A numerical perspective on Nature authors.

It is an exciting time to be a researcher in Portugal, says Luis Paulo Rebelo. Research funding has been rising for a decade, and there is freedom to explore new ideas and plenty of room to grow. At the Institute for Chemical and Biological Technology (ITQB), in the coastal city of Oieras, Rebelo's group investigates the molecular thermodynamics of liquids. This week, on page 831, they show that, contrary to general belief, liquid salts can be distilled without decomposition. The team sets its priorities according to each day's results. Novelty is its major driving force, guided by the excitement of new challenges and competition with larger, better-funded groups across Europe. Once a new field is ‘open’, Rebelo says, they set it aside for larger groups to explore, and start looking for new opportunities elsewhere.

51 modular research laboratories — in chemistry, biology, biological chemistry, plant sciences and technology — are run by the ITQB.

3 is the number of countries where the authors of Rebelo et al.'s paper live and work.

7,042 is the average number of weekly visitors, in 2006, to Nature online from Portugal.

15 submissions have been made to Nature from Portugal in the past year.