News & Comment

As the weather turns colder in the northern hemisphere, cases of colds and flu rise again, reminding us of the impact of pathogens on our lives.

This special issue of NSMB examines the structural organization and function of chromatin and its dynamic regulation.

Starting with the structure of the nucleosome and continuing with histone modifications, chromatin-remodeling complexes, silencing factors and more, a detailed and dynamic picture of chromosomal DNA transactions has emerged.

Inherited mutations in BRCA genes predispose individuals to breast, ovarian and other forms of cancer. Although emerging data are helping to define the roles of BRCA proteins and their links to inherited forms of these diseases, much is still unknown about the more prevalent sporadically occurring cancers.

A committee assembled by the US National Academies has examined why women scientists and engineers are underrepresented in leadership positions in academic institutions and scientific and professional societies. If the committee's recommendations are implemented, it should improve the working environment for both women and men.

Scientists coin new terms, or neologisms, at a tremendous pace, but name choice can have unforeseen results.

An interesting and diverse meeting last month reminds us of the importance of supporting basic science research.

Meetings and conferences are the best places to feature the latest results coming out of the laboratory. Unfortunately, not enough researchers take advantage of these opportunities.

Scientists have a crucial role in educating the public about the importance of science if we are to have any hope of facilitating future innovation. A few notable scientists have taken this duty to heart, altering their career tracks to promote science and education.

Eukaryotes transcribe much of their genomes, but little is known about the fidelity of transcriptional initiation by RNA polymerase II in vivo. I suggest that ∼90% of Pol II initiation events in yeast represent transcriptional noise, and that the specificity of initiation is comparable to that of DNA-binding proteins and other biological processes. This emphasizes the need to develop criteria that distinguish transcriptional noise from transcription with a biological function.