Nature News highlights: 23 July 2013

Can't view this email? Click here to view in your browser.     23 July 2013       nature news alert • Read Nature's news online • Subscribe to Nature Your weekly update from Nature's global news team.               See what nature is hiding  BD Horizon™ Brilliant Violet™ polymer conjugates are brighter than traditional dyes and can help identify cell populations with lower receptor density than previously possible. Learn how to resolve rare and dim cell populations with our expanded set of tools and information and request a free sample at bdbiosciences.com/go/brilliant.          • Featured               Nature Special: Learning in a digital age ▶       From massive open online courses (MOOCs) to digital tools that provide tailored learning experiences, technology is transforming the 21st century student. This special collaboration between Scientific American and Nature looks at aspects including the rise of the virtual lab, the impact on developing countries, tips on how to make a MOOC, and much more. Read More ▶                   Biofuels for aviation  A report produced in Brazil by Boeing, Embraer and FAPESP describes opportunities and challenges for more sustainable development of biofuels for aircraft  Stem cells are the key to understanding Alzheimer's disease Sign up for FAPESP's free weekly newsletter to know the latest developments of Brazilian science         • Latest News               Losing a single pollinator species harms plants ▶ 22 July 2013     The impact of bee decline has been underestimated by past computer simulations. Read More ▶             Indonesia's mud disaster probably had natural causes ▶ 22 July 2013     Earthquake, not drilling, likely caused 2006 eruption in Java. Read More ▶             Weeds warrant urgent conservation ▶ 22 July 2013     Report finds that more than half of the wild relatives of 29 globally important crops are not adequately conserved in seed banks. Read More ▶               • More Stories               Stem cells reprogrammed using chemicals alone ▶ 18 July 2013     Patient-specific cells could be made without genetic manipulation. Read More ▶             Giant viruses open Pandora's box ▶ 18 July 2013     Genome of largest viruses yet discovered hints at 'fourth domain' of life. Read More ▶             Gut microbes keep species apart ▶ 18 July 2013     Intestinal flora dooms hybrid offspring of cross-breeding wasps. Read More ▶             World's slowest-moving drop caught on camera at last ▶ 18 July 2013     Once-forgotten 'tar pitch' experiment yields results after seven decades. Read More ▶             Eco-label seafood body attempts to convince critics ▶ 17 July 2013     Group claims its sustainability label has produced environmental improvements worldwide. Read More ▶             Italian universities get report cards ▶ 17 July 2013     First comprehensive ranking confirms quality gap between north and south. Read More ▶             Researchers turn off Down's syndrome genes ▶ 17 July 2013     Silencing extra chromosome in cell cultures could lead to new treatments for the disorder. Read More ▶             Education online: The virtual lab ▶ 17 July 2013     Confronted with the explosive popularity of online learning, researchers are seeking new ways to teach the practical skills of science. Read More ▶             Seven days: 12–18 July 2013 ▶ 17 July 2013     The week in science: Antarctic glacier sheds massive iceberg, Indian nuclear reactor moves forward, and Hubble reveals blue-hued exoplanet. Read More ▶             Hunt for mystery GM wheat hots up ▶ 17 July 2013     Investigators hope to track origins of the transgenic crop. Read More ▶             Don't market stem-cell products ahead of proof ▶ 17 July 2013     The controversy over an unproven stem-cell therapy in Italy highlights the dangers of doing translational medicine in reverse, argues Paolo Bianco. Read More ▶             Lasers boost space communications ▶ 17 July 2013     Optical systems set to handle planetary science's big data. Read More ▶               • Newsblog               Read up to the minute coverage of research and science policy. Genome assembly contest prompts soul-searching Monsanto drops bid to have GM crops approved in Europe UK medical research regulators spared the axe Cabinet reshuffle shakes up Canadian science UK animal research increases again Senate bill would boost NIH budget to $31 billion in 2014 German cardiologist's stem-cell papers attacked Europe's politicians vote to resuscitate carbon market Management row threatens to blow Sahara solar dream NIH sees surge in open-access manuscripts more...                     Nature proudly sponsors the Imagine Science Film Awards Where science meets cinema Submit your film and compete for the $2,500 Nature Scientific Merit Award and the $1,000 Nature Audience Award www.imaginesciencefilms.org/festival/submit-your-film             Nature Neuroscience FOCUS ON NEUROTECHNIQUES   The rapid pace of technological innovation has opened up many new avenues for exploring the brain. This special issue focuses on recent advances in methods and techniques that are pushing the frontiers of neuroscience.   Read this Focus online: www.nature.com/neuro/focus/neurotechniques           • Jobs           naturejobs.com Science jobs of the week       Associate Professor     University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy            Senior Lecturer / Lecturer (2 posts)     University of the Western Cape            Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Synthetic Biology     University of Surrey            Chair- University of Toronto, Department of Medicine     University of Toronto            Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering     University of the Sunshine Coast          No matter what your career stage, student, postdoc or senior scientist, you will find articles on naturejobs.com to help guide you in your science career. 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