SUPPLEMENTS
Technology Features archive
Metagenomics
Vol. 453, No. 7195 pp687-691 (29 May 2008)
Advances in sequencing technology and tools for analysis are allowing researchers to unravel the environmental diversity of microbes faster and in greater detail than ever before. Nathan Blow reports.
Nanotechnology
Vol. 452, No. 7189 pp901-905 (17 April 2008)
Sophisticated technologies can now explore nano-scale forces and interactions. But most biologists are staying on the sidelines, waiting to see if these technologies can really help them. Nathan Blow reports.
Stem Cells
Vol. 451, No. 7180 pp855-859 (14 February 2008)
With the number of stem-cell lines rapidly increasing, technology developers are working to improve systems for culturing and efficient differentiation — all with an eye on the clinic. Nathan Blow reports.
Small RNAs Free access
Vol. 450, No. 7172 pp1117-1121 (13 December 2007)
Drugs to treat diseases from cancer to AIDS could soon rely on short strands of RNA for their effects. But scientists must first work out how to navigate these fragments around the body. Nathan Blow reports.
Genomics Free access
Vol. 449, No. 7162 pp626-632 (4 October 2007)
Innovations in DNA sequencing and genotyping are opening doors for personal genomics. Nathan Blow explores these technological advances and their implications.
Tissue Preparation Free access
Vol. 447, No. 7156 pp959-964 (23 August 2007)
Millions of tissue samples have been collected and archived, but researchers wanting to explore them at the molecular level have found it tough going. Nathan Blow investigates the issues.
Antibodies Free access
Vol. 447, No. 7145 pp739-746 (7 June 2007)
Proteomics is hungry for well-validated antibodies. Nathan Blow looks at the options and sees how researchers are redefining the way to generate an antibody.
Cell Biology Free access
Vol. 446, No. 7138 pp937-943 (19 April 2007)
To define the workings of cellular structures and molecules requires cutting-edge technology not only in biology and biochemistry, but also now in nanotechnology. Hayley M. Birch and Julie Clayton report.
Drug Discovery Free access
Vol. 446, No. 7132 pp217-224 (8 March 2007)
Even though the pace of drug discovery is hotting up, many candidate drugs fail late in development. Caitlin Smith looks at some of the tools used early in drug discovery that could help improve the situation.
Protein arrays Free access
Vol. 444, No. 7121 pp959-964 (14 December 2006)
Protein microarrays are coming of age, and the development of specialized technologies is extending their high-throughput capabilities. Michael Eisenstein reports.
Something to see Free access
Vol. 443, No. 7107 pp1017-1021 (25 October 2006)
Light microscopy is undergoing a renaissance, with a huge range of tools and techniques for gathering biological data with unprecedented speed and resolution. Michael Eisenstein takes a closer look.
Microarrays: Quality control Free access
Vol. 442, No. 7106 pp1067-1071 (30 August 2006)
Doubt is often cast on the reliability of DNA microarrays, but resources are becoming available to help researchers overcome many of the problems inherent in this technology. Michael Eisenstein reports.
Cell sorting: Divide and conquer Free access
Vol. 441, No. 7097 pp1179-1185 (29 June 2006)
A key element of performing good cell-biology experiments is starting with exactly the right cells. Michael Eisenstein takes a look at the technologies that can make this possible.
Gene expression: An expression of interest Free access
Vol. 440, No. 7088 pp1233-1237 (27 April 2006)
Understanding the regulation of gene expression in stem cells and neurons, and finding ways to manipulate it, are important challenges. Laura Bonetta searches out the tools for the job.
Protein purification: Fast forward Free access
Vol. 439, No. 7079 pp1017-1021 (23 February 2006)
Proteomics raises new challenges in protein purification. Technologies well adapted to isolate individual proteins get a makeover to tackle large numbers of samples. Laura Bonetta investigates.
Cell biology: Ion channels and stem cells Free access
Vol. 438, No. 7079 pp699-702 (1 December 2005)
Ion channels, stem cells and cell signalling are the focus of intense interest in both cell biology and drug discovery. Pete Moore takes a look at what's on offer for the researcher.
DNA microarrays: More than gene expression Free access
Vol. 438, No. 7062 pp1195-1198 (20 October 2005)
Ion channels, stem cells and cell signalling are the focus of intense interest in both cell biology and drug discovery. Pete Moore takes a look at what's on offer for the researcher.
Imaging: The big picture Free access
Vol. 437, No. 7059 pp775-779 (29 September 2005)
Over the past ten years, microscopy has been transformed from slice, stain and fix, to the capacity to view living cells and even whole organisms in real time. Lisa Melton looks at what's on offer.
Genomics: Getting down to details Free access
Vol. 435, No. 7044 (16 June 2005)
MicroRNAs that tweak gene expression, single nucleotide polymorphisms in population genetics, and individual genome sequencing: Caitlin Smith takes a look at three fast-moving areas in genomics.
PCR technology Free access
Vol. 435, No. 7039 (12 May 2005)
PCR often gets taken for granted, but there are ways of making it faster, more accurate and easier to perform. Pete Moore investigates.
Protein purification: Pure but not simple Free access
Vol. 434, No. 7034 (7 April 2005)
Protein purification is stepping into the limelight, as proteomics researchers demand faster ways to purify more proteins. Tim Chapman looks at what is around to help them.
Cell signalling Free access
Vol. 432, No. 7014 (11 November 2004)
Technological innovations in detecting and studying protein-protein interactions are providing new ways of doing research in cell signalling. Diane Gershon investigates.
RNA interference Free access
Vol. 430, No. 6995 (30 September 2004)
Synthesizing and selecting the lead compounds that will become the drugs of the future are the heart of drug discovery. Julie Clayton goes back to basics.
Drug discovery Free access
Vol. 430, No. 6995 (1 July 2004)
Synthesizing and selecting the lead compounds that will become the drugs of the future are the heart of drug discovery. Tim Chapman goes back to basics.
Protein arrays Free access
Vol. 429, No. 6987 (6 May 2004)
Protein arrays and protein assays in parallel are enabling researchers to look at protein interactions and activity on a large scale, as Lisa Melton finds out.
Bioinformatics Free access
Vol. 428, No. 6984 (15 April 2004)
Databases are having to move with the times as people expect more from them than simple data storage and retrieval. Steve Buckingham investigates.
Drug target identification Free access
Vol. 428, No. 6979 (11 March 2004)
Complete genome sequences have provided a plethora of potential drug targets. But the hard task of finding their weak spots is just beginning, as Caitlin Smith finds out.
Antibodies Free access
Vol. 426, No. 6967 (11 December 2003)
Antibodies are the researcher's Swiss army knife: there's a tool for every purpose, and they're made in more shapes and sizes than ever. Pete Moore and Julie Clayton report.
Imaging Free access
Vol. 425, No. 6960 (23 October 2003)
Peering down an eyepiece is becoming a thing of the past. Tim Chapman takes a look into the digital world of a new generation of microscopes and imaging systems.
Bioinformatics Free access
Vol. 425, No. 6954 (11 September 2003)
Advanced software and services aimed at the non-bioinformatician are making it easier to ride the tidal-wave of genomics and proteomics data. Steve Buckingham reports.
Proteomics technologies Free access
Vol. 424, No. 6948 (31 July 2003)
The completion of the human genome sequence, coupled with analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry, has fuelled interest in proteomics. Diane Gershon reports.
Pharmacogenetics and genotyping Free access
Vol. 422, No. 6933 (24 April 2003)
Extracting useful data from the human genome sequence is a major challenge. Lisa Melton examines the early steps towards personal genotyping.
Drug target validation - Free access
Vol. 422, No. 6929 (20 March 2003)
The route to new therapeutics often ends in costly failure. The secret of success is the rapid and accurate identification and validation of drug targets with true potential, says Caitlin Smith.
Lab automation and robotics Free access
Vol. 421, No. 6923 (6 February 2003)
The insatiable demands of the pharmaceutical industry are helping to drive labs into the automated world of industrial production lines. Tim Chapman joins the quest for speed.
Bioinformatics Free access
Vol. 419, No. 6908 (17 October 2002)
The computer is now ubiquitous in today's biology labs. Bioinformatics — the development and application of computational tools to acquire, store, organize, archive, analyse and visualize biological data — is one of biology's fastest-growing technologies, as Marina Chicurel finds out.
Screening for drug discovery Free access
Vol. 418, No. 6896 (25 July 2002)
Screening vast numbers of chemical compounds to find the small handful that may become tomorrow's new drugs is one of the first steps in the long journey from pharmaceutical laboratory to clinic. This technology feature looks at how the drug-discovery industry is rising to the challenge of making their screening assays faster, more effective and less expensive.
DNA microarray technology Free access
Vol. 416, No. 6883 (25 April 2002)
DNA microarrays that can detect the presence or the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously are a key tool in the interpretation of the mass of genetic information coming out of the genome sequencing programmes. Diane Gershon looks at how this technology is becoming easier to use, cheaper and more accessible, and at some of the problems in standardizing and storing microarray data.
Proteomics technology Free access
Vol. 413, No. 6858 (25 October 2001)
After the genome comes the proteome. Potter Wickware and Paul Smaglik describe how old-established protein identification techniques such as gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and chromatography are being automated, updated and adapted to deal with the mammoth task of identifying the thousands of proteins produced by an organism and understanding how they interact with each other.