News & Comment

Reproducibility in science is a prominent topic in both lay and scientific press. But a new facet of this discussion has arisen in a recent comparison of two pharmacogenomic studies, and it calls for an evaluation of how we interpret science in the face of discrepant results.

Insulin-producing islet cells could hold the secret to curing type 1 diabetes—if only scientists could figure out a way to encapsulate and transplant them into the body. But first, the right biocompatible material must be found to hold these precious cells. A team of bioengineers thinks it has discovered one. Elie Dolgin reports.

On 27 January, the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) will welcome George Koob as its new permanent head. A neurobiologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, for the past 30 years, Koob, 66, made his name both in the study of alcoholism and in addiction to other substances. His work has long been funded by both NIAAA and NIDA. Elie Dolgin spoke with Koob about what he thinks sets alcohol research apart.