Iodine atoms can be fitted with a chemical jacket to control the conversion of simple carbon chains into complex iodine-containing molecules. Previously, such reactions were only possible with enzymes.

Most common diseases arise from interaction between multiple genetic variations and factors such as diet. Studies of such diseases that exploit the rich data on variation in the human genome are just beginning.

More than 150 subglacial lakes have been discovered beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. The four most recent additions, found right at the start of fast flow in a large ice stream, suggest that the lakes influence ice dynamics.