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Advances in the study of embryonic and adult stem cells offer opportunities to boost research on both cell types towards clinical applications. But funding and coordination at national levels will be required to make the most effective progress.
The biotech scene, although volatile, will continue to provide jobs. But potential employees should prepare for a bumpy ride, say Paul Smaglik and Adam Smith.
The mammalian body plan starts being laid down from the moment of conception, it has emerged. Helen Pearson considers the implications of a surprising shift in embryological thinking.
The debate continues over the relative merits of using embryonic and adult stem cells for research — and perhaps, one day, to treat patients. Two new papers look at the abilities of these remarkable cells.
Mars has a north–south divide in the age of its surface, as judged by the density of impact craters. Altimetry data, which by inference provide a subsurface view of the planet, reveal that the divide is only skin deep.
The asymmetries between the right- and left-hand sides of the body are initiated at an early stage of development. Two groups provide welcome news of progress in revealing the mechanism concerned and its generality.
The sequence of chromosome 2 of the 'model' organismDictyostelium discoideum, a soil amoeba, provides telling evidence of its kinship with animals rather than plants.
The more desirable form of silicon for use in display screens is also the more expensive to manufacture. Understanding how crystalline silicon forms could be a key to cheaper communications devices.
The detection of infrared emission from the dusty disk around a distant star signals the presence of the H3+ ion. The finding may provide a vital clue to how hydrogen and helium condense into gas-giant planets.
Many researchers have tried to increase the flux through metabolic pathways in cells by raising the supply of metabolic enzymes. Little attention has been paid to the demand side of the equation — until now.
The detection of cosmic rays with unexpectedly high energies has prompted a rethink of Einstein's theory of special relativity. A new formulation, called 'doubly special relativity', might be the answer.
A 350-million-year-old fossil provides evidence of an almost unknown stage in the origin of land vertebrates. It is also a reminder of how little is known of the relationships between the main lineages of amphibians and reptiles.
