Research Highlights in 2014

One of the first genome sequences produced on a handheld nanopore sequencer shows the platform's potential as well as its challenges.

A 'bump-and-hole' strategy probes individual BET bromodomains.

Recent improvements in tissue 'clearing' techniques permit their application to a variety of tissues and their combination with immunohistochemistry.

Bacterial populations get outfitted with stable analog genetic memory.

Proximity-specific ribosome profiling reveals the exquisite specificity of translation at the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial outer membrane.

RNA-based toggle switches designed from first principles show high dynamic range and orthogonality.

Chemically induced mutations on the fruit fly X chromosome reveal the genetic basis of certain human neurologic disorders.

Lipid-coated carbon nanotubes can insert themselves spontaneously into lipid bilayers and live-cell membranes.

Two independent groups develop tension probes based on molecular beacons to measure mechanical stimuli in live cells.

Researchers use sequence coevolution information to predict the structures of protein complexes.

Thin optical lattices can be used to generate light sheets in order to image dynamic processes at high spatial and temporal resolution.

A transposase can link sequence fragments together for accurate haplotyping and genome assembly.

Imaging of electrical activity in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans is possible with the improved genetically encoded voltage sensors Archer1 and Archer2.

CRISPR-Cas9 is not just for DNA anymore: RNA targeting is also achievable.

Protein structure changes can be charted on a global scale with a method that couples limited proteolysis with mass spectrometry–based proteomics.

A twist on the MAPPIT method enables studying protein-protein interactions within living mammalian cells.

Two surveys of the transcriptome hint at unexpected diversity in the breadth of mRNA modifications.

As a tool for light-dependent protein clustering, cryptochrome offers many opportunities to manipulate and query processes in the cell.

Researchers grow genetically stable organoids from mouse and human prostate cells in the lab and establish patient-derived lines that model prostate cancer.

Imaging in a narrow region of near-infrared wavelengths reveals blood vessels at unprecedented depth and resolution without the need for a cranial window.