Occasionally science makes procedures possible that are so radical that those at the interface between science and politics are called on to define moral standards for society.

The p53 protein is widely studied for its function as a tumour suppressor, preventing cancer. It emerges that this protein also has an essential physiological role in regulating embryo implantation in mice.

The atoms and bonds that make up complex solids can be identified chemically — a feat made possible by cleverly combining spectroscopic and structural information conveyed by electrons scattered through a thin sample.