At the conclusion of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory phage symposium this weekend, James Watson, bedecked in tennis whites, concluded Sunday?s sessions in his inimitable fashion, touching on a range of topics and cutting straight to the point.

On the subject of the advanced bacterial genetics course offered annually at CSHL, he believes it should be around for another ten years but wonders if it will be around for a 75th anniversary, since we can?t predict where science will lead us... Click to continue

University of Washington genome scientist, Maynard Olson, spoke this weekend at a symposium at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in honor of the 60th anniversary of the phage course, where he discussed molecular evolution in chronic bacterial infections. Analysis of whole genome sequences of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen responsible for chronic lung colonization in patients with cystic fibrosis, reveals an evolutionary ?weakening? of the bacterium over time, resulting in a much less virulent... Click to continue

University of California Davis scientist, John Roth, speaking this morning at the Cold Spring Harbor 60th anniversary phage course symposium, discussed the tendency towards bacteria and phage laboratories becoming increasingly marginalized at many universities. It?s ironic, really, given their still powerful role for elucidating molecular mechanisms. One reason, he suggests, may be as simple as poor PR and a failure to communicate science appropriately. With so much research couched in abstract... Click to continue

This weekend, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Phage Course with a two day symposium led by some of today?s most notable molecular biologists. First organized by Max Delbruck in 1945, the course has been instrumental in shaping the field of molecular biology. Delbruck assembled a small but diverse group of scientists to tackle fundamental biological questions using phage as a simple model system. By the mid-1970s, cloning and transposons sparked a genetic... Click to continue