The SOlar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) on the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) measures stars in the ultraviolet (250 nm) via stellar occultation. While the satellite observes these stars, the line-of-sight towards the star passes through the Earthʼs atmosphere and the signal from the star decreases due to Ozone absorption, however, some of these signals act...

Protein-folding codes embodied in sequence-dependent energy functions can be optimized using spin-glass theory. Optimal folding codes for associative-memory Hamiltonians based on aligned sequences are deduced. A screening method based on these codes correctly recognizes protein structures in the "twilight zone" of sequence identity in the overwhelming majority of cases. Simulated annealing for ...

The mesopelagic or 'twilight zone' of the oceans occurs too deep for photosynthesis, but is a major part of the world's carbon cycle. Depth boundaries for the mesopelagic have now been shown on a global scale using the distribution of pelagic animals detected by compiling echo-soundings from ships around the world, and been used to predict the effect of global warming on regional fish production.

Controversy often follows when patents are obtained in a pioneering area of technology. Patent filing activity in the field of regenerative medicine and in relation to stem cells in particular has not escaped opprobrium, although it is instructive to compare the nature of the debates that are taking place over the patenting of stem cells in the US and Europe. In the US, debate over the early pa...

One of my favorite traditions is giving books to students who graduate from my lab or complete the training program I run. This has come to encompass a wide range of titles to suit a variety of science interests. For this column, I selected some favorite genetics and geneticsrelated books from different shelves of my own collection that have not been covered by the excellent recommendations ear...