The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2008 was awarded for studies of the green fluorescent protein; the review by V. V. Verkhusha et al. in this issue is about red fluorescent proteins. How can longer-wavelength-emitting proteins be used in imaging? In a Minireview, J. Drone et al. discuss catalytic, mild, and selective oxyfunctionalization of linear alkanes. The Highlights deal with base-resolved DNA sequencing through selective DNA oxidation (P. Schüler and A. K. Miller) and photoinduced phase transitions in liquid crystals (S. K. Prasad). In an Editorial, C. L. Raston points out the achievements and challenges of chemistry “down under” in Australia and Julius Rebek Jr. answers questions by G. D. Pantoş in an Author Profile.
In the Communications section, T. M. Swager et al. describe gas sensors that are obtained by mechanical abrasion of single-walled carbon nanotubes on paper (a.k.a. drawing, see picture). K. Kataoka et al. present a complex phenylboronate-functionalized micelle that releases siRNA depending on ATP concentration. M. J. Rosseinsky et al. succeeded in the ambient-pressure synthesis of a piezo- and ferroelectric lead-free bismuth-based perovskite. H. W. Lam et al. report on an enantioselective aldol cyclization of enone diones.
