Table of contents
Volume 456 Number 7218 pp1-140
(this content only available online) indicates content that is available online only
Editorials
My genome. So what? p1
Research is needed into the way individuals use their genomic information, and into protection from its abuse by others.
doi:10.1038/456001a
See also: Editor's summary
Animals aren't drugs p2
The US Food and Drug Administration is misguided in its approach to genetically modified animals.
doi:10.1038/456002a
Scientists and rights p2
Researchers should support new initiatives aimed at engaging them with human-rights groups.
doi:10.1038/456002b
Research Highlights
Human biology: Famine's shadow p4
doi:10.1038/456004a
Physics: Big little things p4
doi:10.1038/456004b
Parasitology: The bacterial racketeer p4
doi:10.1038/456004c
Zoology: Green growth p4
doi:10.1038/456004d
Nanotechnology: Future pixels p4
doi:10.1038/456004e
Molecular biology: Ubiquitous no more p4
doi:10.1038/456004f
Astronomy: Hidden gems p5
doi:10.1038/456005a
Neuroscience: Making memories p5
doi:10.1038/456005b
Geosciences: Join the club p5
doi:10.1038/456005c
Theoretical physics: Toppling tubes p5
doi:10.1038/456005d
Correction p5
doi:10.1038/456005e
News
Industry shifts focus to immunology and cancer p6
Cardiology and anaemia lose out in the hunt for the next pharmaceutical blockbusters.
Heidi Ledford
doi:10.1038/456006a
Bush may introduce environmental regulations p6
Policy watchdogs expect industry-friendly changes in coming months.
Jeff Tollefson
doi:10.1038/456006b
Phoenix fades away p8
Mars lander scrapes up its last samples.
Eric Hand
doi:10.1038/456008a
Human genes are multitaskers p9
Up to 94% of human genes can generate different products
Heidi Ledford
doi:10.1038/news.2008.1199
How to get the most from a gene test p11
New tools squeeze more research out of personal genomics.
Erika Check Hayden
doi:10.1038/456011a
Genomics takes hold in Asia p12
Genome Institute of Singapore head Edison Liu talks about how to make pan-Asian genomics research projects work.
David Cyranoski
doi:10.1038/456012a
Legally binding green targets for UK p13
Parliament passes bill to curb carbon emissions.
Natasha Gilbert
doi:10.1038/456013a
Australian government plans Internet censorship p14
doi:10.1038/456014a
Oil company blamed for mud-volcano eruption p14
doi:10.1038/456014b
Help promised for troubled maker of electric car p14
doi:10.1038/456014c
Google settles suit over copyright of scanned books p14
doi:10.1038/456014d
Crop research a target of international investment p14
doi:10.1038/456014e
Repair puts Hubble back on track p14
doi:10.1038/456014f
Column
America's new leadership p16
Researchers should keep a cool head about science under Obama, David Goldston argues.
David Goldston
doi:10.1038/456016a
News Features
Personal genomes: The case of the missing heritability p18
When scientists opened up the human genome, they expected to find the genetic components of common traits and diseases. But they were nowhere to be seen. Brendan Maher shines a light on six places where the missing loot could be stashed away.
doi:10.1038/456018a
Personal genomes: Standard and pores p23
Could the next generation of genetic sequencing machines be built from a collection of minuscule holes? Katharine Sanderson reports.
doi:10.1038/456023a
Personal genomes: A disruptive personality, disrupted p26
Eric Schadt revels in making people uncomfortable with his science. Bryn Nelson reports how the bioinformatics rabble-rouser hopes to charge ahead in the face of his company's disintegration.
doi:10.1038/456026a
Correspondence
Research rewards are worth the effort for multitasking mothers p29
Tracey L. Rogers
doi:10.1038/456029a
What is nature, if it's more than just a place without people? p29
Fern Wickson
doi:10.1038/456029b
Progress being made on standards for use in data sharing p29
Douglas Bruce Kell
doi:10.1038/456029c
One-year practical course proves a launch pad for PhDs p29
David Andrew Green
doi:10.1038/456029d
Will waste-energy plant be a waste of money? p30
Gene Bazan
doi:10.1038/456030a
Joining a trade union is best way to defend postdoc interests p30
Oliver de Peyer
doi:10.1038/456030b
Detectors could spot plagiarism in research proposals p30
Victor Maojo, Miguel García-Remesal & Jose Crespo
doi:10.1038/456030c
Commentaries
Personal genomes: When consent gets in the way p32
As the prospect of personal genomes for all promises to revolutionize personal health records, Patrick Taylor says that mandating consent does not protect privacy or ensure public benefit.
doi:10.1038/456032a
See also: Editor's summary
Personal genomes: Misdirected precaution p34
Personal-genome tests are blurring the boundary between experts and lay people. Barbara Prainsack, Jenny Reardon and a team of international collaborators urge regulators to rethink outdated models of regulation.
doi:10.1038/456034a
See also: Editor's summary
Books and Arts
Insects of war, terror and torture p36
Whether natural or intentional, the security threats posed by arthropods — from assassin bugs to disease-carrying pests — should be of concern to us all, explains Kenneth J. Linthicum.
Kenneth J. Linthicum reviews Six-Legged Soldiers: Using Insects as Weapons of War by Jeffrey A. Lockwood
doi:10.1038/456036a
See also: Editor's summary
Tapping out a message p37
Redouan Bshary reviews Vibrational Communication in Animals by Peggy S. M. Hill and Coding and Redundancy: Man-Made and Animal-Evolved Signals by Jack P. Hailman
doi:10.1038/456037a
History out of the ether p38
John Carmody reviews Blessed Days of Anaesthesia: How Anaesthetics Changed the World by Stephanie J. Snow
doi:10.1038/456038a
Q&A: Opera for the end of the world p39
The dawn of the nuclear era finds its voice in Doctor Atomic, an opera about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the making of the first atom bomb. With a new production showing in New York, composer John Adams explains how physicists have reacted to the work, and how writing it has changed his view of nuclear weapons.
Jascha Hoffman
doi:10.1038/456039a
Essay
Being Human: Language: a social history of words p40
Language evolved as part of a uniquely human group of traits, the interdependence of which calls for an integrated approach to the study of brain function, argue Eörs Szathmáry and Szabolcs Számadó.
doi:10.1038/456040a
See also: Editor's summary
News and Views
Population biology: Case of the absent lemmings p43
Changing weather patterns, producing the wrong kind of snow, have transformed the population dynamics of lemmings in northern Scandinavia. The knock-on effects have been felt throughout the ecosystem.
Tim Coulson & Aurelio Malo
doi:10.1038/456043a
See also: Editor's summary
Astrophysics: An illuminating dark halo p44
A large simulation reveals that most of the detectable signal from dark matter in our Milky Way probably comes from the main, smooth Galactic halo, rather than from small clumps.
Stéphane Colombi
doi:10.1038/456044a
See also: Editor's summary
Biochemistry: Enzymes under the nanoscope p45
Small-scale interactions of substrates with an enzyme's active site — over distances smaller than the length of a chemical bond — can make big differences to the enzyme's catalytic efficiency.
Anthony J. Kirby & Florian Hollfelder
doi:10.1038/456045a
Global change: Climate's astronomical sensors p47
A re-evaluation of the relationship between Earth's orbital parameters, ice-sheet extent and ocean circulation sets further puzzles for those trying to disentangle cause from effect in long-term climatic changes.
Michel Crucifix
doi:10.1038/456047a
See also: Editor's summary
Human genetics: Individual genomes diversify p49
The link between a person's genetic ancestry and the traits — including disease risk — that he or she exhibits remains elusive. Routine sequencing of the genomes of an African and an Asian individual offer a step forward.
Samuel Levy & Robert L. Strausberg
doi:10.1038/456049a
See also: Editor's summary
Optics: Metamaterial Persian carpets p49
Ana Lopes
doi:10.1038/456049b
50 & 100 years ago p51
doi:10.1038/456051a
Obituary: George Emil Palade (1912–2008) p52
Günter Blobel
doi:10.1038/456052a
Articles
Accurate whole human genome sequencing using reversible terminator chemistry p53
David R. Bentley, Shankar Balasubramanian, Harold P. Swerdlow, Geoffrey P. Smith, John Milton, Clive G. Brown, Kevin P. Hall, Dirk J. Evers, Colin L. Barnes, Helen R. Bignell, Jonathan M. Boutell, Jason Bryant, Richard J. Carter, R. Keira Cheetham, Anthony J. Cox, Darren J. Ellis, Michael R. Flatbush, Niall A. Gormley, Sean J. Humphray, Leslie J. Irving, Mirian S. Karbelashvili, Scott M. Kirk, Heng Li, Xiaohai Liu, Klaus S. Maisinger, Lisa J. Murray, Bojan Obradovic, Tobias Ost, Michael L. Parkinson, Mark R. Pratt, Isabelle M. J. Rasolonjatovo, Mark T. Reed, Roberto Rigatti, Chiara Rodighiero, Mark T. Ross, Andrea Sabot, Subramanian V. Sankar, Aylwyn Scally, Gary P. Schroth, Mark E. Smith, Vincent P. Smith, Anastassia Spiridou, Peta E. Torrance, Svilen S. Tzonev, Eric H. Vermaas, Klaudia Walter, Xiaolin Wu, Lu Zhang, Mohammed D. Alam, Carole Anastasi, Ify C. Aniebo, David M. D. Bailey, Iain R. Bancarz, Saibal Banerjee, Selena G. Barbour, Primo A. Baybayan, Vincent A. Benoit, Kevin F. Benson, Claire Bevis, Phillip J. Black, Asha Boodhun, Joe S. Brennan, John A. Bridgham, Rob C. Brown, Andrew A. Brown, Dale H. Buermann, Abass A. Bundu, James C. Burrows, Nigel P. Carter, Nestor Castillo, Maria Chiara E. Catenazzi, Simon Chang, R. Neil Cooley, Natasha R. Crake, Olubunmi O. Dada, Konstantinos D. Diakoumakos, Belen Dominguez-Fernandez, David J. Earnshaw, Ugonna C. Egbujor, David W. Elmore, Sergey S. Etchin, Mark R. Ewan, Milan Fedurco, Louise J. Fraser, Karin V. Fuentes Fajardo, W. Scott Furey, David George, Kimberley J. Gietzen, Colin P. Goddard, George S. Golda, Philip A. Granieri, David E. Green, David L. Gustafson, Nancy F. Hansen, Kevin Harnish, Christian D. Haudenschild, Narinder I. Heyer, Matthew M. Hims, Johnny T. Ho, Adrian M. Horgan, Katya Hoschler, Steve Hurwitz, Denis V. Ivanov, Maria Q. Johnson, Terena James, T. A. Huw Jones, Gyoung-Dong Kang, Tzvetana H. Kerelska, Alan D. Kersey, Irina Khrebtukova, Alex P. Kindwall, Zoya Kingsbury, Paula I. Kokko-Gonzales, Anil Kumar, Marc A. Laurent, Cynthia T. Lawley, Sarah E. Lee, Xavier Lee, Arnold K. Liao, Jennifer A. Loch, Mitch Lok, Shujun Luo, Radhika M. Mammen, John W. Martin, Patrick G. McCauley, Paul McNitt, Parul Mehta, Keith W. Moon, Joe W. Mullens, Taksina Newington, Zemin Ning, Bee Ling Ng, Sonia M. Novo, Michael J. O'Neill, Mark A. Osborne, Andrew Osnowski, Omead Ostadan, Lambros L. Paraschos, Lea Pickering, Andrew C. Pike, Alger C. Pike, D. Chris Pinkard, Daniel P. Pliskin, Joe Podhasky, Victor J. Quijano, Come Raczy, Vicki H. Rae, Stephen R. Rawlings, Ana Chiva Rodriguez, Phyllida M. Roe, John Rogers, Maria C. Rogert Bacigalupo, Nikolai Romanov, Anthony Romieu, Rithy K. Roth, Natalie J. Rourke, Silke T. Ruediger, Eli Rusman, Raquel M. Sanches-Kuiper, Martin R. Schenker, Josefina M. Seoane, Richard J. Shaw, Mitch K. Shiver, Steven W. Short, Ning L. Sizto, Johannes P. Sluis, Melanie A. Smith, Jean Ernest Sohna Sohna, Eric J. Spence, Kim Stevens, Neil Sutton, Lukasz Szajkowski, Carolyn L. Tregidgo, Gerardo Turcatti, Stephanie vandeVondele, Yuli Verhovsky, Selene M. Virk, Suzanne Wakelin, Gregory C. Walcott, Jingwen Wang, Graham J. Worsley, Juying Yan, Ling Yau, Mike Zuerlein, Jane Rogers, James C. Mullikin, Matthew E. Hurles, Nick J. McCooke, John S. West, Frank L. Oaks, Peter L. Lundberg, David Klenerman, Richard Durbin & Anthony J. Smith
doi:10.1038/nature07517
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (403K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Levy & Strausberg
The diploid genome sequence of an Asian individual p60
Jun Wang, Wei Wang, Ruiqiang Li, Yingrui Li, Geng Tian, Laurie Goodman, Wei Fan, Junqing Zhang, Jun Li, Juanbin Zhang, Yiran Guo, Binxiao Feng, Heng Li, Yao Lu, Xiaodong Fang, Huiqing Liang, Zhenglin Du, Dong Li, Yiqing Zhao, Yujie Hu, Zhenzhen Yang, Hancheng Zheng, Ines Hellmann, Michael Inouye, John Pool, Xin Yi, Jing Zhao, Jinjie Duan, Yan Zhou, Junjie Qin, Lijia Ma, Guoqing Li, Zhentao Yang, Guojie Zhang, Bin Yang, Chang Yu, Fang Liang, Wenjie Li, Shaochuan Li, Dawei Li, Peixiang Ni, Jue Ruan, Qibin Li, Hongmei Zhu, Dongyuan Liu, Zhike Lu, Ning Li, Guangwu Guo, Jianguo Zhang, Jia Ye, Lin Fang, Qin Hao, Quan Chen, Yu Liang, Yeyang Su, A. san, Cuo Ping, Shuang Yang, Fang Chen, Li Li, Ke Zhou, Hongkun Zheng, Yuanyuan Ren, Ling Yang, Yang Gao, Guohua Yang, Zhuo Li, Xiaoli Feng, Karsten Kristiansen, Gane Ka-Shu Wong, Rasmus Nielsen, Richard Durbin, Lars Bolund, Xiuqing Zhang, Songgang Li, Huanming Yang & Jian Wang
doi:10.1038/nature07484
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (397K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Levy & Strausberg
DNA sequencing of a cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia genome p66
Timothy J. Ley, Elaine R. Mardis, Li Ding, Bob Fulton, Michael D. McLellan, Ken Chen, David Dooling, Brian H. Dunford-Shore, Sean McGrath, Matthew Hickenbotham, Lisa Cook, Rachel Abbott, David E. Larson, Dan C. Koboldt, Craig Pohl, Scott Smith, Amy Hawkins, Scott Abbott, Devin Locke, LaDeana W. Hillier, Tracie Miner, Lucinda Fulton, Vincent Magrini, Todd Wylie, Jarret Glasscock, Joshua Conyers, Nathan Sander, Xiaoqi Shi, John R. Osborne, Patrick Minx, David Gordon, Asif Chinwalla, Yu Zhao, Rhonda E. Ries, Jacqueline E. Payton, Peter Westervelt, Michael H. Tomasson, Mark Watson, Jack Baty, Jennifer Ivanovich, Sharon Heath, William D. Shannon, Rakesh Nagarajan, Matthew J. Walter, Daniel C. Link, Timothy A. Graubert, John F. DiPersio & Richard K. Wilson
doi:10.1038/nature07485
PDB code
3D view
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (384K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Letters
Prospects for detecting supersymmetric dark matter in the Galactic halo p73
V. Springel, S. D. M. White, C. S. Frenk, J. F. Navarro, A. Jenkins, M. Vogelsberger, J. Wang, A. Ludlow & A. Helmi
doi:10.1038/nature07411
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (497K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Colombi
Emergence of preformed Cooper pairs from the doped Mott insulating state in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+
p77
H.-B. Yang, J. D. Rameau, P. D. Johnson, T. Valla, A. Tsvelik & G. D. Gu
doi:10.1038/nature07400
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (636K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Silicon-chip-based ultrafast optical oscilloscope p81
Mark A. Foster, Reza Salem, David F. Geraghty, Amy C. Turner-Foster, Michal Lipson & Alexander L. Gaeta
doi:10.1038/nature07430
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (375K)
See also: Editor's summary
Atlantic overturning responses to Late Pleistocene climate forcings p85
Lorraine E. Lisiecki, Maureen E. Raymo & William B. Curry
doi:10.1038/nature07425
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (284K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Crucifix
The Earth's missing lead may not be in the core p89
M. Lagos, C. Ballhaus, C. Münker, C. Wohlgemuth–Ueberwasser, J. Berndt & Dmitry V. Kuzmin
doi:10.1038/nature07375
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (256K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Linking climate change to lemming cycles p93
Kyrre L. Kausrud, Atle Mysterud, Harald Steen, Jon Olav Vik, Eivind Østbye, Bernard Cazelles, Erik Framstad, Anne Maria Eikeset, Ivar Mysterud, Torstein Solhøy & Nils Chr. Stenseth
doi:10.1038/nature07442
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (690K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Coulson & Malo
Genes mirror geography within Europe p98
John Novembre, Toby Johnson, Katarzyna Bryc, Zoltán Kutalik, Adam R. Boyko, Adam Auton, Amit Indap, Karen S. King, Sven Bergmann, Matthew R. Nelson, Matthew Stephens & Carlos D. Bustamante
doi:10.1038/nature07331
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (2,057K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Entrained rhythmic activities of neuronal ensembles as perceptual memory of time interval p102
Germán Sumbre, Akira Muto, Herwig Baier & Mu-ming Poo
doi:10.1038/nature07351
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (1,234K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Molecular basis of xeroderma pigmentosum group C DNA recognition by engineered meganucleases p107
Pilar Redondo, Jesús Prieto, Inés G. Muñoz, Andreu Alibés, Francois Stricher, Luis Serrano, Jean-Pierre Cabaniols, Fayza Daboussi, Sylvain Arnould, Christophe Perez, Philippe Duchateau, Frédéric Pâques, Francisco J. Blanco & Guillermo Montoya
doi:10.1038/nature07343
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (712K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
The essential role of the CopN protein in Chlamydia pneumoniae intracellular growth p112
Jin Huang, Cammie F. Lesser & Stephen Lory
doi:10.1038/nature07355
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (872K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
The CRAC channel consists of a tetramer formed by Stim-induced dimerization of Orai dimers p116
Aubin Penna, Angelo Demuro, Andriy V. Yeromin, Shenyuan L. Zhang, Olga Safrina, Ian Parker & Michael D. Cahalan
doi:10.1038/nature07338
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (1,697K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Crystal structure of the anti-viral APOBEC3G catalytic domain and functional implications p121
Lauren G. Holden, Courtney Prochnow, Y. Paul Chang, Ronda Bransteitter, Linda Chelico, Udayaditya Sen, Raymond C. Stevens, Myron F. Goodman & Xiaojiang S. Chen
doi:10.1038/nature07357
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (685K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Histone H2A.Z and DNA methylation are mutually antagonistic chromatin marks p125
Daniel Zilberman, Devin Coleman-Derr, Tracy Ballinger & Steven Henikoff
doi:10.1038/nature07324
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (981K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Stepwise chromatin remodelling by a cascade of transcription initiation of non-coding RNAs p130
Kouji Hirota, Tomoichiro Miyoshi, Kazuto Kugou, Charles S. Hoffman, Takehiko Shibata & Kunihiro Ohta
doi:10.1038/nature07348
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (1,646K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
Naturejobs
ProspectProspects p135
International guidelines for ethics in graduate research are a good idea — but coordination and implementation will be challenging.
Gene Russo
doi:10.1038/nj7218-135a
Postdocs and Students
German mentors steer a new course p137
Nurturing independence is appreciated, as Alison Abbott finds out.
Alison Abbott
doi:10.1038/nj7218-137a
Career View
Julio Frenk, dean, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts p138
A concern for the impoverished leads to an intercontinental public-health career.
Virginia Gewin
doi:10.1038/nj7218-138a
Getting and gaining from interviews p138
Two successful job applicants offer their tips for a good interview.
Siobhán Brady & Marc Johnson
doi:10.1038/nj7218-138b
Lessons from Formula One p138
Racing ahead in science and on the track.
Amanda Goh
doi:10.1038/nj7218-138c
Highlights
Highlight: Francophone
doi:10.1038/nj0236
Opportunities: The National Institutes of Health
doi:10.1038/nj0237
