

Vibrio cholerae is a globally important pathogen that is endemic in many areas o...

Synthetic chromosome arms function in yeast and generate phenotypic diversity by design ▶

Jessica S. Dymond, Sarah M. Richardson, Candice E. Coombes, Timothy Babatz, Héloïse Muller et al.

Recent advances in DNA synthesis technology have enabled the construction of nov...

Antidiabetic actions of a non-agonist PPARγ ligand blocking Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation ▶

Jang Hyun Choi, Alexander S. Banks, Theodore M. Kamenecka, Scott A. Busby, Michael J. Chalmers et al.

PPARγ is the functioning receptor for the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of...

Absence of effects of Sir2 overexpression on lifespan in C. elegans and Drosophila ▶

Camilla Burnett, Sara Valentini, Filipe Cabreiro, Martin Goss, Milán Somogyvári et al.

Overexpression of sirtuins (NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases) has been report...

Structures of the RNA-guided surveillance complex from a bacterial immune system ▶

Blake Wiedenheft, Gabriel C. Lander, Kaihong Zhou, Matthijs M. Jore, Stan J. J. Brouns et al.

Bacteria and archaea acquire resistance to viruses and plasmids by integrating s...

Polyamine sensing by nascent ornithine decarboxylase antizyme stimulates decoding of its mRNA ▶

Leo Kurian, R. Palanimurugan, Daniela Gödderz & R. Jürgen Dohmen

Polyamines are essential organic polycations with multiple cellular functions re...

Structural basis of PIP₂ activation of the classical inward rectifier K+ channel Kir2.2 ▶

Scott B. Hansen, Xiao Tao & Roderick MacKinnon

The regulation of ion channel activity by specific lipid molecules is widely rec...

News & Views

Ageing: Longevity hits a roadblock ▶

David B. Lombard, Scott D. Pletcher, Carles Cantó & Johan Auwerx

Synthetic biology: A yeast for all reasons ▶

Peter J. Enyeart & Andrew D. Ellington

Genomics: Endless variation most beautiful ▶

Michael Bevan

Vaccinology: Precisely tuned antibodies nab HIV ▶

Paul R. Clapham & Shan Lu

Brief Communications Arising

Regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan by sir-2.1 transgenes ▶

Mohan Viswanathan & Leonard Guarente

Corrigendum

Detection of prokaryotic mRNA signifies microbial viability and promotes immunity ▶

Leif E. Sander, Michael J. Davis, Mark V. Boekschoten, Derk Amsen, Christopher C. Dascher et al.

Research Highlights

Zoology: Frogs fog up to absorb water | Biophysics: DNA is as elastic as nylon | Cancer: Tumours light up in surgery | Neuroimmunology: T cell makes nerve molecule | Cell therapy: Heart attack hits bone marrow | Immunology: Calming the cytokine storm | Structural biology: Online gamers solve structure

NEWS & COMMENT

The wrong message on vaccines | Medicine in war and peace: Joining forces | Books in brief | Q&A: The virtual trainer | Review boards: vital to protect subjects Cami Gearhart

More Biological Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Crystal structure of nucleotide-free dynamin ▶

Katja Faelber, York Posor, Song Gao, Martin Held, Yvette Roske et al.

Dynamin is a mechanochemical GTPase that oligomerizes around the neck of clathri...

The crystal structure of dynamin ▶

Marijn G. J. Ford, Simon Jenni & Jodi Nunnari

Dynamin-related proteins (DRPs) are multi-domain GTPases that function via oligo...

ATP-induced helicase slippage reveals highly coordinated subunits ▶

Bo Sun, Daniel S. Johnson, Gayatri Patel, Benjamin Y. Smith, Manjula Pandey et al.

Helicases are vital enzymes that carry out strand separation of duplex nucleic a...

Articles and Letters

Antidiabetic actions of a non-agonist PPARγ ligand blocking Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation ▶

Jang Hyun Choi, Alexander S. Banks, Theodore M. Kamenecka, Scott A. Busby, Michael J. Chalmers et al.

PPARγ is the functioning receptor for the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of...

Structures of the RNA-guided surveillance complex from a bacterial immune system ▶

Blake Wiedenheft, Gabriel C. Lander, Kaihong Zhou, Matthijs M. Jore, Stan J. J. Brouns et al.

Bacteria and archaea acquire resistance to viruses and plasmids by integrating s...

Research Highlights

Structural biology: Online gamers solve structure

More Chemical Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Latest Online

High-fidelity projective read-out of a solid-state spin quantum register ▶

Lucio Robledo, Lilian Childress, Hannes Bernien, Bas Hensen, Paul F. A. Alkemade et al.

Initialization and read-out of coupled quantum systems are essential ingredients...

Articles and Letters

A close nuclear black-hole pair in the spiral galaxy NGC 3393 ▶

G. Fabbiano, Junfeng Wang, M. Elvis & G. Risaliti

The current picture of galaxy evolution advocates co-evolution of galaxies and t...

Electrons surfing on a sound wave as a platform for quantum optics with flying electrons ▶

Sylvain Hermelin, Shintaro Takada, Michihisa Yamamoto, Seigo Tarucha, Andreas D. Wieck et al.

Electrons in a metal are indistinguishable particles that interact strongly with...

On-demand single-electron transfer between distant quantum dots ▶

R. P. G. McNeil, M. Kataoka, C. J. B. Ford, C. H. W. Barnes, D. Anderson et al.

Single-electron circuits of the future, consisting of a network of quantum dots,...

Bioinspired self-repairing slippery surfaces with pressure-stable omniphobicity ▶

Tak-Sing Wong, Sung Hoon Kang, Sindy K. Y. Tang, Elizabeth J. Smythe, Benjamin D. Hatton et al.

Creating a robust synthetic surface that repels various liquids would have broad...

News & Views

Materials science: Slippery when wetted ▶

Michael Nosonovsky

Quantum physics: Single electrons take the bus ▶

Takis Kontos

Research Highlights

Astronomy: A planet with two suns | Palaeoclimatology: El Niño in a warming world | Nanotechnology: Graphene lets LEDs stretch

NEWS & COMMENT

Military robotics and ethics: A world of killer apps | Books in brief | Q&A: The virtual trainer

More Physical Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Articles and Letters

Widespread iron-rich conditions in the mid-Proterozoic ocean ▶

Noah J. Planavsky, Peter McGoldrick, Clinton T. Scott, Chao Li, Christopher T. Reinhard et al.

The chemical composition of the ocean changed markedly with the oxidation of the...

Antibiotic resistance is ancient ▶

Vanessa M. D’Costa, Christine E. King, Lindsay Kalan, Mariya Morar, Wilson W. L. Sung et al.

The discovery of antibiotics more than 70 years ago initiated a period ...

Research Highlights

Palaeoclimatology: El Niño in a warming world

NEWS & COMMENT

Energy: Burning desires

More Earth & Environmental Sciences ▶

Education: Time to teach ▶

Young scientists want to concentrate on their research, but teaching can bring rewards.

Single patent system ▶

Universal system would help ease researcher mobility, says white paper.

Career options clarified ▶

Commission aims to highlight career options for postgraduate science students.

Home enrolment lagging ▶

Low growth in enrolment among UK natives could put English university science courses at risk, says report.

Careers related news & comment

Books in brief | Military institute: US pathology centre units will live on Thomas P. Baker, John M. Mateczun & Charles L. Rice | Impact factors: China's academic autocracy must go Nai-Zhuo Zhao | Review boards: vital to protect subjects Cami Gearhart | Misconduct: Make integrity key to recruitment Alfred P. Zarb

Senior Research Officer

University of Essex Colchester, GB

Research Nurse – Cardiovascular Prevention Research

NUI Galway Ireland Galway, IE

Research Assistant Professor

University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, US

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, US

First Annual Rare Diseases and Orphan Products Summit

11.-13.10.11 DC, US