The 1000 Genomes Project aims to provide a deep characterization of human genome sequence variation as a foundation for investigating the relationship between genotype and phenotype. This resource will aid our understanding of the role of genetic variation in human history, evolution and disease. This NatureSpecial accompanies the publication of the result of the pilot phase of the project, designed to develop and compare different strategies for genome-wide sequencing with high-throughput platforms. The site will be updated with companion papers as they become available.

More than half of humanity now lives in cities, and the urban population is swelling by a million people each week. That concentration of people gives rise to some of the world's greatest problems, but also to its greatest innovations. Natureexamines the special relationship between scientists and cities and how each can bring out the best in the other.

In acknowledgement of the 60th Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates, Naturelooks at the hard work, inspiration and ultimate recognition associated with a life dedicated to scientific enquiry, and how these can be passed to the next generation.

As voters prepare to deliver their verdict on Obama's administration in the 2 November midterm elections, a Naturespecial asks: how has Obama performed on scientific issues, and what does the future hold?

Translational cancer research is forging ahead at an increasing pace. As the molecular pathways that are disturbed in cancer are being unravelled, new therapeutic targets are being identified and novel drugs are being developed. These advances are being translated into clinical trials with a view to providing personalized cancer care, in which the genetic makeup of an individual tumour and other biomarkers can predict the combination of treatments that it will best respond to.

Fluorescence microscopy is acquiring new capabilities as methodological developments allow it to break the diffraction limit. This Collection of articles from several leaders in the field highlights the diversity of super-resolution microscopy techniques being developed and the principles that allow them to overcome this long-standing limitation.

It's a field sparking huge debate - but, despite several setbacks, human embryonic stem cell research looked set to gain momentum in the US this year, backed by hundreds of millions in federal dollars. On 23 August, all that changed after a US judge agreed with a lawsuit contending the research is illegal. In this special, Naturebrings you the latest on the injunction.

Biological processes, such as protein synthesis or trafficking, undergo random fluctuations — 'noise' — that are often detrimental to reliable information transfer, but can also constitute opportunities for more efficient cellular computations. This web focus highlights the most vibrant research on the biological systems that have evolved to harness or exploit cellular noise, with direct implications for cancer, stem cells, ageing and evolution, as published in Natureover the past ten years.

Like the condition itself, advances in understanding and treating Parkinson's disease have come slowly yet inexorably. Finally, however, we might be near the tipping point. With prevalence predicted to exceed 8 million in the next 20 years, new ways to treat Parkinson's disease are urgently needed.

As scientists assess the environmental damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Nature's ongoing coverage brings you the latest from the region.

More than one billion people go hungry today, and the vast majority of them are in low-income countries. Increasing yield sustainably — using less water, fertilizers and pesticides — is going to be a crucial part of the solution. Natureasks what role science has to play in securing food for the future.

The miraculous drugs that keep so many HIV-positive individuals alive have blunted the urgency with which people talk about the AIDS epidemic. Even so, there is a renaissance afoot in HIV/AIDS research, with renewed focus on a cure, more powerful drugs and innovative approaches to prevention.