In the May Editorial, Nature Methods' Editors list their top ten pet peeves about conference presentations. Check out the list and add your tips!

Posted by Veronique Kiermer at 01:00 PM | Permalink

Experimental comparisons of methods, technology platforms or reagents are time-consuming and expensive, but hugely beneficial. An Editorial in the April issue of Nature Methods illustrates how such comparisons have been very useful for scientists in various research disciplines. Nature Methods has now adopted an article format called ‘Analysis’ to accommodate publication of such comparative analyses. Broad guidelines of what the editors will be looking for are provided in the April Editorial.

Posted by Veronique Kiermer at 01:00 PM | Permalink

Starting in March, Nature Methods strongly recommends deposition of proteomics data to public repositories before manuscript submission. An Editorial in the March issue describes the motivation of this decision and comments on the public repositories that are now available to proteomics researchers.

We welcome your comments on this move.

Posted by Veronique Kiermer at 01:56 PM | Permalink

While the technology feature, “DNA sequencing: generation next-next”, was at press, Pacific Biosciences of Menlo Park, California stunned the community with their announcement of a single molecule sequencing technology they claim will provide a complete human genome in 15 minutes by the year 2013. Although Pacific Biosciences was founded in 2004, the company had been very ‘hush hush’ about their technology development. But that veil of secrecy was lifted during the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology meeting held February 6th to 9th at Marco Island, Florida where Stephen Turner, chief technology officer, presented the first preliminary data on the system.

Continue reading "Next-next DNA sequencing" »

Posted by Allison Doerr at 09:45 AM | Permalink

Check out Nature Methods' February 2008 issue, featuring several methodological aspects of structural genomics and structural biology. A Commentary provides an overview of the efforts of the US-based Protein Structure Initiative, a Review from multiple, worldwide structural genomics consortia provides a consensus strategy for expressing and purifying recombinant proteins, a Perspective provides a user-friendly guide to protein crystallization, and the Technology Feature shows a day in the life of a structural genomics facility. Additionally, the Editorial discusses some of the criticisms that structural genomics efforts have faced, as well as some of the beneficial results.

What are your thoughts about structural genomics? Share your comments here!

Posted by Allison Doerr at 10:09 AM | Permalink