A combination of cellular, biochemical, genetic and genomic techniques have revealed a new molecular player in the production of fat cells in mice, which could improve our understanding of obesity.

The intestine contains distinct subregions specialized for digestion along its anterior-posterior axis, and the stem cells that constantly renew these subregions are not interchangeable.

Skin cells from a patient with retinitis pigmentosa have been used to generate induced pluripotent stem cells, which could potentially form the basis of new treatments for this disease.

Cells from vertebrate and invertebrate model systems can be reprogrammed into stem-like cells using mouse genes.

Computational modelling indicates that C₄ photosynthesis in distantly related plant species arose through a number of independent evolutionary paths.

Cells from the human pancreatic duct can be grown in culture and triggered to become insulin-producing cells, which could potentially be transplanted into patients with diabetes.

The microRNA, miR-146a, is regulated by mutant BRAF/NRAS proteins, and promotes the development of melanoma via increasing Notch signaling pathway, suggesting that combining drugs targeting BRAF/NRAS and Notch may provide an effective melanoma treatment.

The short lifetime of orphan genes is a major factor explaining the stability of gene number in Drosophila.

Quantitative analysis of protein and mRNA expression across a minimally perturbed cell cycle in human myeloid cells has identified myeloid-specific and cell cycle-regulated gene expression, including examples of isoform- and phosphorylation-specific regulation, with all data made available in a searchable, online database.

Combinations of transcription factors can convert pancreatic acinar cells into endocrine α-, β- and δ-cells in vivo.