Life During a Pandemic Understanding the Virus Is Just the Beginning
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Illumina® is a registered trademark of Illumina, Inc. © Copyright 2020, New England Biolabs, Inc.; all rights reserved. JULY/AUGUST 2020 Contents THE SCIENTIST THE-SCIENTIST.COM VOLUME 34 NUMBER 07/0 8 READING-IKKANDA LUCY Features ON THE COVER: © GETTY IMAGES, ARTUR DEBAT ISTOCK.COM, PONOMARIOVA_MARIA; ISTOCK.COM, © 24 32 40 The Limits of R0 The Isolated Brain Stemming the Tide of Cancer Biology, sociology, and mathematics meet What a lack of socializing might T cells with stem cell–like in a single statistic used to quantify the mean for cognitive function properties may be key to making transmissibility of an infectious agent. BY CATHERINE OFFORD immunotherapies work. The result is a shaky metric that BY DANIEL E. SPEISER policymakers are using to craft public AND WERNER HELD health policies amidst the pandemic. BY KATARINA ZIMMER ISTOCK.COM, RCLASSENLAYOUTS; ISTOCK.COM, © 07/08.2020 | THE SCIENTIST 3 Looking for a new career in the life sciences? Search for a job that will spark an innovation. Visit The Scientist’s careers portal to find the best postdoc positions, explore alternative career opportunities, or simply keep up to date on the postings in your area. facebook.com/TheScientistCareers twitter.com/CareersTS linkedin.com/company/the-scientist careers.the-scientist.com JULY/AUGUST 2020 Department Contents 16 11 GUEST EDITORIAL 58 READING FRAMES Scientists and Racial Justice Dissecting the Pandemic What we can and must do to Although there is much yet to make science more equitable learn about COVID-19 and the BY JOSEPH GRAVES global spread of the disease, AND ERICH D. JARVIS some lessons have emerged. BY DEBORA MACKENZIE 16 NOTEBOOK Old Birds, New Tricks; More than 60 FOUNDATIONS Kisses; Bead Networking; Fly Multiple Causes, 1931 Forensics BY CATHERINE OFFORD 23 MODUS OPERANDI IN EVERY ISSUE Modular Antiviral Antibodies 10 CONTRIBUTORS Using bacterial superglue, 13 SPEAKING OF SCIENCE researchers create potent 59 THE GUIDE virus-neutralizing multimers. 46 BY RUTH WILLIAMS 46 THE LITERATURE How breastfeeding her children reduces a woman’s risk of diabetes; blood-borne microbial signatures for detecting cancer; fruit flies elucidate link between the Y chromosome and aging 48 PROFILE CORRECTIONS: In the June story “Old Enzymes Learn New Tricks,” a table erroneously For the Greater Good described the role of a UUU sequence in the synthetase for lysine (LysRS) Through groundbreaking during HIV infection. The June profile of Noel Rose was updated to recognize the work of UK studies on dengue fever scientists Deborah Doniach and Ivan Roitt on autoimmunity and to clarify and efforts to build scientific that in 1951 the University at Buffalo was not yet a State University of New York school. UB became affiliated with SUNY in 1962. 54 infrastructure in Latin America, ISTOCK.COM, MARK KOLPAKOV ISTOCK.COM, The Scientist regrets the errors. © Eva Harris has bridged research with its benefits to society. PUZZLE ON PAGE 13 BY DIANA KWON BNKPQ 51 SCIENTIST TO WATCH RESEARCH GRUB RUAOAA Luis Alvarez: Bone Painter AGAR KI NES I CS BY SHAWNA WILLIAMS OEITK WATSON CURVED KELLY FINAN; MODIFIED FROM KELLY 54 BIOBIZ DUIR © ZEBRAS COCCYX Pandemic Pipelines NGEIJ How biotech and pharma FORENS IC ULNA companies pivoted to COVID-19 IOAAII LEFEBVRE; research and development EDEN MED ICI NE SEAEE LOUIS BY DIANA KWON 07/08.2020 | THE SCIENTIST 5 JULY/AUGUST 2020 Online Contents THIS MONTH AT THE-SCIENTIST.COM: VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO Blowing in the Wind Peace and Cell Biology Cure Against All Odds Watch Critic at Large author and public See profilee Eva Harris explain her early Jean Macnamara, a pioneer in the treatment health researcher Matthew Dacso wail on learning environment and how she sees of polio patients and the subject of this issue’s tenor saxophone during a 2010 concert with the cell as a metaphor for human society Foundations, comes to life in the form of a South African musician Ringo Madlingozi. in this HHMI biography. Google Doodle to celebrate what would have been her 121st birthday. AS ALWAYS, FIND BREAKING NEWS EVERY DAY ON OUR WEBSITE. Coming in the September issue • When and how people populated South America • Genomic inquiries shed light on ancient hominin evolution in Africa. • Understanding how cell collectives make complex structures • What is a scientist’s role in policymaking? AND MUCH MORE ISTOCK.COM, FRANKRAMSPOTT ISTOCK.COM, © 6 THE SCIENTIST | the-scientist.com 1000 N West Street Suite 1200 Wilmington, Delaware 19801 E-mail: [email protected] EDITORIAL DESIGN ADVERTISING, MARKETING, EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD AND PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATION EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James Allison Bob Grant PRODUCTION MANAGER ASSOCIATE SALES DIRECTOR University of Texas [email protected] Greg Brewer Key Accounts MD Anderson Cancer Center Ashley Haire [email protected] Deborah Blum MANAGING EDITOR [email protected] Knight Science Journalism Jef Akst ART DIRECTOR Program at MIT [email protected] Erin Lemieux SENIOR ACCOUNT [email protected] EXECUTIVES Jack Gilbert SENIOR EDITORS Western US, Western University of California, Kerry Grens VIDEO PRODUCTION Canada, ROW San Diego COORDINATOR [email protected] Karen Evans Joseph L. Graves, Jr. Roger Blanchard [email protected] Joint School for Nanoscience Shawna Williams [email protected] and Nanoengineering [email protected] Northeast US, Eastern Canada, Europe Erich Jarvis ASSOCIATE EDITORS CREATIVE SERVICES Dana Sizing Rockefeller University Catherine Offord DIRECTOR [email protected] Ellen Jorgensen [email protected] Kristie Nybo Biotech Without Borders ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE [email protected] Ashley Yeager Midwest and Southeast US Mary Claire King [email protected] ASSOCIATE SCIENCE EDITORS Anita Bell University of Washington Kathryn