Geology

The bird virus binds to cells in different regions of the human airway from those favoured by human influenza viruses; Japanese researchers have found evidence of methane-bearing fluid inclusions in about 3.5-billion-year-old hydrothermal precipitates; A set of molecular pedals that is powered by light and twists another molecule is reported

The problem of possible hazards brought about by earthquakes such as building collapse and loss of lives, especially in major urban metropolis like Metro Manila, must be addressed by city planners, building officials and structural engineers.

Summaries of newsworthy papers from Nature including An organic thyristor, Sequence of chromosome 18 completed, Surprising diet and lifestyle of ancient microbe revealed, Climate models underestimate air pressure changes and Landscaping by Amazonian ants