●Induction and suppression of RNA silencing: insights from viral infections. Voinnet, O. Nature Reviews Genetics March (2005)

As a counter-defence mechanism, viruses have evolved various antisilencing strategies that are now being unravelled. These studies highlight our basic understanding of host-parasite interactions, and also provide insights into the diversity, regulation and evolution of RNA-silencing pathways.

●Research funding, partnership and strategy — a UK perspective. Walport, M. J. & Lynn, D. W. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology April (2005)

●Iron-sulphur cluster biogenesis and mitochondrial iron homeostasis. Rouault, T. A. & Tong, W. -H. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology April (2005)

●New mechanism for APOBEC3G? Minton, K. Nature Reviews Immunology March (2005)

●Energy well spent on a prokaryotic genome. McNeil, B. & Harvey, L. Nature Biotechnology February (2005)

This News and Views piece comments on how the completed genome sequence of the bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans might reveal new ways of harnessing this organism's unusual metabolism for biotechnology.

●Shortening the treatment of tuberculosis. Mitchison, D. A. Nature Biotechnology February (2005)

●Tests in Tokyo reveal flaws in Vietnam's bird flu surveillance. Cyranoski, D. Nature 23 February (2005)

●Integrase inhibitors to treat HIV/AIDS. Pommier, Y., Johnson, A. & Marchand, C. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery March (2005)

Although targeting the integration of HIV viral DNA into the host chromosome has been considered in the past to be a potential therapeutic strategy for HIV and AIDS, it has taken a back seat to reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors. After 12 years of development, Phase I clinical trials of integrase inhibitors have finally begun. Pommier and colleagues outline the molecular basis for these inhibitors and discuss a potential mechanism of action.

●Teams solve structure of key HIV proteins. Ebert, J. Nature 25 February (2005)