2022-10-14

像许多病毒一样，SARS-CoV-2使用分子武器中和宿主的免疫反应。例如封面图上展示的，许多病毒蛋白质可以抑制人体干扰素反应的步骤（不同的蛋白质排列和颜色表明不同的基因编码）。有兴趣的读者可以在https://scim.ag/ViralArsenal上找到该新闻专题的互动版本。

Like many viruses, SARS-CoV-2 deploys a molecular arsenal to neutralize the host's immune response. Many of the viral proteins shown here suppress steps in the body’s interferon response, for example (the arrangement and colors of the proteins indicate which genes encode them). An interactive version of the news feature can be found online at https://scim.ag/ViralArsenal.

2022-10-21

封面上的高倍放大图像展示的是姬红蛱蝶翅膀的图案，它是由彩色鳞片拼接而成的。一组共享的高度保守的基因调控序列显示出对跨物种颜色模式形成的掌控，这表明翅膀图案的形成发展基于一个古老的遗传结构。

Butterfly wing patterns are mosaics of colored scales, as shown in this high-magnification image of a painted lady (Vanessa cardui) wing. A shared set of deeply conserved gene regulatory sequences are shown to control color pattern formation across species, suggesting that an ancient genetic architecture underlies wing pattern development.

2022-10-28

封面图展示的动物骨架是1891年在爱尔兰搁浅的年轻雌性蓝鲸“希望”，它被悬挂在伦敦自然历史博物馆的天花板上，图片拍摄于博物馆在COVID-19大流行闭馆期间，馆内空空荡荡，没有一名游客。“希望”的头骨出现在一项关于哺乳动物的新研究中，该研究展示了物种的生态和生活史对其进化的节奏和速度具有怎样的影响。

The skeleton of Hope, a young female blue whale that beached in Ireland in 1891, is suspended from the ceiling of London’s Natural History Museum, pictured here empty of visitors while the museum was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hope’s skull features in new research on mammals that shows how the ecology and life history of species shape the tempo of their evolution.

2022-11-04

封面图展示的是人类大脑的两半球间连接有不同的轴突管径。这张来自大脑中部的图像呈现出轴突的横截面，较暖的颜色（图中黄色部分）表示较厚的轴突。这些精密协调的连接使大脑的运作得以完美实现。

The human brain's primary interhemispheric connections have different axonal calibers. This image, from the middle of the brain, represents a cross section of the axons, with warmer colors (yellow) indicating thicker axons. These finely attuned connections allow for the perfect orchestration of the brain’s symphony.