For some strange reason, it would seem that we neuroscientists are always the last ones to know. Whenever a new trend emerges in another field, be it cell biology or genetics, it takes a while before we manage to assimilate it into our thinking on the particular neurobiological problem that we are trying to solve. This slowness is not restricted to concepts, but also extends to technological advances. Take microscopy, for example. Our ability to image living neurons and see organelles moving inside their processes constitutes remarkable progress, but it is sobering to think that similar achievements were obtained by cell biologists in their own systems some time ago. And although the images of particles moving along dendrites are indeed fascinating, few of us have heard about, let alone thought of using, atomic-force and scanning-probe microscopy, methods that have started to make an impact in other branches of biology.

Luckily there are exceptions, and it is sometimes people with an interest in neurobiological problems who develop methods that are then exported to other disciplines. The use of bacterial artificial chromosomes to generate transgenic mice is a good example. As these vectors can carry large amounts of DNA, they can be used to introduce a foreign gene together with many of the regulatory sequences that determine its pattern of expression. BACs have therefore become a powerful tool that is widely used across all of biology. In this issue (page 861), we feature the vision of Nat Heintz, a leader in the development of BACs, who discusses their basic features and their current and potential applications. One can only hope that more neurobiological ideas are imported by other fields in the future, so that we reach an equilibrium between what we produce and what we consume.