March 2011

Infographic: Epigenetics—A Primer

Epigenetic effects regulate the activation or repression of genes in many ways. Here are a few of the molecular tricks, illustrated.
BY STEFAN KUBICEK

Epigenetic Changes in Cancer

The study of how covalent marks on DNA and histones are involved in the origin and spread of cancer cells is also leading to new therapeutic strategies.
BY MANEL ESTELLER

Environmental Impact

Research in behavioral epigenetics is seeking evidence that links experience to biochemistry to gene expression and back out again.
BY DAVID BERREBY

Best Places to Work for Postdocs, 2011

Setting up your own scientific laboratory is no easy task, but this year’s respondents are using their postdoc experiences to prepare for the challenge.
BY CRISTINA LUIGGI

CONTRIBUTORS

MAIL

EDITORIAL

Epigenetics and Society
Did Erasmus Darwin foreshadow the tweaking of his grandson’s paradigm?
ANDREW D. ELLINGTON

CRITIC AT LARGE

Another Revolution Needed?
Counting the many plagues that threaten research in the Middle East and North Africa region
FAHD AL-MULLA

THOUGHT EXPERIMENT

The Mark of Faith
Testing a central tenet of epigenetic regulation
ROBERT E. KINGSTON

NOTEBOOK

Character Flaws?
Two lizard taxonomists champion the use of Bayesian species delimitation to settle taxonomic debates.
VANESSA SCHIPANI

Resistant to Failure
A Duke University researcher survives a sticky situation at a federal research institution to make major strides in determining the genetic roots of Staphylococcus aureus antibiotic resistance.
CRISTINA LUIGGI

Mitotic Hijacker
How a parasite sneakily ensures its own replication
An F1000 Hidden Jewel
RICHARD P. GRANT

Top 7 from F1000
A snapshot of the highest-ranked articles from a 30-day period on Faculty of 1000

One on One: Imprinting Diversity
Joachim Messing talks about how genomic imprinting may be a strong driver of diversity.
CRISTINA LUIGGI

SPEAKING OF SCIENCE

FOUNDATIONS

Medicinal Alchemy, circa 1512
CRISTINA LUIGGI

PROFILE

Ready, Reset, Go
Rudolf Jaenisch enjoys climbing mountains, rafting rapids, and unraveling the secrets of pluripotency—knowledge that could someday lead to personalized regenerative medicine.
KAREN HOPKIN

SCIENTIST TO WATCH

Ted Cohen
Travelling for TB
AMY MAXMEN

THE LITERATURE

The Footprints of Winter
Epigenetic marks laid down during the cold months of the year allow flowering in spring and summer.
RALF MÜLLER AND JUSTIN GOODRICH

Editor's choice in Immunology: Come Inside
RICHARD P. GRANT

Editor's choice in Drug Discovery: Bitter Pill
RICHARD P. GRANT

Editor's choice in Physiology: Calcium Kicks
RICHARD P. GRANT

LAB TOOLS

Sequence Analysis 101
A newbie’s guide to crunching next-generation sequencing data
JEFFREY M. PERKEL

CAREERS

Taking Time for Baby
Having a child changes everything. But it doesn’t necessarily have to disrupt your research while you’re out on leave.
BOB GRANT

READING FRAMES

The Birds and the Bees
A recent book exposes what Darwin got wrong about sexual behavior in birds, and what his error tells us about the evolution of scientific knowledge. You can also read an excerpt of the book here.
TIM BIRKHEAD

Capsule Reviews
Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic That Remains One of
Medicine’s Greatest Mysteries
by Molly Caldwell

The Restless Plant
by Dov Koller
(edited by Elizabeth Van Volkenburgh)

Genetics of Original Sin: The Impact of Natural Selection on
the Future of Humanity
by Christian de Duve
(with Neil Patterson)

Disease Maps: Epidemics on the Ground
by Tom Koch
BOB GRANT