Review Articles in 2013

Fourteen scientists who participated in a recent workshop to identify and address challenges of epigenome-wide association studies summarize their recommendations in this Review.

This Review of force-distance curve-based atomic force microscopy highlights the unique capabilities of the technique to simultaneously image the architecture of complex biological systems and map their physical, chemical and biological properties at nanometer resolution.

At macroscopic scales, the human connectome comprises anatomically distinct brain areas, the structural pathways connecting them and their functional interactions. Annotation of phenotypic associations with variation in the connectome and cataloging of neurophenotypes promise to transform our understanding of the human brain. In this Review, we provide a survey of magnetic resonance imaging–based measurements of functional and structural connectivity. We highlight emerging areas of development and inquiry and emphasize the importance of integrating structural and functional perspectives on brain architecture.

The beginning of the 21st century has seen a renaissance in light microscopy and anatomical tract tracing that together are rapidly advancing our understanding of the form and function of neuronal circuits. The introduction of instruments for automated imaging of whole mouse brains, new cell type–specific and trans-synaptic tracers, and computational methods for handling the whole-brain data sets has opened the door to neuroanatomical studies at an unprecedented scale. We present an overview of the present state and future opportunities in charting long-range and local connectivity in the entire mouse brain and in linking brain circuits to function.

A review of zymography techniques is presented. Zymography approaches yield valuable information about enzyme forms and localization of activity in tissues or in whole organisms.