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Looking for the Non-obvious

When it's all said and done, a project often leads to an obvious follow-up study— oh, you found this effect in mice, will you see in it people, too? "An abundance of obvious-next-step experiments creates a buzz of activities and excitement that is quite palpable among graduate students, postdocs, and professors alike," writes Nikolai Slavov, a postdoc the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at The Scientist.

However, he says that while those follow-up studies create enthusiasm, they are unlikely to be revelatory projects. "Few of the most-tempting experiments are likely to bring genuinely new perspectives to standing problems," Slavov argues. "In fact, I find that the more obvious an experiment is to me, the less likely it is to evoke a new perspective, no matter what new and fashionable technologies are used.

Instead of asking themselves how they can pursue their work down all its twists and turns, Slavov says that researchers should instead ask themselves: “How can I chart a course that’s truly worth following?”

The Scan

Machine Learning Helps ID Molecular Mechanisms of Pancreatic Islet Beta Cell Subtypes in Type 2 Diabetes

The approach helps overcome limitations of previous studies that had investigated the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic islet beta cells, the authors write in their Nature Genetics paper.

Culture-Based Methods, Shotgun Sequencing Reveal Transmission of Bifidobacterium Strains From Mothers to Infants

In a Nature Communications study, culture-based approaches along with shotgun sequencing give a better picture of the microbial strains transmitted from mothers to infants.

Microbial Communities Can Help Trees Adapt to Changing Climates

Tree seedlings that were inoculated with microbes from dry, warm, or cold sites could better survive drought, heat, and cold stress, according to a study in Science.

A Combination of Genetics and Environment Causes Cleft Lip

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers investigate what combination of genetic and environmental factors come into play to cause cleft lip/palate.