2018-04-27

便携式诊断工具是在CRISPR-Cas基因编辑生物学系统基础上开发出来的，它能够从患者样本中快速、高度敏感地检测到病原体。封面图上展示的是在沙中绘制的寨卡病毒衣壳的概念性插图，突出强调了在偏远地区设置应用这些工具用于检测和追踪疾病的重要性。

Portable diagnostic tools developed on the basis of CRISPR-Cas biology enable rapid, highly sensitive detection of pathogens in patient samples. A conceptual illustration of a Zika virus capsid drawn in the sand highlights the promise of deploying these tools for detection and tracking of disease in remote settings.

2018-05-04

封面上展示的这幅荧光显微法合成图像是一种拟南芥花，它具有6个雄性器官（花粉囊），用来承载花粉粒（图中内部的蓝点），以及中间的雌性器官（子房），承载着2行胚珠（图中浅蓝色部分），花粉管（图中橙色线状部分）通向胚珠。Wudick等人描述了一个特定的蛋白质家族在分类和运送谷氨酸受体的过程中所扮演的角色——就像通道一样，它会推进钙离子流，从而影响花粉管的生长及种子的生产。

Fluorescence microscopy composite image of an Arabidopsis flower with six male organs (anthers) bearing pollen grains (blue dots inside) and the central female organ (ovary) bearing two lines of ovules (light blue) targeted by pollen tubes (orange lines). Wudick et al. describe a specific protein family's role in sorting and transporting glutamate receptor?like channels, which drive calcium currents and thus affect pollen tube growth and seed production.

2018-05-11

封面图上展示的是起源于朝鲜半岛的东方铃蟾。在20世纪，随着宠物交易的范围不断扩大，这一物种也被作为宠物买卖，但是它们却携带了一种真菌病原体——蛙壶菌。全基因组测序表明，东亚是这种壶菌遗传多样性的热点地区。随后，这种真菌的高毒性谱系出现并导致了全世界范围内的野生两栖动物物种大规模减少。

Fire-bellied toads, Bombina orientalis, originate from the Korean peninsula. This species entered the expanding pet trade in the 20th century, carrying with it the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Whole-genome sequencing reveals that East Asia is a hotspot of genetic diversity for this chytrid fungus. Subsequently, hypervirulent lineages of the fungus have emerged and caused mass decline in wild amphibian species the world over.

2018-05-18

除草剂（图中点状图形）是被设计用于杀死杂草的，但是某些植物（例如封面图正中间展示的这株植物）已经对这些物质产生了抗药性。尽管公众对抗生素耐药性的认识正在逐渐增加，但用于保护农作物免受害虫、杂草和病原体侵害的化学物质的耐药性呈现一种令人担忧的扩散趋势，对这一问题却没有得到充分的重视。

Herbicides (dots) are designed to kill weeds, but some plants (such as the one shown at center) have become resistant to these substances. Whereas public awareness of antibiotic resistance is increasing, the alarming spread of resistance to chemicals used to protect crops against pests, weeds, and pathogens is less well appreciated.■