Editorials

Daily rhythms are a constant part of life. This special Focus issue explores the molecular mechanisms that underlie the generation of circadian dynamics.

Here, we announce two policy changes across Nature journals: data-availability statements in all published papers and official Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) validation reports for peer review.

In a common yet effective analogy, a cell can be compared to a fortified city, in which lipid membranes form the defensive walls, and membrane proteins function as gates and checkpoints that control the transit of molecules and information across these walls. We evoke this concept on the cover of this special Focus on Membrane Proteins.

Deciphering the complexity of events at telomeres has enhanced understanding of how telomeres function to maintain genome integrity and how their dysfunction gives rise to human disease.

Sharing source data—the actual measurements and unprocessed images behind the graphical representations used in figures—helps to ensure transparency and reproducibility of research results. We urge our authors to submit and share the source data with their published papers.

Nature and Nature Research Journals start offering anonymity to authors during the peer-review process.

The long-held view that the primary role of RNA is to code for proteins has been severely undermined. This Focus explores the remarkable functional diversity of RNA in light of recent breakthroughs in noncoding-RNA biology.

Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins have central roles in regulating cellular processes and homeostasis. This Focus examines our understanding of the ubiquitination reaction and the mechanisms by which ubiquitin and related modifications affect protein and cellular functions.

As 2014 begins, we look back at our performance over the previous year.

Nature journals' updated editorial policies aim to improve transparency and reproducibility.

The dynamic nature of functional information present in the genome—such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and chromatin organization—is beginning to be uncovered, along with the relationship between epigenomic patterning and developmental decisions or disease.

In this issue of NSMB, we have opened our pages to the research community to express their thoughts about the importance of the Biological Magnetic Resonance Bank as it copes with budget cuts and faces the termination of its funding from the National Library of Medicine in 2014.

Recent research efforts have made great strides in elucidating the process, machinery and mechanisms that control how mRNAs are decoded by ribosomes in the process of protein translation.

Every issue of NSMB is special to us, but this one marks the end of 2011 with two features that deserve extra attention: a Commentary and an Essay Collection. These pieces and the research articles presented in this issue illustrate what NSMB is all about.

As the season changes, daylight shifts and a new year looms, we consider cycles and the intrinsic clock that drives us.

Scientists frequently hear the charge that we need to communicate more effectively with the public. Here are a few ways to facilitate that interaction.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but ensuring that those words make sense is important, especially in the context of a scientific figure. Here are some tips for making your figures count.

“What do cells, genes, transposons, telomeres, RNA silencing and DNA recombination have in common? They were all discovered in plants.” This is how Rob Martienssen emphasizes the contributions of plant research. We asked plant scientists whether their field is getting adequate support and proper recognition and heard a resounding “no.”

While we all make mistakes almost every day of our lives, we try to keep those errors to a minimum—at least in the pages of our journals. Here are a few ways in which Nature journals try to keep the creep of errors at bay.

For many reasons, scientists take a career break lasting from months to several years. Many eventually return but lose their place on the career ladder, working at a level far below their qualifications and talents. Signs of improved access for returners are hugely encouraging.