Blog updates suspended

As of 15 February 2005 we are no longer maintaining this Weblog.  We hope to pick the blog up again at some point in the future.

The Editors

New in Science: 7 January 2004

Just posted on www.sciencemag.org:

An editorial by Don Kennedy, kicking off Science's 125th Anniversary year (plus:  PDF editions of Science's first issues).

A new essay series, Global Voices of Science, spotlights views of the scientific enterprise from researchers worldwide.

--From Gonzalez et al.: The number of copies of an anti-HIV factor gene varies among ethnic groups, contributing to their different susceptibilities to HIV infection and AIDS (on Science Express; with accompanying News story).

--From Lohi et al.: A seizure disorder common in such dogs as dachshunds and basset hounds is caused when a 12-nucleotide sequence is repeated in a gene involved in protein degradation.

--From Hall et al.: Analysis of the genomes, transcribed genes, and proteins of two malaria parasites reveals a common set of expressed genes, in addition to others that act in response to specific life-stage pressures.

--From Seshadri et al.: An anaerobic bacterium contains 19 reductive dehalogenases and five hydrogenases, consistent with its unusual ability to dechlorinate pollutants to form nontoxic ethenes.

--From Carvalho and Clark: The genes usually found on the Y chromosome are located elsewhere in one Drosophila species, suggesting that its original Y was dispersed to other chromosomes and the present Y evolved relatively recently (with accompanying Perspective).

--From Indjeian et al.: As half of the DNA is pulled into each daughter cell during division, a protein ensures that the DNA stays attached to the cytoskeleton fibers by monitoring their tension.

--And, from the News Department: Confusion over avian flu; a genomic view of animal behavior; new antimalarials in short supply; and the ethical quandaries of tobacco-related (and -funded) research.

RSS feeds for Science Online

The Web sites at Science Online now offer a series of RSS feeds.  Have a look at www.sciencemag.org/rss/ for more information.

Biotech 2005

Year-end 2004 is upon us -- and that means it's time for year-end wrap-ups and looks ahead.  Along those lines, TheStreet.com offers a nice roundup of the biotech sector's propsects for 2005.  One key, the article argues, will be the fate of some new drug releases expected early in the year.

New in Science: 17 December 2004

Just posted on www.sciencemag.org:

Science's annual Breakthrough of the Year feature, reviewing the top science stories of 2004.

--From Fukuhara et al.: Excess abdominal fat increases the risk of metabolic disease, but unexpectedly produces a protein with some insulin-like beneficial properties (on Science Express; with accompanying Perspective).

--From Chworos et al.: Like pieces of DNA, floppier RNA fragments can self-assemble into a wide array of preprogrammed, three-dimensional patterns (with related Perspective).

--From Liao and Seeman: A molecular machine primed with arbitrary DNA strands translates these chemical signals into unrelated polymers assembled into a specific order (with related Perspective).

--From Shimizu et al.: The gene that prevents self-pollination has been inactivated recently in Arabidopsis as a result of positive selection, possibly explaining the expansion of the plant’s range.

--From Kusch et al.: To fix errors in the genome, a Drosophila protein switches a modified DNA scaffold protein for an unmodified one, altering DNA structure in preparation for repair.

--From Fish et al.: A new origin of replication in mitochondrial DNA is preferentially used for steady-state maintenance of DNA integrity.

--From Nemoto et al.: Three proteins, each separately implicated in aging, together regulate mouse life-span in response to nutrient availability.

--From Guogas et al.: In a plant virus, a protein can bind to RNA to stabilize an unusual structure that is required for replication and contains a kinked backbone and reverse base pairs.

--From Arnett et al.: One of two related transcription factors controls myelination of neurons during development and the other after demyelination in adults.

--And, from the News Department: Experts warn against censoring science; a mutant gene is tied to poor serotonin production; WHO adds more "1918" to pandemic predictions; and a profile of Richard Villems.

New in Science: 3 December 2004

Just posted on www.sciencemag.org:

--From Ogawa et al.: Harmful bacteria disguise their identity by coating telltale surface proteins with other proteins, thereby escaping digestion by the cells they invade (on Science Express).

--From Schultz et al.: The hydrogen bonds in aminopyridine clusters rapidly and efficiently dissipate energy from ultraviolet light, accounting for its stability and, by analogy, perhaps that of DNA.

--From Mees et al.: X-ray bombardment of a light-sensitive DNA repair enzyme bound to a DNA lesion triggered catalysis by the enzyme, yielding the structure of a reaction intermediate.

--From Wadsworth et al.: Polymorphisms in the prion gene can prevent transmission of prions between species and determine the symptoms of the resulting disease (with related Perspective).

--From Goyenvalle et al.: A corrected version of a diseased muscle protein, formed by eliminating the defective part of its messenger RNA, restores function in mice with muscular dystrophy.

--An editorial on clinical trials and public trust.

--And, from the News Department: A postelection spending squeeze for U.S. science agencies; long-term stress nips chromosomal tips; using genetic data to map human history in Asia; a European plan for merit-based funding; and nail-biting time for COX-2 drug trials.

New in Science: 26 November 2004

Just posted on www.sciencemag.org:

--A special section on cell signaling, with Viewpoint articles and tie-ins to signaling connections Maps on Science's Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment.

--From Bonhoeffer et al.: The effect of multiple mutations on the growth of HIV is less than expected from the sum of their individual effects, contradicting current genetic theories of sexual reproduction (with related Perspective).

--From Kulathinal et al.: During the evolution of Drosophila, genetic mutations commonly canceled out the effects of other, harmful mutations.

--From Lee et al.: Bayesian combination of connections from protein interaction and microarray studies in yeast yields a gene interaction map that is more robust than that produced by only one approach.

--From Shapiro et al.: A sharp decline in the genetic diversity of fossil bison in Eastern Siberia and North America began about 35,000 years ago, when glaciers were advancing, not later when human hunting peaked. (with related News article).

--From Houghton et al.: The stem cells that give rise to gastric cancer in mice are derived from bone marrow, not from the local epithelia as previously assumed (with related News article).

--From Dorigo et al.: The 30-nanometer-wide fiber of chromatin is formed by two side-by-side helices of nucleosomes, not a single helix as suggested by the classical solenoid model (with related Perspective).

--From Francis et al.: A development protein silences chromatin by inducing the nucleosomes to cluster (with related Perspective).

--And, from the News Department: A National Academies report on the politics of science advising; the NIH gets an earful on its public-access proposal; new data on an appetite-suppressing peptide; China looks at GM rice; and physical scientists are looking for NIH funding opportunities.

Americans' Biotech Attitudes

The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology has released the results of a new analysis (based on surveys and focus groups) of Americans' attitudes toward genetically modified foods.  According to PIFB, the analysis found that "regardless of their attitudes about GM food, a majority of Americans support a strong regulatory system for GM foods, and that their discomfort increases as genetic engineering technology shifts from plants to animals."  You can read more, including the full report [PDF], at the Pew Web site.

The Next Four Years

Wired News offers an analysis of the implications of the Bush team's electoral victory for science over the next four years -- in areas ranging from science education and global warming to renewable energy and, yes, stem cell research.

New in Science: 19 November 2004

Just posted on www.sciencemag.org:

--From Tomita et al.: In a cyanobacteria, cycling of a component of the circadian clock is driven by its periodic phosphorylation, not by periodic transcription or translation as in other species. (on Science Express).

--From Raoult et al.: A huge virus that infects amoebae contains genes that are not usually part of the viral repertoire and defines a family of ancient nucleocytoplasmic DNA viruses.

--From Gao and Innan: The rate of gene duplication during evolution of yeast is 100 times slower than previously thought.

--From Ando et al.: Unlike previous fluorescent labels, a protein derived from coral can be repeatedly and reversibly excited to visualize movement of molecules across the nuclear membrane.

--From Tomari et al.: When double-stranded RNA turns off homologous gene expression, a protein within the silencing machinery selects and uses the more stable of the two RNA strands as a sequence guide.

--From Zimmermann et al.: A previously unknown enzyme may be important in degrading and producing energy from fat and could provide a drug target for treating obesity.

--A Perspective by Wickens and Gonzalez on the proteins that cleave RNA.

--And, from the News Department: a cautious green light to smallpox experiments; a targeted AIDS vaccine strategy; and insights on aging, the genetic roots of milk tolerance, and prostate cancer, from the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics.