Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Nature contents: 08 November 2012

 
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  Volume 491 Number 7423   
 

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This week's highlights

 
 

Physical Sciences

More Physical sciences
 
An Earth-mass planet orbiting α Centauri B
 

An exoplanet with an Earth-like mass has been discovered orbiting the near-by star Alpha Centauri B. The planet is not in the habitable zone, as it is much nearer to its star than we are to the Sun and much hotter. Statistical studies suggest that low-mass planets form preferentially in multi-planetary systems, so it is possible that other planets are orbiting Alpha Centauri B.

 
 
 

Biological Sciences

More Biological sciences
 
Filamentous bacteria transport electrons over centimetre distances
 

Oxygen is available only in the top layer of marine sediments, and microorganisms living below have to rely on energetically less favourable anaerobic processes. Multicelluar filamentous Desulfobulbaceae bacteria have developed a remarkable way of coping with this problem - they act as living electric cables, able to transport electrons from sulphides generated in organic matter in deeper anoxic sediments to the oxygen available in the surface layers. These living micro-cables raise a host of possibilities for future research, and could also find technological applications.

 
 
 

Physical Sciences

More Physical sciences
 
Non-invasive imaging through opaque scattering layers
 

Imaging through opaque, light-scattering layers is an important capability in many fields including nanotechnology and the biosciences. Jacopo Bertolotti et al. demonstrate a non-invasive imaging procedure that exploits the correlations in the speckled intensity pattern produced when laser light passes through a scattering medium. They use the system to construct detailed images of cell-sized fluorescent objects hidden six millimetres behind scattering layers, and a complex biological sample sandwiched between two opaque screens.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

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Podcast & Video

 
 

In this week's podcast: tech-savvy early humans, swallowing worms to treat bowel disorders, and designing the perfect protein. Plus, the fate of glacial melt water in Peru.

 
 
 
 
News & Comment Read daily news coverage top
 
 
 
 
 
 

THIS WEEK

 
 
 
 
 

Editorials

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Ignition switch ▶

 
 

The US National Ignition Facility has so far failed to generate fusion energy, but repurposing it as a tool to study nuclear weapons and basic science could be its saving grace.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Science aid ▶

 
 

Donors and African governments must invest in advanced science and maths education.

 
 
 
 
 
 

John Maddox prize ▶

 
 

Two strong-minded individuals are the first winners of an award for standing up for science.

 
 
 
 
 
 

World View

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

China's new leaders must keep science in focus ▶

 
 

By bringing in people with more varied backgrounds, China's leadership change could benefit science, argues Peng Gong.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Seven Days

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Seven days: 2–8 November 2012 ▶

 
 

The week in science: Mekong dam approved, China picks target for Moon mission and Europe approves its first gene therapy.

 
 
 
 
 

NEWS IN FOCUS

 
 
 
 
 

Hurricane sweeps US into climate-adaptation debate ▶

 
 

Manhattan flooding bolsters argument for a massive engineering project to protect New York.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Researchers battle storm's wrath ▶

 
 

New York University lost crucial mouse colonies, but students and staff helped to save equipment and patients.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Laser lab shifts focus to warheads ▶

 
 

US ignition facility will devote less time to energy research.

 
 
 
 
 
 

One-stop shop for disease genes ▶

 
 

NIH database integrates data from clinical genetic testing labs and literature.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Space telescope to get software fix ▶

 
 

Upgrade could help γ-ray observatory to detect dark matter.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Irish science adviser office axed ▶

 
 

Researchers worried that they have lost a voice for investment in science.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Hopes linger for Mars methane ▶

 
 

But negative signal from the Curiosity rover raises questions about planned European mission.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Features

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Education: Africa's counting house ▶

 
 

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences was set up to breed a new generation of numerical talent. Now it is spreading across the continent.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Melting in the Andes: Goodbye glaciers ▶

 
 

Researchers are racing to determine how shrinking glaciers in the Andes will affect the water supply of millions of people.

 
 
 
 
 

COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Autoimmunity: The worm returns ▶

 
 

Joel V. Weinstock explains why several clinical trials are deliberately infecting people with helminths to treat autoimmune diseases.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Centenary: The birth of X-ray crystallography ▶

 
 

A century ago this week, physicist Lawrence Bragg announced an equation that revolutionized fields from mineralogy to biology, writes John Meurig Thomas.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Books and Arts

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Conservation: Backyard jungles ▶

 
 

Stuart Pimm explores today's collision between bears, beavers and US suburbanites.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Books in brief ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 

Particle physics: Going massive ▶

 
 

Jonathan Butterworth enjoys the latest chronicle of the hunt for the 'most wanted' particle.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Biophysics: DNA dynamos ▶

 
 

A look at how life's mechanics are deciphered at the molecular level fascinates Mark Haw.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Correspondence

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

L'Aquila: governance flaws exposed Erik Aarden | L'Aquila: science is not a crystal ball Peter L. F. Fast | Reporting standards: Rigid guidelines may restrict research Richard Morris | Higher education: Call for a European integrity standard Alina Mungiu-Pippidi & Ligia Deca | Publishing: Europe on the rise in Science and Nature Julio González-Alvarez

 
 
 
 
 

Obituary

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Keith H. Campbell (1954–2012) ▶

 
 

Creator of Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult body cell.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Correction

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Correction ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

Nature Arabic Edition
Nature Arabic Edition allows Arabic speakers throughout the world to access top quality science news and comment from Nature,as well as summaries of all the research papers from the leading multidisciplinary journal.
Access Nature Arabic Edition online and apply for your free subscription.
In partnership with: KACST

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Biological Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Microbiology: A piece of the methane puzzle ▶

 
 

Samantha B. Joye

 
 
 
 
 
 

Palaeoanthropology: Sharpening the mind ▶

 
 

Sally McBrearty

 
 
 
 
 
 

Novel Foxo1-dependent transcriptional programs control Treg cell function ▶

 
 

Weiming Ouyang, Will Liao, Chong T. Luo, Na Yin, Morgan Huse et al.

 
 

The results of a series of genetic experiments indicate that Foxo1 has a pivotal, Foxp3-independent role controlling regulatory T-cell function.

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Mu transpososome structure sheds light on DDE recombinase evolution ▶

 
 

Sherwin P. Montaño, Ying Z. Pigli & Phoebe A. Rice

 
 

The structure of the bacteriophage transposase MuA bound to DNA sequences that mimic both the transposon ends and the target DNA ends is solved; the picture of this synaptic complex illustrates the intricacy of Mu transposition, and exposes the architectural diversity among DDE recombinases in complex with substrate DNAs.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Adenoma-linked barrier defects and microbial products drive IL-23/IL-17-mediated tumour growth ▶

 
 

Sergei I. Grivennikov, Kepeng Wang, Daniel Mucida, C. Andrew Stewart, Bernd Schnabl et al.

 
 

In a mouse model of colorectal cancer, barrier deterioration results in adenoma invasion by microbial products that trigger tumour-elicited inflammation, which in turn drives IL-23-dependent tumour growth.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Mitochondrial Atpif1 regulates haem synthesis in developing erythroblasts ▶

 
 

Dhvanit I. Shah, Naoko Takahashi-Makise, Jeffrey D. Cooney, Liangtao Li, Iman J. Schultz et al.

 
 

Atpif1, a mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor, was identified as a zebrafish anemic mutant, pinotage, providing an important link in our understanding of the relationship between mitochondrial homeostasis and haem synthesis and identifying a gene that may have a role in human iron, haem and mitochondrial diseases.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Identification of a rudimentary neural crest in a non-vertebrate chordate ▶

 
 

Philip Barron Abitua, Eileen Wagner, Ignacio A. Navarrete & Michael Levine

 
 

The sessile tunicate Ciona intestinalis possesses a lineage of cells, originating at the margin of the neural plate, that express several neural crest specification genes and can be reprogrammed into migrating ectomesenchyme by the targeted misexpression of Twist.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structure of a force-conveying cadherin bond essential for inner-ear mechanotransduction ▶

 
 

Marcos Sotomayor, Wilhelm A. Weihofen, Rachelle Gaudet & David P. Corey

 
 

A combination of structural, computational and biophysical tools is used to characterize the bond between tip-link proteins protocadherin 15 and cadherin 23, which have an essential role in inner-ear mechanotransduction; the bond, involving an extended protein handshake, is found to be affected by deafness mutations and is mechanically strong enough to resist forces in hair cells, adding to our understanding of hair-cell sensory transduction and interactions among cadherins.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Zero-valent sulphur is a key intermediate in marine methane oxidation ▶

 
 

Jana Milucka, Timothy G. Ferdelman, Lubos Polerecky, Daniela Franzke et al.

 
 

Methane oxidation under anaerobic conditions coupled to sulphate reduction is thought to be carried out by a consortium of methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulphate-reducing Deltaproteobacteria; here it is shown that ANME alone can mediate the reaction and that the associated bacteria perform disulphide disproportionation, a new microbial sulphur transformation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

An early and enduring advanced technology originating 71,000 years ago in South Africa ▶

 
 

Kyle S. Brown, Curtis W. Marean, Zenobia Jacobs, Benjamin J. Schoville, Simen Oestmo et al.

 
 

This study shows that a highly advanced stone tool technology (microlithic) appears earlier than originally thought; this microlithic technology persisted over a vast time span (~11,000 years), and was part of an even longer-lived (>100,000 years) advanced technology of complex heat treatment.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Input-specific control of reward and aversion in the ventral tegmental area ▶

 
 

Stephan Lammel, Byung Kook Lim, Chen Ran, Kee Wui Huang, Michael J. Betley et al.

 
 

Through the use of a combination of state-of-the-art techniques, different populations of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons in the mouse are shown to form separate circuits with distinct connectivity: neurons receiving input from the laterodorsal tegmentum and lateral habenula are found to mediate reward and aversion, respectively.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Filamentous bacteria transport electrons over centimetre distances ▶

 
 

Christian Pfeffer, Steffen Larsen, Jie Song, Mingdong Dong, Flemming Besenbacher et al.

 
 

Oxygen reduction occurring in the surface layer of marine sediments can be coupled to sulphide oxidation in deeper anoxic layers; it is now shown that the electron transfer is mediated by filamentous bacteria acting like living electrical cables.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Principles for designing ideal protein structures ▶

 
 

Nobuyasu Koga, Rie Tatsumi-Koga, Gaohua Liu, Rong Xiao, Thomas B. Acton et al.

 
 

Rules that allow the design of strongly funnelled protein folding energy landscapes by relating secondary structure patterns to protein tertiary motifs are used to produce ideal protein structures stabilized by completely consistent local and non-local interactions.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Integration of chemical catalysis with extractive fermentation to produce fuels ▶

 
 

Pazhamalai Anbarasan, Zachary C. Baer, Sanil Sreekumar, Elad Gross, Joseph B. Binder et al.

 
 

The integration of biological and chemocatalytic routes can be used to convert acetone–butanol–ethanol fermentation products efficiently into ketones by palladium-catalysed alkylation, leading to a renewable method for the alternative production of petrol, jet and diesel blend stocks in high yield.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Genetic programs constructed from layered logic gates in single cells ▶

 
 

Tae Seok Moon, Chunbo Lou, Alvin Tamsir, Brynne C. Stanton & Christopher A. Voigt

 
 

The creation of orthogonal ‘AND’ logic gates by combining DNA-binding proteins into complex, layered circuits opens the way to the design of programmable integrated circuits in synthetic biology.

 
 
 
 
 
 

IL-22BP is regulated by the inflammasome and modulates tumorigenesis in the intestine ▶

 
 

Samuel Huber, Nicola Gagliani, Lauren A. Zenewicz, Francis J. Huber, Lidia Bosurgi et al.

 
 

IL-22 is one of the factors that, although important for wound healing, also promote tumorigenesis; the regulation of IL-22BP, the IL-22 binding protein, via the NLRP3 and NLRP6 inflammasomes provides an unanticipated mechanism, controlling IL-22 and thereby the development of colon cancer.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Regulatory B cells control T-cell autoimmunity through IL-21-dependent cognate interactions ▶

 
 

Ayumi Yoshizaki, Tomomitsu Miyagaki, David J. DiLillo, Takashi Matsushita, Mayuka Horikawa et al.

 
 

IL-21- and CD40-dependent cognate interactions with T cells are identified as key drivers for the generation of IL-10-producing regulatory B cells, which can protect against autoimmune disease.

 
 
 
 
 
 

CaMKII determines mitochondrial stress responses in heart ▶

 
 

Mei-ling A. Joiner, Olha M. Koval, Jingdong Li, B. Julie He, Chantal Allamargot et al.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Direct imaging of RecA nucleation and growth on single molecules of SSB-coated ssDNA ▶

 
 

Jason C. Bell, Jody L. Plank, Christopher C. Dombrowski & Stephen C. Kowalczykowski

 
 

Single-molecule analysis of RecA filament assembly on its in vivo substrate, SSB-coated single-stranded DNA, reveals that a dimer of RecA is required for nucleation, and is followed by bidirectional growth of the filament through monomer addition; the recombination mediator RecOR accelerates nucleation and growth, and the addition of RecF further stimulates nucleation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

The structural biochemistry of Zucchini implicates it as a nuclease in piRNA biogenesis ▶

 
 

Jonathan J. Ipsaro, Astrid D. Haase, Simon R. Knott, Leemor Joshua-Tor & Gregory J. Hannon

 
 

piRNAs act to protect the genome from the damaging effect of unrestrained expression of mobile elements; here it is suggested that the phosphodiesterase Zucchini may be the nuclease that generates the 5′ ends of primary piRNAs.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structure and function of Zucchini endoribonuclease in piRNA biogenesis ▶

 
 

Hiroshi Nishimasu, Hirotsugu Ishizu, Kuniaki Saito, Satoshi Fukuhara, Miharu K. Kamatani et al.

 
 

Zucchini has been identified as an endoribonuclease responsible for the maturation of small RNA molecules that protect the genome from the damaging effects of unrestrained expression of mobile elements.

 
 
 
 
 
 

News & Views

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Translational medicine: Mice and men show the way ▶

 
 

Evdokia Anagnostou

 
 
 
 
 
 

Biochemistry: A glimpse of molecular competition ▶

 
 

Susan T. Lovett

 
 
 
 
 
 

Microbiology: Bacterial power cords ▶

 
 

Gemma Reguera

 
 
 
 
 
 

50 & 100 Years Ago ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural biology: A toolbox for protein design ▶

 
 

Birte Höcker

 
 
 
 
 
 

Microbiology: A piece of the methane puzzle ▶

 
 

Samantha B. Joye

 
 
 
 
 
 

Palaeoanthropology: Sharpening the mind ▶

 
 

Sally McBrearty

 
 
 
 
 
 

Corrigenda

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Corrigendum: Comprehensive genomic characterization of squamous cell lung cancers ▶

 
 

The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network

 
 
 
 
 
 

Corrigendum: Reconstructing Native American population history ▶

 
 

David Reich, Nick Patterson, Desmond Campbell, Arti Tandon, Stéphane Mazieres et al.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Research Highlights

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Archaeology: A new light on the past | Evolution: Thank Grandma for longevity | Bioelectronics: Power from the ear | Microbiology: Typhoid fever in a mouse | Palaeontology: First flying fish fossil found | Stem cells: Immune response spurs cell switch | Neuroscience: Two ways to forget

 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

One-stop shop for disease genes | Autoimmunity: The worm returns | Centenary: The birth of X-ray crystallography | Conservation: Backyard jungles | Books in brief | Biophysics: DNA dynamos | Reporting standards: Rigid guidelines may restrict research Richard Morris | Keith H. Campbell (1954–2012)

 
 
 
 
 

CAREERS

 
 
 
 
 

Biomedical research: Texas potential

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Biological Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements, 30 papers published simultaneously in Nature, Genome Research and Genome Biology.
Access videos, Features and the collected research papers, and explore the thematic threads that run through them via the Nature ENCODE explorer or the Nature ENCODE app.

Produced with support from Illumina

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chemical Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Microbiology: A piece of the methane puzzle ▶

 
 

Samantha B. Joye

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Mu transpososome structure sheds light on DDE recombinase evolution ▶

 
 

Sherwin P. Montaño, Ying Z. Pigli & Phoebe A. Rice

 
 

The structure of the bacteriophage transposase MuA bound to DNA sequences that mimic both the transposon ends and the target DNA ends is solved; the picture of this synaptic complex illustrates the intricacy of Mu transposition, and exposes the architectural diversity among DDE recombinases in complex with substrate DNAs.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Integration of chemical catalysis with extractive fermentation to produce fuels ▶

 
 

Pazhamalai Anbarasan, Zachary C. Baer, Sanil Sreekumar, Elad Gross, Joseph B. Binder et al.

 
 

The integration of biological and chemocatalytic routes can be used to convert acetone–butanol–ethanol fermentation products efficiently into ketones by palladium-catalysed alkylation, leading to a renewable method for the alternative production of petrol, jet and diesel blend stocks in high yield.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Direct imaging of RecA nucleation and growth on single molecules of SSB-coated ssDNA ▶

 
 

Jason C. Bell, Jody L. Plank, Christopher C. Dombrowski & Stephen C. Kowalczykowski

 
 

Single-molecule analysis of RecA filament assembly on its in vivo substrate, SSB-coated single-stranded DNA, reveals that a dimer of RecA is required for nucleation, and is followed by bidirectional growth of the filament through monomer addition; the recombination mediator RecOR accelerates nucleation and growth, and the addition of RecF further stimulates nucleation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

The structural biochemistry of Zucchini implicates it as a nuclease in piRNA biogenesis ▶

 
 

Jonathan J. Ipsaro, Astrid D. Haase, Simon R. Knott, Leemor Joshua-Tor & Gregory J. Hannon

 
 

piRNAs act to protect the genome from the damaging effect of unrestrained expression of mobile elements; here it is suggested that the phosphodiesterase Zucchini may be the nuclease that generates the 5′ ends of primary piRNAs.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structure and function of Zucchini endoribonuclease in piRNA biogenesis ▶

 
 

Hiroshi Nishimasu, Hirotsugu Ishizu, Kuniaki Saito, Satoshi Fukuhara, Miharu K. Kamatani et al.

 
 

Zucchini has been identified as an endoribonuclease responsible for the maturation of small RNA molecules that protect the genome from the damaging effects of unrestrained expression of mobile elements.

 
 
 
 
 
 

News & Views

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Biochemistry: A glimpse of molecular competition ▶

 
 

Susan T. Lovett

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural biology: A toolbox for protein design ▶

 
 

Birte Höcker

 
 
 
 
 
 

Microbiology: A piece of the methane puzzle ▶

 
 

Samantha B. Joye

 
 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Biophysics: DNA dynamos

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Chemical Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Physical Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Active matter: Spontaneous flows and self-propelled drops ▶

 
 

M. Cristina Marchetti

 
 
 
 
 
 

Spontaneous motion in hierarchically assembled active matter ▶

 
 

Tim Sanchez, Daniel T. N. Chen, Stephen J. DeCamp, Michael Heymann & Zvonimir Dogic

 
 

Active materials are hierarchically assembled, starting from extensile microtubule bundles, to form emulsions with unexpected collective biomimetic properties such as autonomous motility.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Revealing the quantum regime in tunnelling plasmonics ▶

 
 

Kevin J. Savage, Matthew M. Hawkeye, Rubén Esteban, Andrei G. Borisov et al.

 
 

Two gold nanostructures with controllable subnanometre separation are used to follow the evolution of plasmonic modes; the distance at which quantum tunnelling sets in is determined, and a quantum limit for plasmonic field confinement is estimated.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

An Earth-mass planet orbiting α Centauri B ▶

 
 

Xavier Dumusque, Francesco Pepe, Christophe Lovis, Damien Ségransan, Johannes Sahlmann et al.

 
 

The detection of an Earth-mass planet orbiting our neighbour star α Centauri B is reported; the planet has an orbital period of 3.236 days and is about 0.04 astronomical units from the star.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Superluminous supernovae at redshifts of 2.05 and 3.90 ▶

 
 

Jeff Cooke, Mark Sullivan, Avishay Gal-Yam, Elizabeth J. Barton, Raymond G. Carlberg et al.

 
 

The identification of two superluminous supernovae at redshifts of 2.05 and 3.90 extends the present technological redshift limit on supernova detection and presents the possibility of studying the deaths of the first stars to form after the Big Bang.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Non-invasive imaging through opaque scattering layers ▶

 
 

Jacopo Bertolotti, Elbert G. van Putten, Christian Blum, Ad Lagendijk, Willem L. Vos et al.

 
 

The image of a fluorescent object hidden behind an opaque layer can be retrieved non-invasively by exploiting the correlation properties of the speckle pattern produced by illuminating the object through the layer using laser light.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Integration of chemical catalysis with extractive fermentation to produce fuels ▶

 
 

Pazhamalai Anbarasan, Zachary C. Baer, Sanil Sreekumar, Elad Gross, Joseph B. Binder et al.

 
 

The integration of biological and chemocatalytic routes can be used to convert acetone–butanol–ethanol fermentation products efficiently into ketones by palladium-catalysed alkylation, leading to a renewable method for the alternative production of petrol, jet and diesel blend stocks in high yield.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Greenland ice-sheet contribution to sea-level rise buffered by meltwater storage in firn ▶

 
 

J. Harper, N. Humphrey, W. T. Pfeffer, J. Brown & X. Fettweis

 
 

Observations of firn structure and meltwater retention on the Greenland ice sheet's percolation zone, a region of the ice sheet that is perennially covered by snow and firn, quantify the capacity of the firn to store future surface meltwater and to delay expansion of the area contributing to sea-level rise.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Genetic programs constructed from layered logic gates in single cells ▶

 
 

Tae Seok Moon, Chunbo Lou, Alvin Tamsir, Brynne C. Stanton & Christopher A. Voigt

 
 

The creation of orthogonal ‘AND’ logic gates by combining DNA-binding proteins into complex, layered circuits opens the way to the design of programmable integrated circuits in synthetic biology.

 
 
 
 
 
 

News & Views

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Imaging: The fog clears ▶

 
 

Demetri Psaltis & Ioannis N. Papadopoulos

 
 
 
 
 
 

Astronomy: Meet our closest neighbour ▶

 
 

Artie P. Hatzes

 
 
 
 
 
 

Applied physics: Brighter images with no added noise ▶

 
 

Stéphane Clemmen & Alexander Gaeta

 
 
 
 
 
 

Astrophysics: Cosmic explosions in the young Universe ▶

 
 

Stephen J. Smartt

 
 
 
 
 
 

Active matter: Spontaneous flows and self-propelled drops ▶

 
 

M. Cristina Marchetti

 
 
 
 
 
 

Research Highlights

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Bioelectronics: Power from the ear

 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Ignition switch | Laser lab shifts focus to warheads | Space telescope to get software fix | Centenary: The birth of X-ray crystallography | Books in brief

 
 
 
 
 

CAREERS

 
 
 
 
 

Turning point: Olivier Guyon

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Physical Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Earth & Environmental Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Microbiology: A piece of the methane puzzle ▶

 
 

Samantha B. Joye

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

An Earth-mass planet orbiting α Centauri B ▶

 
 

Xavier Dumusque, Francesco Pepe, Christophe Lovis, Damien Ségransan, Johannes Sahlmann et al.

 
 

The detection of an Earth-mass planet orbiting our neighbour star α Centauri B is reported; the planet has an orbital period of 3.236 days and is about 0.04 astronomical units from the star.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Greenland ice-sheet contribution to sea-level rise buffered by meltwater storage in firn ▶

 
 

J. Harper, N. Humphrey, W. T. Pfeffer, J. Brown & X. Fettweis

 
 

Observations of firn structure and meltwater retention on the Greenland ice sheet's percolation zone, a region of the ice sheet that is perennially covered by snow and firn, quantify the capacity of the firn to store future surface meltwater and to delay expansion of the area contributing to sea-level rise.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Mechanisms for oscillatory true polar wander ▶

 
 

J. R. Creveling, J. X. Mitrovica, N.-H. Chan, K. Latychev & I. Matsuyama

 
 

Stabilization of the Earth’s rotation axis by a combination of long-term excess ellipticity and elastic stresses in the broken lithosphere provides an explanation for oscillatory true polar wander events spanning the past few billion years of Earth history.

 
 
 
 
 
 

News & Views

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Astronomy: Meet our closest neighbour ▶

 
 

Artie P. Hatzes

 
 
 
 
 
 

Microbiology: A piece of the methane puzzle ▶

 
 

Samantha B. Joye

 
 
 
 
 
 

Research Highlights

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Geoscience: The rapid melt of Greenland | Environmental science: Litter bugs leave Arctic legacy

 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Hurricane sweeps US into climate-adaptation debate | Researchers battle storm's wrath | Hopes linger for Mars methane | Melting in the Andes: Goodbye glaciers | Conservation: Backyard jungles | Books in brief | L'Aquila: governance flaws exposed Erik Aarden | L'Aquila: science is not a crystal ball Peter L. F. Fast

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Earth & Environmental Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Miami 2013 Winter Symposium: The Molecular Basis of Metabolism and Nutrition
February 10-13, 2013 - Miami, FL, USA

For more information and to register, visit:
www.nature.com/natureconferences/miami/mws2013

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Careers & Jobs top
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Biomedical research: Texas potential ▶

 
 

If it can weather some controversy, a US$3-billion cancer-research initiative stands to offer ample opportunities.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Turning point: Olivier Guyon ▶

 
 

Optical physicist plans to use 'genius grant' to promote search for exoplanets.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Federal talent drive ▶

 
 

Red tape hinders recruitment at US defence agency.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Entrepreneurial boost ▶

 
 

QB3 held up as example of how to capitalize on research.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Careers related news & comment

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Science aid | China's new leaders must keep science in focus | Researchers battle storm's wrath | Irish science adviser office axed | Education: Africa's counting house | Particle physics: Going massive | L'Aquila: governance flaws exposed Erik Aarden | L'Aquila: science is not a crystal ball Peter L. F. Fast | Reporting standards: Rigid guidelines may restrict research Richard Morris | Higher education: Call for a European integrity standard Alina Mungiu-Pippidi & Ligia Deca | Publishing: Europe on the rise in Science and Nature Julio González-Alvarez

 
 
 
 
 
 

naturejobs.com

naturejobs.com Science jobs of the week

 
 
 

Postdoctoral Fellowships

 
 

The Rockefeller University 

 
 
 
 
 

Assistant Professor / Associate Professor / Professor

 
 

Columbia University 

 
 
 
 
 

Postdoctoral position at the Pasteur Institute

 
 

The Pasteur Institute 

 
 
 
 
 

Ph.D. position

 
 

University of Leiden, NL 

 
 
 
 

No matter what your career stage, student, postdoc or senior scientist, you will find articles on naturejobs.com to help guide you in your science career. Keep up-to-date with the latest sector trends, vote in our reader poll and sign-up to receive the monthly Naturejobs newsletter.

 
 
 
 
  Nature events featured events  
 
 
 
 

natureevents.com - The premier science events website

natureevents featured events

 
 
 
 

Life Sciences Frontiers

 
 

22.11.12 Stockholm, Sweden

 
 
 
 

Nature events is the premier resource for scientists looking for the latest scientific conferences, courses, meetings and symposia. Featured across Nature Publishing Group journals and centrally at natureevents.com it is an essential reference guide to scientific events worldwide.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Futures

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

The candidate pool ▶

 
 

Brian Hurrel & Jeff Samson

 
 
 
 
     
 

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