Research Highlights in 2011

A fluorescence-compatible tissue-clearing reagent enables light microscopy–based imaging deep in the mouse brain.

Engineering the genetic code of bacteria and worms opens up new possibilities.

In vitro reconstitution of mouse germ cell development makes it possible to convert mouse pluripotent stem cells into primordial germ cells, which go on to generate functional sperm in vivo.

Researchers describe a GFP mimic for fluorescently labeling RNA molecules.

An in vitro system for neurotransmitter release is reported.

Clever design strategies enable researchers to harness nonspecific interactions to achieve highly specific arrangements of nucleic acid nanostructures.

An engineered fluorescent protein reveals electrical spikes in intact bacterial cells.

Engineered nucleases work across species and in isogenic stem cells.

A new chip with a capability to read genomes uses arrays of tiny pH sensors on an integrated circuit to sequence DNA without the need for optics.

Two groups present small molecule–induced degradation systems for controlling protein function in living systems.

Molecularly imprinted polymers act as 'smart' nucleants for protein crystallization.

Researchers produce a mouse embryonic stem cell library along with convenient vectors.

Two structure-driven studies of the culprits behind diseases associated with amyloid fibers give clues to stopping these agents in their tracks.

Expression of a microRNA cluster predicts whether or not a particular human pluripotent stem cell line will differentiate well into neurons.

A next-generation sequencing instrument allows deep quantitative measurement of protein-DNA binding affinity.

Antibodies targeting short sequence motifs found in multiple proteins can be used in a discovery array–based platform.

A combination of techniques is used to measure and model RNA dynamics in dendritic cells.

Researchers adapt split-GFP complementation to single-molecule imaging.