Welcome to eLife Magazine Highlights – a fortnightly newsletter featuring some of the latest content published in our magazine. In today’s newsletter, read about drug design inspired by nature, recent advances in our understanding of insulin secretion, and SARS-CoV2 evasion strategies. Plus, six researchers share how to make working part-time more accessible within scientific institutions.  

— Elsa Loissel, Associate Features Editor

For many animals, survival depends on adopting the right response to a threat, such as deciding between taking flight or hiding in place. Credit: Gyeong Hee Pyeong (CC BY 4.0)

Sleep, eat, repeat

Abnormal exposure to light early in the night can disrupt our internal clock and delay sleep. Investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms reveals a central role for an enzyme known as CDK5.

2-minute read

Sneaking between cells

SARS-Cov2 can cause neighboring cells to fuse, allowing the virus to spread through tissues while remaining hidden from the immune system. New research shows how proinflammatory cytokines, a group of signaling molecules important during infection, help block this viral strategy.

2-minute read

Thrill of the chase

To freeze, or to flee? When it comes to correctly responding to threats of various intensities, a small group of neurons seems to hold the key.

2-minute read

Beta Cells: Opportunity makes a hub or a leader

Blood sugar levels are kept within a healthy range thanks to specialized cells in the pancreas coordinating with each other to release pulses of insulin. In this Insight article, Marjan Slak Rupnik discusses a new eLife study that helps decode how this characteristic production pattern emerges.

4-minute read

Disrupting droplets

Some proteins have long flexible regions that enable them to flock together and organise themselves in membrane-less ‘condensates’. New work uncovers the guiding principles that could allow scientists to better predict which mutations threaten the stability of these structures.

2-minute read

Drug Discovery: How to exploit the recycling system of a cell 

E3 ligases ensure that the right proteins are targeted for destruction in a cell. As these enzymes are often involved in disease, designing compounds that can bind and inhibit them holds tremendous therapeutic potential; it is, however, also notoriously difficult. This Insight article examines a recent approach published in eLife, which lays a strong foundation for future drug development by taking inspiration from natural interactions. 

4-minute read

Point of View: To be, or not to be, part-time

Being part-time has clear benefits for both employees and employers, but this work pattern is rare among academics. This Feature article explores the opportunities and challenges associated with part-time working, and offers guidance on what institutions and funders can do to better support it. 

24-minute read

What the eLife Magazine team is reading

The War on Science. What’s happening? What can you do about it?

Many researchers have been left feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the recent onslaught of measures targeting science and scientists in the United States. To help those wanting to advocate for science within their community, Laura K White of the University of Colorado has shared a template presentation for others to reuse. 

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