Reviews & Analysis

The long chains of cellulose pack laterally into microfibrils of two crystalline forms. Comparison of the structures of these two forms reveals unexpected patterns of bonding that tie the chains together.

Those studying erosion in mountain regions wrestle with factors such as what builds mountains, and how climate affects erosive forces. Yet perhaps a physically based theory is what is most needed.

Could the next SARS-like virus reach epidemic proportions? Quantifying the likely threat of emerging diseases isn't easy, but evolution is a crucial factor that may tip the balance in favour of such human parasites.

The interactions between cellular proteins must be highly specific, or cells will stop functioning. Some clever protein-manipulation experiments have revealed how this specificity has evolved in yeast.

The main transport vehicles inside cells are spherical vesicles that form when patches of membrane curve into buds and then pinch off. 'Coat' proteins both control, and are controlled by, this membrane curvature.

In fewer than three dimensions, the behaviour of electrons in metals should change to that of a 'Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid'. A photoemission study of one-dimensional carbon nanotubes supports this prediction.

It's sometimes difficult to observe combustion in situ — inside, say, a porous material or an industrial reactor. But with the help of nuclear magnetic resonance, a new vista has opened up.

Generation of a particular 'fusion' protein is characteristic of one type of leukaemia. But is it in fact the cleavage of this protein into smaller parts that is important? Provocative new findings suggest that it is.

For some 40 million years, the Afro-Arabian landmass existed in splendid isolation. A newly described fossil fauna from the end of that time provides a window on the evolution of the continent's large mammals.

In the developing sense organs of fruitflies, cells must signal instructions over long distances. But the signalling molecule is bound to the cell membrane, so how can it reach its targets? The answer, it seems, is by touch.

The discovery of two neutron stars tightly orbiting each other suggests that the rate of neutron-star mergers in the Universe is higher than had been thought — which is good news for seekers of gravitational waves.

The structure of the last of the major pigment-containing protein complexes involved in photosynthesis is now revealed. The details complete our picture of electron shuttling in this vital process.

In response to a transient hormonal cue, a developing egg commits irreversibly to a mature state. Surprisingly, this irreversible switch is composed of intrinsically reversible components.

The speed at which mid-ocean ridges grind out new ocean floor varies considerably. The slowest-spreading ridges are especially tough to study — but the latest data show that they are especially intriguing.

The small icy bodies that make up the Kuiper belt are the most distant objects known in the Solar System. A consistent picture is now emerging which suggests that these objects formed much closer to the Sun.