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The article elaborates on the study conducted by Charles Cobb, a neurosurgeon at the California Pacific Medical Center, in San Francisco, California. Aside from practicing his profession, he is also a virus hunter, Since 1998, he studied on whether viruses have an association with brain tumours. He and his co-authors discovered that the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) needs a particular cellular receptor, normally involved in growth-factor signaling, to infect a type of cancer cell in the brain. He found out that this type of virus causes defects at birth and fatal diseases in immunocompromised people, especially patients with AIDS. People who are infected with the virus is associated with the occurrence of glioma, an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer that is difficult to treat.

The article analyzes the missing link between T lymphocytes and psoriasis. The observations of Immunologist Yan Zheng and his colleagues at the company Genentech in San Francisco, California are discussed in detail. An overview of the cause for the white cell infiltration into the skin and the role of IL-22 in causing the disease of psoriasis, through experimentation on mice, is presented. The article also presents the observations of Wenjun Ouyang on TH 17 and T22 to find the missing link.

The article discusses the research being conducted by molecular biologists Robert Place and Long-Cheng Li in San Francisco, California on microRNA (miRNA), a type of genetic regulator that dampens gene expression. According to the author, both scientists believe that their research has found miRNAs that could boost gene expression in cells. The author says that their work could generate a heated response in the field of RNA interference, which is the study of how short pieces of RNA regulate the expression of genes.

The article profiles Matthew Lewin, an emergency-care doctor with a specialty in widlerness medicine. In addition to operating as a medic in places such as Chile, Peru and Mongolia, he has released more than 40 papers on work that ranges from defensive behaviour of moth larvae and exotic parasites to how to open the throat of a person during improvised surgery. He has trained U.S. special-forces medics, national-park responders and medical students at the University of California in San Francisco, California, in methods to treat patients in the field.

Discusses a legal case about whether a plasmid discovered at and patented by the University of California at San Francisco contributed to the early success of Genentech, Inc. Evidence of the conflict in the pages of `Nature'; How the case shows the commercial pressures on the biotechnology industry.

Describes progress in the legal case in which the University of California, San Francisco, alleges that Genentech Inc. infringed on its patent for DNA for human growth hormone. Hormone leading to the development of the drug Protropin; Views of Genentech executives about the case; Details about key testimony; Problems with a paper published in `Nature' related to the case; Colleagues who have had to tesify against one another. INSET: Who's telling the truth about crucial plasmid?.

The article profiles Vishva Dixit who is the vice-president of Genetech which is a biotechnology company based in San Francisco, California. Dixit grew up in Kenya where both his North Indian parents were practicing physicians. His interest in deaths also began in childhood from the forensic-pathology books that his parents kept at home. Dixit determined to become a pathologist for the reason that it offered him the most of the choices and because of his preoccupation with death. One of the things that Dixin exposed was a completely new form of cellular signalling.

Focuses on emeritus dean of research and graduate policy at the Clark Center, Charles Kruger's discussion on the Stanford University in Palo Alto, California's Bio-X multidisciplinary programme, at the Biotechnology Industry Organization's annual meeting in San Francisco. Significance of the center's proximity to various departments; Tools used for recruitment; Types of people who work in an interdisciplinary environment.