News & Views in 2002

New studies are elucidating the genetic pathways that control the in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neural cells.

T cells genetically modified to express a peptide–MHC complex, normally involved in the induction of autoimmunity, can kill pathogenic T cells and inhibit autoimmune disease.

Stimulating engineered T cells with a powerful immunogen enhances their ability to kill tumor cells.

The recently determined high-resolution crystal structure of the bacterial multidrug resistance transporter AcrB brings us one step closer to the design of more effective therapeutic agents.

Arabidopsis thaliana has been engineered to contain two bacterial enzymes to help it remove arsenic from contaminated soils.

B-cell lines that hypermutate their immunoglobulin genes can be exploited to generate antigen-specific antibodies.

The Plasmodium falciparum genome sequence will facilitate the identification of novel classes of antimalarials and new vaccine candidates that bring the control of malaria in humans one step closer.

Two reports on immortalized neural precursor cells, seeded in a biodegradable polymer scaffold or directly injected in the injured brain, offer insights into the repair of damage from stroke and Parkinson's disease.

The genome sequence of Shewanella oneidensis reveals a breathtakingly versatile respiratory electron transport chain system.

Characterization of novel multifunctional proteins involved in assembly of the enediyne natural products C-1027 and calicheamicin furthers the potential of combinatorial biosynthesis.

By combining a refined Agrobacterium tumefaciens–mediated transformation protocol with stringent selection, researchers have succeeded in isolating gene-targeted rice plants with surprisingly high efficiency.

Development of a genetic switch based on a photosensitive protein signals the beginning of light-based biological engineering.

Gene-deleted adenovirus vectors modified to carry the Sleeping Beauty transposon machinery achieve long-term transgene stabilization and expression.

Cloned cattle engineered to carry an artificial chromosome encoding human immunoglobulin genes are a significant leap toward the production of safer and more potent therapeutic antibodies.

Reducing a cytokine's affinity for its receptor increases its ability to be reused and recycled, and could enhance its therapeutic potency.

Growing human embryonic stem cells in an environment free of mouse feeder cells lowers the risk of cross-species infection but does little to clarify what makes stem cells “tick.”

By the imprinting of a molecular memory in their core, dendrimers can be tailored to bind to defined molecular targets in a selective and reversible fashion.

Activity-based profiling of proteomes is a powerful strategy for identifying the functional participants in complex biological processes.

Microbially powered fuel cells tap into an abundant ecosystem energy circuit.

The cloning of zebrafish by nuclear transfer from long-term-cultured cells opens a new avenue for gene targeting in this important model organism.