Magazine

November-December 2003

Current Issue

November-December 2003

Volume: 91 Number: 6

Specialized Strepomyces bacteria, similar to these S. coelicolor mutants, produce most of the antibiotics used for human and veterinary medicine, plus many other commercially relevant drugs and enzymes. Current molecular technology allows almost any protein to be used as a potential therapeutic or industrial compound, but many require some re-optimization before they can be used outside of their normal cellular environment. In "Survival of the Fittest Molecule," Willem Stemmer and Brett Holland describe how directed evolution can be used to quickly develop many kinds of superior proteins, such as vaccines, antimicrobials and even laundry detergent. (Courtesy of Tobias Kieser, John Innes Centre, Norwich, U.K.)

In This Issue

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Computer
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • Environment
  • Evolution
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Physics
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Technology

The Centers of Planets

Sandro Scandolo, Raymond Jeanloz

Physics

Aging: A Biological Perspective

Robert Arking

Biology Evolution

A variety of techniques extend the lives of model organisms, and similar approaches might help human beings stay healthy longer

Survival of the Fittest Molecule

Willem Stemmer, Brett Holland

Biology Evolution Medicine

Biochemists harness a novel form of evolution to sculpt new compounds for the fight against dengue fever, cancer and other modern plagues

The Origin of Gold in South Africa

Jason Kirk, Joaquin Ruiz, John Chesley, Spencer Titley

Physics

Ancient rivers filled with gold, a spectacular upwelling of magma and a colossal meteor impact combined to make the Witwatersrand basin a very special place

Moving Up in the World

Mark Aldenderfer

Anthropology

Archaeologists seek to understand how and when people came to occupy the Andean and Tibetan plateaus

Scientists' Nightstand

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