In the latest article in Nature‘s Horizons series, which are visions of the scientific future, Nobel laureate Paul Nurse explores the agenda for treating organisms, at any level, as information machines (Nature 454, 424-426; 2008). It’s his belief that one great challenge for biology is to isolate, in particular within cells, the modules by which information of many types – whether genetic or environmental in ultimate origin – is coded, propagated and interpreted, and how cells are organized so as to process such information. To read this article and the other Horizons, visit the Horizons web focus.

Horizons articles present experts’ visions of the foreseeable future of a research theme. The articles are commissioned by Nature‘s editors, and usually published without peer review, given Nature’s intention of capturing a respected individual perspective. The articles are intended to anticipate the future, but also to influence it.

Previously published Horizons:

A systematic look at an old problem

Thomas B. L. Kirkwood

Chemistry for everyone

Peter Murray-Rust

Building better batteries

M. Armand & J.-M. Tarascon

Evolution of anatomy and gene control

Georgy Koentges

Wiring up quantum systems

R. J. Schoelkopf & S. M. Girvin