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As the first commercial ventures are formed around induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research, who will have the freedom to operate commercially remains a big unknown. Sarah Webb reports.
Agribusiness is taking another run at transgenic wheat after shelving its programs five years ago because of concerns from farmers, trade organizations and even state governments about market acceptance. Will there be a market this time? Jeffrey Fox investigates.
Are the crop industry's strong-arm tactics and close-fisted attitude to sharing seeds holding back independent research and undermining public acceptance of transgenic crops? Emily Waltz investigates.
Several drug programs aim to restore the balance between regulatory T cells and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in autoimmune disease. But as therapies advance in the clinic, new discoveries are challenging the fundamental principle that T-cell lineages, once established, don't change. Ken Garber reports.
Recent commercial success belies conventional wisdom that vaccines are a low-margin, moribund sector. But will the trend continue? Cormac Sheridan investigates.
As the economic downturn chokes spin-outs from academia, a spate of newly minted university-industry partnerships are springing up. Failing to address the financial conflicts in such partnerships could spell trouble for both faculty and drug companies. Jim Kling investigates.
A gout drug has been approved by the FDA, the first in 40 years, with three more in the wings. What accounts for this sudden slew of gout therapies? Jill U. Adams investigates.
Long thought of as passive bystanders, glial cells are coming under increasing scrutiny as mediators of inflammatory disease in the nervous system. Now, some drug makers are hoping they can be targeted pharmacologically. Cormac Sheridan reports.
Algae have long been touted as a rich and ubiquitous source of renewable fuel but thus far have failed to be economically competitive with other sources of energy. Could new advances change that? Emily Waltz investigates.
Two small companies developing therapeutic vaccines against hypertension are blazing a trail for immune treatments that address diseases of lifestyle with massive markets. But doubts linger over the safety of eliciting an immune response to normal body constituents. Jill U. Adams investigates.
The blood-brain barrier has confounded the development of many neurological treatments over the years. Now, several companies are claiming they can tackle the problem. Alan Dove reports.
One bottleneck in next-generation sequencing is genomic sample selection. As research groups tackle the problem, companies are seizing a market opportunity. Ken Garber reports.
Companies offering direct-to-consumer genomic information face tough questions about who regulates them, where they fit in health care and how to value their services. What will it take to move them from niche services to a broader customer base? Jeffrey Fox reports.
Deep sequencing technology could soon be competitive with certain array applications. But the jury remains out on which of the myriad platforms will have the greatest impact and broadest application. Amy Coombs investigates.
The FDA's Office of Oncology Products has come in for stinging criticism from drug developers, advocates and even a US legislator over the use of surrogate endpoints. Has the agency struck the right balance between speed and caution? Malorye Allison investigates.
Receiving only a fraction of the investment set aside for biofuels, biomaterials will likely have to piggyback on technological advances in energy production to compete with petroleum-based products in the marketplace. Emily Waltz reports.
