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  • Special |

    The aim of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project was to map functional elements of the genome. The project initially focused on the human genome but was expanded to include the mouse, which has a premier role as a model organism in biomedical research. In this Online Special, Naturebrings together a selection of articles from across publishing houses that collectively describe the key datasets and analyses of the Mouse ENCODE project. The results of the ENCODE project constitute an invaluable resource to the scientific community. Many of the papers collected below also provide a comparison of these functional genome maps, thereby revealing key similarities as well as differences between the mouse and the human.

  • Special |

    As conservation scientists and practitioners converge on Sydney for the once-in-a-decade World Parks Congress, a Nature collection of news, comment, reviews and research explores priorities for protecting the planet.

  • Special |

    Like the night sky, the overall sweep of science in South America can look pretty dark. Brazil is the only country on the continent that spends more than 1% of its gross domestic product on research and development, and even its investment sits far below what other countries of similar means are ploughing into science.

  • Special |

    Two papers published in Naturein January 2014 promised to revolutionise the way stem cells are made by showing that simply putting mature body cells under stress can 'reprogram' them and make them pluripotent — able to develop into any type of tissue in the body. But soon, errors were found in the papers, and attempts to replicate the experiments failed. Haruko Obokata, the lead author, was found guilty of misconduct, and the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, where she worked, was threatened with dismantlement. Five months after publication,Naturepublished retractions of the papers, but the aftermath of the episode is likely to endure for much longer.

  • Special |

    The detection of gravitational waves in the afterglow of the Big Bang — if confirmed — opens a new chapter in astronomy, cosmology and physics.

  • Special |

    The ability to convert somatic cells to pluripotent cells or to a different developmental lineage holds great promise for stem cell-based therapy.

    Image: Victoria Summersby/NPG

  • Special |

    Since its debut in 2000, synthetic biology has grown considerably and now constitutes a vibrant research discipline that promises to transform the world we live in.

    Image: V.Summersby/P. Patenall/NPG