News Feature

In several labs around Boston, the techniques of genetic and tissue engineering are being used in the name of art. Steve Nadis asks the artists and scientists involved what they gain from this fusion of high culture and cell culture.

Covering a quarter of the sky, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has a bright future as a key astronomical resource, says Govert Schilling.

Neuroscientists at last have a molecular handle on how the brain controls our daily cycle of sleep and wakefulness. This is opening a rich avenue of study that could lead to new therapies for sleep disorders, says Marina Chicurel.

Can Brazil build on its achievement of completing the first genome sequence of a plant pathogen? That may depend on its willingness to reform its universities, say Colin Macilwain and Ricardo Bonalume Neto.

Silicon remains the computer chip industry's material of choice. But for simpler circuitry, it could soon have some surprising rivals. David Voss talks to the scientists who are trying to make electronics go organic.

Small molecules that selectively disrupt the proteins encoded by individual genes could become powerful tools in functional genomics. Trisha Gura explores the nascent but highly promising field of chemical genetics.

Without more money for their research, antidoping scientists will continue to be beaten into second place by pharmaceutically assisted athletes. Alison Abbott reports from the front line of sport's drugs war.

Tiny airborne particles affect the Earth's climate, in part by influencing the formation of clouds. But modelling the effects of these aerosols is proving to be one of the thorniest problems in climatology, says Mark Schrope.

Stunning fossils from Liaoning province have created a boom for Chinese palaeontologists and local farmers alike. Rex Dalton reports from the wild frontier where researchers do battle with the black market.

Progress in neuroscience might be faster if researchers shared their results in a network of databases. But the technical challenges are huge, and reaching a consensus on what to archive won't be easy, says Marina Chicurel.

There has been no new treatment for tuberculosis for three decades. But there is now the potential for a radical resurgence of drug development, says Declan Butler, if the political and industrial climate stays fair.

Geneticists are set to be the winners in a chemical lottery, as a mammoth range of randomly mutated mice promises them off-the-shelf tools for defining gene function. Alison Abbott investigates.

Physicists are setting traps to catch antihydrogen, the simplest element in the mirror world of antimatter. Their results could challenge our picture of fundamental particles and forces, says Alexander Hellemans.

The functioning of terrestrial ecosystems seems to depend heavily on soil biodiversity. But what controls this diversity, and how will it fare in the global greenhouse? Jon Copley digs for some answers.

Where is it best to hunt for genes that underlie cancer and heart disease? Isolated populations such as Iceland's, or ethnic melting pots like the United States? And what are the technological challenges, asks Alison Abbott.

Evolutionary trees constructed by studying biological molecules often don't resemble those drawn up from morphology. Can the two ever be reconciled, asks Trisha Gura

If individual molecules can be made to process information, they could be the answer to the computer industry's prayers. Philip Ball examines the field of molecular logic, which is at last recording some significant achievements.

A company in Massachusetts is seeking permission to market salmon genetically modified to grow faster than normal. Tony Reichhardt explores the potential ecological risks, should the fish escape from salmon farms.