November 2006

• Stem cells treat wasted muscles

  Standfirst

  Dogs with muscular dystrophy walk better after injections.

  news@nature.com

  (15 November 2006); doi:10.1038/news061113-13

• Natural painkiller found in human spit

  Standfirst

  Compound in saliva could be more powerful than morphine.

  news@nature.com

  (13 November 2006); doi:10.1038/news061113-4

• The chips are down

  Standfirst

  Geneticists' desire to track the roots of complex diseases has shaken up the market for gene chips. Meredith Wadman reports on two firms jostling for position in a business potentially worth US$500 million.

  news@nature.com

  (15 November 2006); doi:10.1038/444256a

• Blind mice see after cell transplant

  Standfirst

  Study suggests newborn cells best for transfer.

  news@nature.com

  (8 November 2006); doi:10.1038/news061106-10

• Synthetic gene firms evolve toward sustainable business?

  Standfirst

  A raft of companies offering stretches of synthetic DNA built to customer specifications at low-cost have been attracting biotechs attention with promises of ever-longer stands.

  news@nature.com

  (2 November 2006); doi:10.1038/nbt1106-1304

• Power up your memory bank

  Standfirst

  A stimulating night's sleep improves recall.

  news@nature.com

  (5 November 2006); doi:10.1038/444133a

• Troublesome gene names get the boot

  Standfirst

  Potentially offensive names to be scrubbed from human genetics.

  news@nature.com

  (6 November 2006); doi:10.1038/news061106-2

• Kudos, not cash, is the real X-factor

  Standfirst

  X Prize targets rapid-fire sequencing of individual genomes.

  news@nature.com

  (18 October 2006); doi:10.1038/443733a

• One gene between tiny dogs and giant ones?

  Standfirst

  Size study highlights possibilities of the dog genome.

  news@nature.com

  (13 October 2006); doi:10.1038/news061009-12

• Gene mutation turns girls into boys

  Standfirst

  A genetic switch that produces testes has been found.

  news@nature.com

  (15 October 2006); doi:10.1038/news061009-14

• Brain changes may suggest suicide risk

  Standfirst

  Suicidal behaviour linked to serotonin receptors.

  news@nature.com

  (16 October 2006); doi:10.1038/news061016-1

• Is your smile in your genes?

  Standfirst

  A study suggests that facial expressions may be hereditary.

  news@nature.com

  (16 October 2006); doi:10.1038/news061016-2