May 2022, Issue 2 Table of Contents
AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE
This Issue
May 2022, Issue 2
Viral Hijacking
Short, unstructured protein segments are key to how pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 interact with their hosts
Feature
Viruses Target Super-Short Protein Motifs to Disrupt Host Biology
Conchita Fraguas Bringas and Jakob Nilsson | May 16, 2022 | 10+ min read
Only recently appreciated as critical components of cellular functions, unstructured stretches of amino acids called SLiMs are key to viral-host interactions.
Freeze Frame
Caught on Camera
Caught on Camera
See some of the coolest images recently featured by The Scientist
The Literature
Salmonella Injection Helps the Mouse Immune System Kill Tumors
Salmonella Injection Helps the Mouse Immune System Kill Tumors
Nanoparticle-coated bacteria can capture tumor antigens and deliver them to immune cells, triggering a response that improved survival rates in mice.
Infographics
Infographic: Salmonella Shuttle Tumor Antigens to Immune Cells
Infographic: Salmonella Shuttle Tumor Antigens to Immune Cells
Nanoparticle-coated bacteria carry cancer-derived proteins to dendritic cells, enabling the immune system to launch a response in a mouse model.
Infographic: Short Protein Motifs’ Role in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Infographic: Short Protein Motifs’ Role in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Known as SLiMs, these stretches of up to 10 amino acids play notable roles in cell biology, including responses to viral invasion.
Scientist to Watch
Giannina Descalzi Studies the Factors Underlying Chronic Pain
Giannina Descalzi Studies the Factors Underlying Chronic Pain
The University of Guelph neuroscientist is scoping out the brain regions and genes that change as a consequence of pain that lasts for months or even years.
Careers
Making the Most of Media Interviews
Making the Most of Media Interviews
As the pandemic has underscored the importance—and benefits—of communicating science to the general public, it’s also highlighted the challenges that researchers can face in speaking with journalists.
Reading Frames
Listen to Extinct Crickets Chirp
Listen to Extinct Crickets Chirp
The land’s first known singer may have sounded like a raspier version of today’s familiar insect fiddlers.