Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
In 1947, scientists found a previously unseen particle, which is now called a neutral kaon. This work led to the discovery of elementary particles known as quarks, and ultimately to the establishment of the standard model of particle physics.
A 1975 Nature paper reported how cell lines could be made that produce an antibody of known specificity. This discovery led to major biological insights and clinical successes in treating autoimmunity and cancer.
Distant DNA regions are juxtaposed and joined to form diverse immune-system genes encoding antibodies and T-cell receptors. It seems that both types of gene form by relying on DNA extrusion through a protein ring called cohesin.
Compounds have been found that reduce levels of the harmful protein present in Huntington’s disease, without affecting the normal version. The compounds interact with the mutated protein and the cell’s protein-clearance machinery.
A tracer molecule has been used to analyse tumours in vivo in mice and to group cancers according to their metabolic characteristics. Such information could have implications for determining how different malignancies are treated.
An analysis of air up to 2 million years old, trapped in Antarctic ice, shows that a major shift in the periodicity of glacial cycles was probably not caused by a long-term decline in atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide.
Data are mounting that document widespread insect losses. A long-term research project now provides the strongest evidence of this so far, and demonstrates the value of standardized monitoring programmes.
In 1925, a Nature paper reported an African fossil of a previously unknown genus called Australopithecus. This finding revolutionized ideas about early human evolution after human ancestors and apes split on the evolutionary tree.
Chemotherapy-treated cancer cells that enter a non-dividing state called senescence can nevertheless boost cancer growth. The finding that these cells eat neighbouring cells reveals a mechanism that enables senescent cells to persist.
In 1985, scientists reported the discovery of the cage-like carbon molecule C60. The finding paved the way for materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, and was a landmark in the emergence of nanotechnology.
Immunotherapy treatment harnesses CD8 T cells of the immune system to kill tumour cells. The finding that CD4 helper T cells contribute to the success of this treatment in mice might offer a way to improve clinical outcomes.
The unexpected discovery of a hole in the atmospheric ozone layer over the Antarctic revolutionized science — and helped to establish one of the most successful global environmental policies of the twentieth century.
A better understanding of the genetic changes that enable cancers to spread is crucial. A comprehensive study of whole-genome sequences from metastatic cancer will help researchers to achieve this goal.
Fossil finds that can provide clues about how aquatic vertebrates evolved into land dwellers are elusive. But the ancient bones of a newly discovered species of tetrapod now provide some crucial missing evidence.
Microorganisms in the gut influence fear-related learning. The results of a study that reveals some of the mechanistic underpinnings of this phenomenon promise to boost our understanding of gut–brain communication.
A programmable quantum computer has been reported to outperform the most powerful conventional computers in a specific task — a milestone in computing comparable in importance to the Wright brothers’ first flights.
The ability of structures called optical resonators to trap light is often limited by scattering of light off fabrication defects. A physical mechanism that suppresses this scattering has been reported that could lead to improved optical devices.
Cells regulate gene expression in part through the chemical labelling of histone proteins. Discovery of a label derived from lactate molecules reveals a way in which cells link gene expression to nutrient metabolism.
