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Nature Biotechnology asks a selection of leaders from across biotech to look at the future of the sector and make some predictions for the coming years.

BACKGROUND A diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) often leads patients to search online for information, which can expose them to information of varied quality. OBJECTIVE We conducted a qualitative systematic review of websites for patients that contain information regarding AF. METHODS The following terms were searched on 3 search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing): AF for patients, What is AF, AF patient information, AF educational resources. Inclusion criteria were websites with a focus on comprehensive AF information, containing information about treatment options, and written in English. We excluded websites requiring membership subscription, linked to abstracts or manuscripts, or developed by private clinics. We used the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT-P/PEMAT-AV) for printable/audio-visual material to assess understandability and actionability (score range 0-100). Those with PEMAT scores of >70 meaning acceptable understandability and actionability, underwent DISCERN score to assess information content quality and reliability (score range 0-80). RESULTS The search yielded a total 720 websites which underwent full review. After excluding duplicates and those not meeting the inclusion criteria, 48 underwent full scoring. Mean overall PEMAT-P score was 68.5±17.2. Mean PEMAT-AV score was 61.1±9.4. Of the websites that scored >70% PEMAT-P, 20 (42%) underwent DISCERN scoring. Mean DISCERN score was 54.7±4.5. CONCLUSIONS There is a wide variation in the understandably, actionability and quality of websites that provide information to patients with most websites not providing patient level materials. Knowledge of quality websites could provide an important adjunct for improving individuals’ knowledge about their condition

Bacterial biofilms are a complex architecture of cells that grow on moist interfaces, and are held together by a molecular glue of extracellular proteins, sugars and nucleic acids. Biofilms are particularly problematic in human healthcare as they can coat medical implants and are thus a potential source of disease. The enzymatic dispersal of biofilms is increasingly being developed as a new strategy to treat this problem. Here, we have characterized NucB, a biofilm-dispersing nuclease from a marine strain of Bacillus licheniformis, and present its crystal structure together with the biochemistry and a mutational analysis required to confirm its active site. Taken together, these data support the categorization of NucB into a unique subfamily of the ββα metal-dependent non-specific endonucleases. Understanding the structure and function of NucB will facilitate its future development into an anti-biofilm therapeutic agent.

When starved, Bacillus subtilis cells can enter the developmental programme of endospore formation by activation of the master transcriptional regulator Spo0A. Correct chromosome copy number is crucial for the production of mature and fully resistant spores. The production and maintenance of one chromosome for the mother cell and one copy for the forespore requires accurate co-ordination between DNA replication and initiation of sporulation. Here, we show that Spo0A regulates chromosome copy number by directly binding to a number of Spo0A binding sites that are present near the origin of replication (oriC). We demonstrate that cells lacking three specific Spo0A binding sites at oriC display increased chromosome copy numbers when sporulation is induced. Our data support the hypothesis that Spo0A directly controls DNA replication during sporulation by binding to oriC.