Signs of life in Q2 - p686

Walter Yang

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-686

Full Text - Signs of life in Q2 | PDF (247 KB) - Signs of life in Q2

Immunology's quiet upheaval - pp687 - 689

Ken Garber

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-687

Several drug programs aim to restore the balance between regulatory T cells and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in autoimmune disease. But as therapies advance in the clinic, new discoveries are challenging the fundamental principle that T-cell lineages, once established, don't change. Ken Garber reports.

Abstract - | Full Text - Immunology's quiet upheaval | PDF (182 KB) - Immunology's quiet upheaval

The cold rush - pp690 - 692

Hannah Hoag

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-690

More than 40 companies are now engaged in bioprospecting in the Arctic. Hannah Hoag gauges the biotech potential buried beneath the ice and snow.

Abstract - | Full Text - The cold rush | PDF (174 KB) - The cold rush

Building today's platform company - pp693 - 695

Guido Lanza

doi:10.1038/bioe.2009.6

PDF (203 KB) - Building today's platform company

And then there were two: use of hESC lines - pp696 - 697

Christopher Thomas Scott, Jennifer B McCormick & Jason Owen-Smith

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-696

Full Text - And then there were two: use of hESC lines | PDF (166 KB) - And then there were two: use of hESC lines

BARDA's budget - pp698 - 699

Lynn C Klotz & Alan Pearson

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-698

Full Text - BARDA's budget | PDF (157 KB) - BARDA's budget | Supplementary information

Reply to BARDA's budget - p699

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-699

Full Text - Reply to BARDA's budget | PDF (89 KB) - Reply to BARDA's budget

Detection of genetically modified organisms—closing the gaps - pp700 - 701

Dany Morisset, Tina Demar, Kristina Gruden, Jana Vojvoda, Dejan tebih & Jana el

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-700

Full Text - Detection of genetically modified organisms—closing the gaps | PDF (204 KB) - Detection of genetically modified organisms—closing the gaps | Supplementary information

The contraction of agbiotech product quality innovation - pp702 - 704

Gregory D Graff, David Zilberman & Alan B Bennett

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-702

Full Text - The contraction of agbiotech product quality innovation | PDF (162 KB) - The contraction of agbiotech product quality innovation | Supplementary information

Beyond the biotech IPO: a brave new world - pp705 - 709

Bruce L Booth

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-705

After a decade of significant challenges, biotech's long-term sustainability depends on making fundamental changes to its traditional business model.

Abstract - | Full Text - Beyond the biotech IPO: a brave new world | PDF (369 KB) - Beyond the biotech IPO: a brave new world

Stem cell patents: a landscape analysis - pp722 - 726

Antoinette F Konski & Doris J F Spielthenner

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-722

An evaluation of the development of innovation in stem cell technologies by network analysis of stem cell patent filings.

Abstract - | Full Text - Stem cell patents: a landscape analysis | PDF (280 KB) - Stem cell patents: a landscape analysis

Recent patent applications in biomarkers - p727

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-727

Full Text - Recent patent applications in biomarkers | PDF (47 KB) - Recent patent applications in biomarkers

The Systems Biology Graphical Notation - pp735 - 741

Nicolas Le Novère, Michael Hucka, Huaiyu Mi, Stuart Moodie, Falk Schreiber, Anatoly Sorokin, Emek Demir, Katja Wegner, Mirit I Aladjem, Sarala M Wimalaratne, Frank T Bergman, Ralph Gauges, Peter Ghazal, Hideya Kawaji, Lu Li, Yukiko Matsuoka, Alice Villéger, Sarah E Boyd, Laurence Calzone, Melanie Courtot, Ugur Dogrusoz, Tom C Freeman, Akira Funahashi, Samik Ghosh, Akiya Jouraku, Sohyoung Kim, Fedor Kolpakov, Augustin Luna, Sven Sahle, Esther Schmidt, Steven Watterson, Guanming Wu, Igor Goryanin, Douglas B Kell, Chris Sander, Herbert Sauro, Jacky L Snoep, Kurt Kohn & Hiroaki Kitano

doi:10.1038/nbt.1558

A group of scientists in the systems biology community propose visual conventions for drawing biological diagrams.

Abstract - | Full Text - The Systems Biology Graphical Notation | PDF (923 KB) - The Systems Biology Graphical Notation | Supplementary information

Variation in the safety of induced pluripotent stem cell lines - pp743 - 745

Kyoko Miura, Yohei Okada, Takashi Aoi, Aki Okada, Kazutoshi Takahashi, Keisuke Okita, Masato Nakagawa, Michiyo Koyanagi, Koji Tanabe, Mari Ohnuki, Daisuke Ogawa, Eiji Ikeda, Hideyuki Okano & Shinya Yamanaka

doi:10.1038/nbt.1554

The safety of induced pluripotent stem cells seems to depend on how they were generated. Miura et al. examine the effects of the c-myc transgene, tissue of origin and selection method on the tumor-forming propensity of iPS-cell derivatives.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Variation in the safety of induced pluripotent stem cell lines | PDF (468 KB) - Variation in the safety of induced pluripotent stem cell lines | Supplementary information

Species-independent translational leaders facilitate cell-free expression - pp747 - 752

Sergei Mureev, Oleksiy Kovtun, Uyen T T Nguyen & Kirill Alexandrov

doi:10.1038/nbt.1556

Initiation of translation is an obstacle in the development of eukaryotic systems for cell-free protein synthesis. Mureev et al. describe a translational leader sequence that efficiently drives protein production in cell lysates from several eukaryotes and prokaryotes and use this sequence to develop a cell-free system based on Leishmania tarentolae.

Abstract - | Full Text - Species-independent translational leaders facilitate cell-free expression | PDF (701 KB) - Species-independent translational leaders facilitate cell-free expression | Supplementary information

See also: News and Views by Swartz

Synthetic protein scaffolds provide modular control over metabolic flux - pp753 - 759

John E Dueber, Gabriel C Wu, G Reza Malmirchegini, Tae Seok Moon, Christopher J Petzold, Adeeti V Ullal, Kristala L J Prather & Jay D Keasling

doi:10.1038/nbt.1557

Engineered metabolic pathways are usually devoid of the regulatory mechanisms characteristic of natural metabolism. Using pathways not normally found in E. coli, Dueber et al. show that synthetic scaffolds built using protein-protein interaction domains can boost yields of mevalonate and glucaric acid.

Abstract - | Full Text - Synthetic protein scaffolds provide modular control over metabolic flux | PDF (638 KB) - Synthetic protein scaffolds provide modular control over metabolic flux | Supplementary information

See also: News and Views by DeLisa & Conrado

Stabilized gene duplication enables long-term selection-free heterologous pathway expression - pp760 - 765

Keith E J Tyo, Parayil Kumaran Ajikumar & Gregory Stephanopoulos

doi:10.1038/nbt.1555

Although new metabolic pathways are generally introduced into bacteria on plasmids, this approach is limited by declining productivity after several generations. Tyo et al. describe a method for chromosome engineering that enables sustained production of a biopolymer or a nutraceutical.

Abstract - | Full Text - Stabilized gene duplication enables long-term selection-free heterologous pathway expression | PDF (473 KB) - Stabilized gene duplication enables long-term selection-free heterologous pathway expression | Supplementary information

See also: News and Views by Kachroo et al.

Therapeutic IgG4 antibodies engage in Fab-arm exchange with endogenous human IgG4 in vivo - pp767 - 771

Aran F Labrijn, Antonio Ortiz Buijsse, Ewald T J van den Bremer, Annemiek Y W Verwilligen, Wim K Bleeker, Susan J Thorpe, Joep Killestein, Chris H Polman, Rob C Aalberse, Janine Schuurman, Jan G J van de Winkel & Paul W H I Parren

doi:10.1038/nbt.1553

Although never demonstrated in humans, exchange of the antigen-binding regions of IgG4 antibodies with different specificities could complicate certain antibody therapies. Labrijn et al. show that Fab-arm exchange occurs in patients and propose that a single mutation can inhibit the process.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Therapeutic IgG4 antibodies engage in Fab-arm exchange with endogenous human IgG4 in vivo | PDF (503 KB) - Therapeutic IgG4 antibodies engage in Fab-arm exchange with endogenous human IgG4 in vivo | Supplementary information

People - p776

doi:10.1038/nbt0809-776

Full Text - People | PDF (80 KB) - People