Words that inspire a research endeavor

Why should early-career scientists publish in society journals by Stephen K. Dolan et al.
mBio. 2024 15(1):e0199423. 16 Jan 2024 doi: 10.1128/mbio.01994-23.

The Race to Save the World’s DNA by Matthew Hutson
The New Yorker. 9 Aug 2023

Seed germination variability: why do genetically identical seeds not germinate at the same time? by Eshan Sharma et al.
J Exp Bot. 2023 Mar 22;erad101. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad101.

Say what? The principal investigators who pass down wisdom through humour by Amanda Heidt
Nature. 2023 616(7958):849-850. 27 Apr 2023 doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-01373-7.

Parrots taught to video call each other become less lonely, finds research by Hannah Devlin
The Guardian. 21 Apr 2023

Institutions’ role in trainee success by Keith R Yamamoto
Science. 2023 379(6639):1308. 31 Mar 2023 doi: 10.1126/science.adh3723.

How green is your research? These scientists are cutting their carbon footprints by Myriam Vidal Valero
Nature. 2023 616(7955):16-17. 28 Mar 2023 doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-00837-0.

How not to chatter like a toddler when giving a scientific presentation by David Rubenson
Nature. 2023 21 Mar 2023 doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-00832-5.

A beginner’s guide to evidencing your teaching practice by David Smith et al.
Biochem (Lond). 2023 bio_2023_110. 20 Mar 2023 doi: 10.1042/bio_2023_110.

The paradox of the life sciences: How to address climate change in the lab by Nikola Winter et al.
EMBO Rep. 2023 24(3):e56683. 6 Mar 2023 doi: 10.15252/embr.202256683.
“Slow science and a focus on quality instead of quantity could help improve sustainability.”

A critical analysis of plant science literature reveals ongoing inequities by Rose A. Marks et al.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 120(10):e2217564120. 28 Feb 2023 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2217564120.

Tweezers, water, mulberry paper: my toolkit for repairing ancient Japanese art by Rachael Pells
Nature. 2023 614(7949):802. 20 Feb 2023 doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-00513-3.

Students and postdocs deserve more by Shirley M Malcom et al.
Science. 2023 379(6632):519. 10 Feb 2023 doi: 10.1126/science.adh0336.

ChatGPT: five priorities for research by Eva A M van Dis et al.
Nature. 2023 614(7947):224-226. 3 Feb 2023 doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-00288-7.

Classroom assistance: the scientists turning the tools of their trade to education by Amber Dance
Nature. 2023 613(7942):203-205. 3 Jan 2023 doi: 10.1038/d41586-022-04509-3.

The Fossil Flowers That Rewrote the History of Life by Ben Crair
The New Yorker. 2 Jan 2023

The road less travelled? Exploring the nuanced evolutionary consequences of duplicated genes by Emily Anna Baker et al.
Essays Biochem. 2022 66(6):737-744. 8 Dec 2022 doi: 10.1042/EBC20220213.

Evolution: Divergent trajectories predate the origins of animals and fungi by Dagmar Jirsová et al.
Curr Biol. 2022 32(21):R1242-R1244. 7 Nov 2022 doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.047.

Reflections on the past, present and future of developmental biology by Claudio D Stern
Dev Biol. 2022 488:30-34. Aug 2022 doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.05.001.

“Seek simplicity and distrust it” by Frank Gannon
EMBO Rep. 2022 Jul 5;23(7):e55402. 5 Jul 2022 doi: 10.15252/embr.202255402.

Taking a LEAF out of the green lab book by Charlotte Houghton et al.
Biochem (Lond). 2022 44(3):2–5. 12 May 2022 doi: 10.1042/bio_2022_110.

In search of plan B, I found plan A by Alexandria Hughes
Science. 2022 376(6589):210. 7 Apr 2022 doi: 10.1126/science.abq3425.

The underappreciated art of creating publication-quality figures by David R Smith
EMBO Rep. 2022 23(5):e55114. 4 May 2022 doi: 10.15252/embr.202255114.

Liberal-arts education helps scientists think and communicate by Scott M Williams
Nature. 2022 603(7902):578. 22 Mar 2022 doi: 10.1038/d41586-022-00786-0.

Bench science by K Heran Darwin
EMBO Rep. 2022 23(2):e54435. 3 Feb 2022 doi: 10.15252/embr.202154435.

A mentor’s journey by Georgia Fousteri
Science. 2022 375(6578):350. 20 Jan 2022 doi: 10.1126/science.ada0097.

Ditch gendered terminology for cell division by Peter White et al.
Nature. 2021 599(7886):556. 23 Nov 2021 doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-03490-7.

Q & A Shinichi Nakagawa by Shinichi Nakagawa
Curr. Biol. 2021 31(22):R1454-R1455. 22 Nov 2021 doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.037.

Biology must generate ideas as well as data by Paul Nurse
Nature. 2021 597(7876):305. 13 Sep 2021 doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02480-z.

Good presentation skills benefit careers – and science by David Rubenson
Nature. 2021 594(7864):S51-S52. 24 Jun 2021 doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-01281-8.

On the lifetime of bioinformatics web services by Fabian Kern et al.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2020 48(22):12523-12533. 16 Dec 2020 doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1125.

We aren’t good at picking candidate genes, and it’s slowing us down by Ivan Baxter
Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 2020 54:57-60. Apr 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.01.006.

Novelist Cormac McCarthy’s tips on how to write a great science paper by Van Savage et al.
Nature. 2019 574(7778):441-442. 17 Oct 2019 doi: 10.1038/d41586-019-02918-5.

Turning the periodic table upside down by Martyn Poliakoff et al.
Nat. Chem. 2019 11(5):391-393. May 2019 doi: 10.1038/s41557-019-0253-6.

Opinion: How to Give Better Talks by David Rubenson
The Scientist. 8 Oct 2013
“All too often, speakers prepare presentations for themselves.”