Five big mysteries about CRISPR’s origins

Where did it come from? How do organisms use it without self-destructing? And what else can it do?

Feature | 11 January 2017
Behind New Zealand’s wild plan to purge all pests
The country is gearing up to get rid of rats, possums, stoats and other invasive predators by 2050. Is it a pipe dream?
News | 12 January 2017
Prion-like protein spotted in bacteria for the first time
Until now, prions were only seen in the cells of eukaryotic organisms such as plants and animals.

Current Issue | 12 January 2017

Latest News

News | 13 January 2017
Surprising contenders emerge for Trump's NIH chief
Reproducibility guru, former defence-research official and controversial entrepreneur rumoured to be on list, along with current NIH leader and a congressman.
News | 13 January 2017
Gates Foundation research can’t be published in top journals
Publications such as Nature and Science have policies that clash with the global health charity's open-access mandate.
News | 12 January 2017
Sat-nav neurons tell bats where to go
Long-hypothesized brain cells give bats their distance and angle to a location.
News | 12 January 2017
Lasers activate killer instinct in mice
Stimulating certain areas of the animals’ brains can trigger predatory behaviours including biting and grabbing.
News | 11 January 2017
Deceptive curcumin offers cautionary tale for chemists
Spice extract dupes assays and leads some drug hunters astray.
News | 11 January 2017
Brexit offers rare chance to make Britain greener
Environmental scientists plan to push for policy changes but are nervous about losing current protections.

Biological sciences
Biological sciences encompasses all the divisions of natural sciences examining various aspects of vital processes. The concept includes anatomy, physiology, cell biology, biochemistry and biophysics, and covers all organisms from microorganisms, animals to plants.
Earth and environmental sciences
Earth and environmental sciences cover all aspects of Earth and planetary sciences, and broadly encompasses solid Earth processes, surface and atmospheric dynamics, Earth system history, climate and climate change, marine and freshwater systems, and ecology. It also considers the interactions between humans and these systems.
Health sciences
The health sciences study all aspects of health, disease and healthcare. This field of study aims to develop knowledge, interventions and technology for use in healthcare to improve the treatment of patients.
Physical sciences
Physical sciences are those academic disciplines that aim to uncover the underlying laws of nature - often written in the language of mathematics. It is a collective term for areas of study including astronomy, chemistry, materials science and physics.

Comments and Opinion | 11 January 2017
Turning point: Uncertain future
How Brexit could affect cancer research.
- Virginia Gewin
Nature Jobs 541, 249
Comments and Opinion | 11 January 2017
Health and safety: Danger zone
Fieldwork often involves significant threats to safety.
- Emily Sohn
Nature Jobs 541, 247–249
Comments and Opinion | 04 January 2017
By students, for students
Events at which PhD students share experiences can pay dividends.
- Theresa Mercer
Nature Jobs 541, 125–126