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When a DNA molecule breaks, its complementary copy can be used as a template for repair. A familiar protein complex is recruited to the damaged site, keeping it close to the undamaged copy.
The respiratory systems of animals must guarantee an efficient oxygen supply. But it seems that, in some insects, they have evolved to restrict the flow of oxygen too.
Tiny RNA molecules called microRNAs are important in development, and are thought to function by causing the degradation of matching messenger RNAs. That may not be their only mode of action, however.
Top-down, bottom-up; RNA-based, lipid-based; theory, experiment — there are many different ways of investigating what constitutes a ‘minimal cell’. Progress requires finding common themes between them.
Newly won evidence shows that many real-world network systems obey a power-law scaling, just as if they were fractal shapes. Could this be the harbinger of a new architectural law for complex systems?
Are syphilis epidemics caused by external factors such as human sexual behaviour, or are factors intrinsic to the pathogen more important? Comparing the dynamics of syphilis and gonorrhoea provides some clues.
Biodiversity stabilizes ecosystem functioning in small-scale, short-term experiments, but do such findings scale up to the larger world? A global study of fossil reefs from the past 500 million years suggests they do.
The ‘translocon’ complex, which determines whether a protein segment will be inserted into or pushed through the cell membrane, seems to make the decision by performing a thermodynamic measurement.
Artificial materials made from oxide building blocks turn out to be excellent ferroelectrics. This shows that materials with specific properties can be designed by atomic-scale tailoring of their composition.
Egg and sperm development are triggered when follicle-stimulating hormone binds to its receptor. A three-dimensional structural snapshot reveals how the hormone slots into its receptor, and how specificity of binding is ensured.
It had been thought by some that rising atmospheric temperatures would have no effect on the rate at which carbon is released from the soil. A study that revisits the data behind this theory now finds otherwise.
Looking inedible is a great way to deter predators, but the warning signs must be learnt first. It seems that unpalatable species employ some unexpected strategies to make the education a quick one.
Mass is the fundamental parameter in stellar astrophysics, but measuring mass is difficult, especially for young stars. A study of a youthful neighbour of the Sun provides insight into the accuracy of widely used calibrations.
Muscle development in vertebrates relies on signals transmitted from proteins of the Wnt family. But which molecules form the relay that transfers this signal to the cell nucleus? The answer is unexpected.
How do you build a planetary system? Astronomers are tackling the question by peering back in time at the gas and dust surrounding stars younger than our Sun.
