October 2011
Our silver anniversary issue celebrates a quarter century of covering major advances in the life sciences—some in fields that didn’t even exist when we first went to press—and looks ahead to future research milestones.
In celebration of major conceptual advances in biology and the revolutions just over the horizon
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Read about beginnings of neuroscience through the eyes of Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel, and how researchers today envision the future of the field.
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Early sequencing evolved into the publication of genomes for myriad species, including our own, within the span of two and a half decades. Bioinformatician Stephen Friend opines on what’s in store as the next quarter century of omics takes shape.
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Explore the past and present of US research funding, compare the investment priorities of the United States and Europe, and read an opinion from Research!America president Mary Woolley on what scientists need to do to secure the financial future of the US research enterprise.
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At the nanoscale old materials acquire new properties that International Institute for Nanotechnology Director Chad Mirkin thinks will change the way medicine is practiced.
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Learn about the field’s first genetic circuits and read forecasts by George M. Church and J. Craig Venter of a future where man-made organisms pump out novel fuels, drugs, and therapies.
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Ecosystems are failing and extinction rates are soaring. Thomas E. Lovejoy and Edward O. Wilson weigh in on why cataloging existing species, discovering new ones, and maintaining a balanced and diverse global ecosystem are critical for ensuring a habitable environment for all.
CommentTo the great scientific leaps witnessed during our first 25 years, and the game changers yet to come.
The publication I launched a quarter century ago has come further than anyone ever expected.
The mother of disabled twins doggedly pursued the root of her children’s illness and found it in their genome profiles.
Epigenetic perturbations could jump-start heritable variation.
Dried plant specimens reveal the origin of an insect pest that has spread throughout Europe.
As ecotourism becomes more popular, wild apes are succumbing to human diseases.
A selection of quotes from past issues of The Scientist
Editor’s choice in Ecology
Editor’s Choice in Cell Biology
Editor’s choice in Plant Biology
The promise of viruses as biotech tools will help molecular biology fulfill its true potential.
Researchers studying differences in how individuals respond to stress are finding that genes are malleable and environments can be deterministic.
Three gene jockeys share their thoughts on past and future tools of the trade.
From iPhone apps to cloud computing, everyday digital technologies are helping advance drug discovery, conduct clinical trials, and improve medical care.
An early advocate of the sequencing of the human genome reflects on his own predictions from 1986.
Twenty-five years later, the magazine is still hitting many of the same key discussion points of science.
Meet some of the people featured in the October 2011 issue of The Scientist.
By Bruce N. Cronstein
By Carol A. Barnes
By Claudia Sommer & Frank Birklein
By Xiaoyun Shen, Frank M. Orson & Thomas R. Kosten
