Research Highlights in 2008

To scale up the production and complexity of DNA nanostructures, researchers enlist the help of Escherichia coli to replicate and assemble them in vivo.

An algorithm for identifying allosteric mechanisms allows researchers to assemble a functional multidomain protein and may offer new evolutionary insights.

A diamond impurity holds great promise for nanoscale magneto-optical resonance imaging.

Chemical-genetic manipulation of enzyme activity allows specific memory erasure in the mouse.

Researchers describe a method for protein identification and quantification based on electron-vibration-vibration two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy.

New findings challenge the assumption that aggregate genotype data, in which the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiles of many people are pooled, conceal the identity of the individuals within that pool.

A co-infection model of two pathogens in a nematode yields insights into the complex interaction between the microbes.

Researchers use microfluidics, a fluorescent reporter and modeling to quantify yeast's response to glucose availability.

Researchers describe a method for evolving G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) with greater stability and enhanced expression.

Several studies evaluate high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays for the detection of copy-number variations in human genomes.

Fluorescent proteins with new photoswitching properties allow multilabel imaging at a single detection wavelength and dual-color superresolution microscopy.

A web portal to share antibody validation data.

Researchers tested an alternate antibody scaffold, creating so-called Surrobodies.

Two groups used quantitative mass spectrometry to look at changes in protein phosphorylation across the cell cycle.

Researchers use a targeted metagenomic approach to functionally characterize complex microbial communities.

A serendipitous discovery reveals that an existing fluorescent protein is actually a specific sensor for superoxide.