News & Views in 2009

Quantum dots that are small and non-blinking offer new opportunities for dynamic single-molecule imaging in live cells.

A multilaboratory study demonstrates the potential for establishing quantitative targeted proteomic assays for moderately to highly abundant plasma proteins.

A near-infrared fluorescent protein opens a window into the mammalian body.

Bacterially derived minicells loaded with siRNA reverse drug resistance in tumor xenografts.

Addition of a photodegradable group to the backbone of synthetic hydrogels enables real-time control of the material's chemical and physical properties.

Biological validation of a cadre of new obesity genes supports the power of studies that exploit 'expression quantitative trait loci'.

Crystal structures of a mammalian multidrug efflux pump bound to peptide inhibitors may reveal drug-binding sites.

Antisense oligomers targeted to CAG repeats allow allele-specific knockdown of the gene that causes Huntington's disease.

Synthetic gene networks can be readily redesigned using new libraries of quantitatively characterized promoters coupled with predictive mathematical modeling.

Antibodies can be programmed to bind cancer cells using covalently binding antigens and adapters.

The MoBY-ORF collection of barcoded yeast genes provides mechanistic insights into antiproliferative compounds.

Metagenomic analysis of gastrointestinal bacteria sheds light on obesity.

Are long, intervening noncoding (linc) RNAs a new class of functional transcripts?

Two groups have combined padlock probes and massively parallel sequencing to characterize cytosine methylation in targeted regions of the human genome.

U1 adaptors offer an alternative to siRNA for targeted gene knockdown.

Different subsets of bone marrow stem cells can be mobilized by varying drug treatments.

Targeting transposon mutagenesis to a specific tissue facilitates screening for tumor-associated genes and tracking of tumor lineages.

A microscopy technique based on stimulated Raman scattering achieves label-free imaging with very high sensitivity.

Simultaneous targeted perturbations illuminate the structure and function of regulatory networks.