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Materials called hydrogels are made of water-filled polymers.Credit: arkady/Getty

Scientists have found another application for the wonder-tool CRISPR: using it to create smart materials that change their form on command. These shape-shifting hydrogels could be used to deliver drugs at specific targets, such as tumours or sites of infection. “We’re in the CRISPR age right now,” says bioengineer James Collins, whose team designed the application. “It’s taken over biology and biotechnology. We’ve shown that it can make inroads into materials and bio-materials.”

Nature | 2 min read

Reference: Science paper

Current and former co-workers of Alan Cooper, who was this week suspended as leader of the prestigious Australian Centre for Ancient DNA in Adelaide, have described a toxic work environment at the lab. One anonymous current student says they were “frequently paralysed by anxiety and feelings of inadequacy”. Cooper’s suspension follows an investigation into the lab’s ‘culture’. The University of Adelaide has not given a reason for its decision, and Cooper did not respond to Nature’s request for comment.

Nature | 8 min read

The lightest of the three neutrinos has a mass of 0.086 electronvolts at most, meaning it is at least 6 million times lighter than an electron. Researchers established the limits by combining data from surveys of the cosmos and particle-physics experiments.

Nature Research Highlights | 1 min read

Reference: arXiv preprint

Get more of Nature’s Research Highlights: short picks from the latest papers.

FEATURES & OPINION

The World Bank’s funding scheme for disease outbreaks drained potential resources from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, says former World Bank economist Olga Jonas. “I have ploughed through the confusing 386-page bond prospectus,” says Jonas. “It was a good deal for investors, not for global health.”

Nature | 5 min read

Highly-cited articles have five things in common, argues computer engineer Mohamed Elgendi. He used artificial intelligence to assess more than 400 articles and found 5 commonalities: a title of 7-13 words containing certain common words, 6 authors or more, more than 35,000 characters and at least 6 figures and 2 tables. Of course, correlation doesn’t equal causation, he says: papers are highly cited because of the science they contain.

Nature Index | 3 min read

Reference: IEEE Access paper

“It might be easier to try to list what Ann didn’t make a major contribution to,” says particle physicist Matthew Reece of the wide-ranging and influential achievements of theoretical particle physicist Ann Nelson, who died unexpectedly while hiking earlier this month at age 61. Cosmologist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein pays tribute to Nelson’s work and tireless efforts to end discrimination in the field.

Quanta | 6 min read

Physicist Neil Johnson used his understanding of complex networks to explore why current efforts to stop online hate groups aren’t working — and the techniques that might work better. “We give a detailed mathematical description of which clusters to intervene in,” Johnson tells the Nature Podcast.

Nature Podcast | 24 min listen

BOOKS & ARTS

A thoughtful and engaging new book tackles the disconnect between neurology and psychiatry by exploring two medical histories that are usually told separately: syphilis and hysteria.

Nature | 4 min read

SCIENTIFIC LIFE

Moving to a new branch of science is scary, but learning new skills and collaborating with different colleagues can be exhilarating. In the penultimate episode of this six-part series about physics careers, Julie Gould talks to Stuart Higgins, a research associate at Imperial College London, who switched from solid-state physics to bioengineering, and Anna Lappala, who moved from biochemistry to physics.

Nature Careers Podcast | 17 min listen

Living and conducting research in three different countries(Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom) taught medical-imaging researcher Elisabeth Kugler about adapting to different cultures, being confident in herself and developing and maintaining relationships. From making time for the little things, to managing a healthy work–life balance, she shares her top ten take-home messages.

Nature | 4 min read

Six simple strategies can help scientists to communicate effectively with the people who have their hands on the levers of power, say environmental policy advisers Hannah Safford and Austin Brown. They outline how to successfully bend the ears of policymakers.

Nature | 5 min read

Joining a scientific editorial board for an academic journal or a volume of peer-reviewed research papers takes time, but could confer big benefits to your career, says mathematician and writer Susan D’Agostino. She explains how connections gleaned from her editorial experience helped her to win a fellowship and achieve her dream of writing a book.

Nature | 5 min read

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