Papers from the literature selected by the Nature Biotechnology editors. (Follow us on Twitter, @NatureBiotech #nbtHighlight)

Compact and highly active next-generation libraries for CRISPR-mediated gene repression and activation

Horlbeck, M.A. et al. eLife doi:10.7554/eLife.19760 (2016)

Modular assembly of superstructures from polyphenol-functionalized building blocks

Guo, J. et al. Nat. Nanotechnol. doi:10.1038/nnano.2016.172 (2016)

A selective insecticidal protein from Pseudomonas for controlling corn rootworms

Schellenberger, U. et al. Science doi:10.1126/science.aaf6056 (2016)

Molecular diversity of midbrain development in mouse, human, and stem cells

La Manno, G. et al. Cell 167, 566–580 (2016)

Engineering T cells with customized therapeutic response programs using synthetic notch receptors

Roybal, K.T. et al. Cell 167, 419–432 (2016)