In this week's Science, a team of UK researchers report the discovery of a protein complex, dubbed the Human Silencing Hub, or HUSH, that uses heterochromatin to stop the expression of parts of the genome. By adapting a forward genetic screening approach for finding heterochromatin regulators in fruit flies, the team was able to search haploid human cells for genes associated with an epigenetic marker that has been shown to pack normally active genes into heterochromatin. It identified several proteins that together comprise HUSH, and showed how the complex is recruited to genomic loci and causes transcriptional silencing.
Also in Science, a group of scientists highlights bills passed this year by the US House of Representatives that it argues places excessive oversight on science-based regulations and could "weaken the ability of science to inform federal rule-making." The authors suggest, among other things, that there is a need for young scientists to be trained on the governmental advisory process and the importance of public service.