Volume 11 Issue 12, December 2014

Measuring neurotransmitter concentration, letting lab meetings run free, and why biology does not own neuroscience.

When multiple factors can affect a system, allowing for interaction can increase sensitivity.

Thin optical lattices can be used to generate light sheets in order to image dynamic processes at high spatial and temporal resolution.

RNA-based toggle switches designed from first principles show high dynamic range and orthogonality.

Researchers use sequence coevolution information to predict the structures of protein complexes.

Lipid-coated carbon nanotubes can insert themselves spontaneously into lipid bilayers and live-cell membranes.

Chemically induced mutations on the fruit fly X chromosome reveal the genetic basis of certain human neurologic disorders.

A transposase can link sequence fragments together for accurate haplotyping and genome assembly.

Two independent groups develop tension probes based on molecular beacons to measure mechanical stimuli in live cells.

The idea of using hybrid proteins containing transcription factor domains to analyze protein-protein interactions was described in 1989. Over the past 25 years, this method has begun to reveal the complex protein networks that underlie cellular behavior.

Tissue samples scatter light and shut out a deeper gaze. Tissue-clearing agents have changed that, but scientists must consider optimizing the optics when using these methods.

Robots can be used to detect marked animals with less disturbance when assessing ecological drivers of population change.

This Perspective discusses methods to measure single-cell mass and their relative strengths and weaknesses for different applications.

DNA hairpins with a conjugated fluorophore-quencher pair are attached to surfaces to monitor cellular traction forces at high spatial resolution.

Avoiding nonspecific binding is essential for performing fluorescence microscopy–based analyses of single molecules tethered to surfaces. A dichlorodimethylsilane–Tween-20–passivated surface provides a useful alternative to the standard poly(ethylene glycol) surface for single-molecule studies.

Quantum dot–coated pipettes facilitate targeted electrophysiological recordings in deep brain tissue because they are readily visible owing to the strong two-photon fluorescence of the quantum dots.

This paper investigates the stress levels and behavior of wild animals when approached by remote-operated vehicles versus humans for data collection in field research

Cell-based reporters for dopamine and norepinephrine allow real-time measurements of these neurotransmitters in vivo with high specificity. They can address the temporal and spatial dynamics of volume neurotransmission in behaving animals.

This paper presents an efficient method for generating nanobodies with high affinity and high specificity. In addition, a collection of nanobodies specific for GFP or mCherry that resulted from this work is described.

Thirty-four integrases and their recognition sites form the basis of permanently recording 2,048 combinations of events.