News & Comment

As biomedical research prioritizes human models and translational promise, classic model organisms are increasingly dismissed. Here we argue that they have a lasting value, both in enabling discovery and in cultivating scientific thinking, by training researchers in systems reasoning, integrative thinking and independent inquiry.

We hypothesize that stress-induced RNA structural changes, stabilized by RNA-binding proteins in biomolecular condensates, propagate via conformational catalysis in a prion-like manner across generations. Our model suggests that RNA structure encodes heritable memory, and its roles should be explored in epigenetic inheritance, evolutionary adaptation and disease.

June is the month celebrating Pride in the USA and other countries around the world to honour the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, as well as all progress and current strives claiming equal justice for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In this piece, we are talking to Jan Żylicz, associate professor and group leader at Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, about the importance of celebrating Pride, his views on representation in science and his personal scientific journey as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Recent literature has explored the contributions of oligodendrocytes and myelin dysfunction to Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we discuss emerging evidence that oligodendrocytes may directly contribute to disease pathology and progression.

We announce a cross-journal pilot at Nature Portfolio journals with a goal of implementing standardized light and fluorescence microscopy reporting to improve methodological description and aid in reproducibility efforts.

Creating clear and engaging scientific figures is crucial to communicate complex data. In this Comment, I condense principles from design, visual perception and data visualization research in a checklist that can help researchers to improve their data visualization, by focusing on clarity, accessibility and design best practices.