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Macroscopic patterns in the animal world, such as zebra stripes and leopard spots, can be described by processes occurring at the scale of biological cells. In this issue, Michel C. Milinkovitchâs team reveals a dynamical process that coordinates pattern formation on the skin of ocellated lizards. By recording the shifting patterns over four years, the team found that the colour changes occur at the level of individual skin scales and obey the rules of a hexagonal cellular automaton â a grid of elements whose states change according to the states of neighbouring elements. Numerical simulations and mathematical derivation show that such a discrete system can emerge at the mesoscopic scale from the continuous reactionâdiffusion framework when variations in skin thickness are taken into account. The teamâs work suggests that cellular automata are not just abstract computational systems, but that they can directly correspond to processes generated by biological evolution. Cover image: Michel C. Milinkovitch.
Critics of the March for Science have a point. But those scientists who will protest and speak up globally for research have the chance to make a greater one.
Evidence has been found that a biological tissue might behave like a liquid crystal. Even more remarkably, topological defects in this liquid-crystal system seem to influence cell behaviour. A materials physicist and a biologist discuss what the findings mean for researchers in their fields. See Letter p.212
A fishery can allow participants to fish as hard as they can until its quota is reached, or allocate quota shares that can be caught at any time. A comparison of the systems in action reveals that shares slow the race to fish. See Letter p.223
Atomically thin semiconductors have been made by transferring the oxide 'skin' of a liquid metal to substrates. This opens the way to the low-cost mass production of 2D semiconductors at the sizes needed for electronics applications.
The starfish Acanthaster planci destroys coral reefs. Whole- genome sequences provide clues to the proteins that mediate A. planci outbreaks — information that might be used to help protect coral. See Letter p.231
Can a reptile compute? In one species of lizard, Timon lepidus, the colour and pattern of its scales evolve in a manner akin to a discrete rule-based computation called a cellular automaton. See Letter p.173
Individuals who lack a functional copy of a gene — gene knockouts — can reveal the gene's role. Most knockout research has used model organisms, but now a comprehensive catalogue of human knockouts is in sight. See Letter p.235
A mesoscopic cellular automaton arising from a microscopic reaction–diffusion system as a function of skin thickness is observed in ocellated lizards, showing that cellular automata are not merely abstract computational systems, but can directly correspond to processes generated by biological evolution.
Analysis of Aboriginal Australian mitochondrial genomes shows geographic patterns and deep splits across the major haplogroups that indicate a single, rapid migration along the coasts around 49–45 ka, followed by longstanding persistence in discrete geographic areas.
A deficiency in H3K4me3 methyltransferase causes accumulation of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which is important for lifespan extension in C. elegans and could be relevant in mammals.
Cryo-electron microscopy maps of the fission yeast Mediator complex and of a Mediator–RNA polymerase II holoenzyme reveal how changes in the Med14 subunit enable large-scale rearrangements of the Mediator structure that are essential for holoenzyme formation.
Star formation at a rate of more than 15 solar masses a year has been observed inside a massive outflow of gas from a nearby galaxy; this could also be happening inside other galactic outflows.
A structural transition in an atomic indium wire on a silicon substrate proceeds as fast as the indium atom vibrations and is facilitated by strong In–Si interface bonds.
By modelling epithelial cells as active nematic liquid crystals, stresses induced at the sites of topological defects are found to be the primary drivers of extrusion and cell death.
Options for achieving multiple sustainability goals in land systems are limited, and integrated national-scale analyses are needed across the broader environment and economy to prioritize efficient sustainability interventions.
A large-scale treatment–control meta-analysis of US fisheries provides evidence that the implementation of catch shares extend fishing seasons by slowing the race to fish.
The authors derive a condition for how natural selection chooses between two competing strategies on any graph for weak selection, elucidating which population structures promote certain behaviours, such as cooperation.
Genome sequencing and proteomic analyses of the crown-of-thorns starfish identify species-specific secreted factors that are associated with aggregating starfish and might be useful for biocontrol strategies.
By sequencing the exomes of 10,503 individuals living in Pakistan, the authors identify rare predicted loss-of-function mutations that are estimated to knock out genes and correlate these mutations with a broad range of phenotypes, providing a framework for a human knockout project.
Depending on prediction accuracy at the time of memory recall, specific mushroom body output neurons drive different combinations of dopaminergic neurons to extinguish or reconsolidate appetitive memory in Drosophila.
The neuron-specific transcription factor Myt1l represses many somatic lineage programs, but not the neuronal lineage program, to both induce and maintain neuronal identity.
The cross-talk between immune cells and blood vessel endothelial cells promotes pericyte coverage and decreases hypoxia in mouse tumour models, and correlative evidence suggests that these processes influence cancer prognosis in humans.