Review Articles, News & Views, Perspectives, Hypotheses, Analyses and Review in 2009

Killer T cells were thought to patrol the body unhindered, freely gaining access to sites of infection. But it seems that, at least in some body tissues, helper T cells must pave the way for killer T-cell entry.

Electrical injection and detection of spin-polarized electrons in a silicon chip have now been demonstrated at room temperature, paving the way to the development of low-power semiconductor spintronics circuitry.

Trailblazer in the study of protein synthesis.

Temperature estimates derived from isotopes in polar ice cores reveal much about Earth's past climate. According to the latest analysis, interglacial periods were rather warmer than previously thought.

Genome-wide maps of methylated cytosine bases at single-base-pair resolution in human cells reveal distinct differences between cell types. These maps provide a starting point to decode the function of this enigmatic mark.

Light from a distant γ-ray burst backs up a key prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity — that photon speed is the same regardless of energy. But it might set the stage for evolution of the theory.

A structure for the enzyme RNA polymerase II in combination with the transcription factor TFIIB changes our view of how the polymerase and its helper proteins initiate transcription.

On the face of it, self-fertilization is the efficient way to breed: compared with outcrossing, there's usually much less fuss, for a start. So why isn't reproduction by selfing far more prevalent than it is?

Graphene continues to surprise physicists with its remarkable electronic properties. Experiments now show that electrons in the material can team up to behave as if they are only fragments of themselves.

Computational methods that reliably predict the biological activities of compounds have long been sought. The validation of one such method suggests that in silico predictions for drug discovery have come of age.

A tenet of drug discovery states that molecules greater than a certain size don't enter cells. But not only do certain synthetic peptides refute this idea, they also inhibit 'undruggable' biological targets.