CONTENTS
April 2008
Biomedical researcher P. MICHAEL CONN has been stalked, barred from getting into his lab, and accused of heinous crimes by a handful of animal rights activists. He’s stopped his colleagues from opening letters containing poison-laden blades, unknowingly hired an undercover activist, and been told an FBI search of an activist’s home turned up an index card with his home address. He shares his story from the frontlines of the war against animal research. |
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When Australian scientists failed to find a virus to control one of the most insidious invasive species, they decided to build one. BRENDAN BORRELL visits Australia and asks: Is it worth the risk? |
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The NCI’s bioinformatics network, caBIG, integrates cancer data from all over the US. Its goal, says KENNETH BUETOW, is to speed the transition from research to therapy. Researchers using these tools have already published more than 45 articles, differentiating, for example, two types of squamous cell carcinoma using a panel of 10 genes. |
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EDITORIAL Speaking Your Mind Most life scientists are working at an enormous disadvantage, and their resentment is growing. Plus assess the impact of monolingualism in science. COLUMN No to Negative Data Why I believe findings that disprove a hypothesis are largely not worth publishing. TRIBUTE Saying Goodbye Joshua Lederberg (1925-2008) was one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century, and my good friend. OPINION What About Congress? Electing a proscience president is only half the battle. Notebook The Agenda; Going batty; A trial, decoded; More mice by mail?; A Jewish pig geneticist; Doctor double dip FOUNDATIONS A Microplate Reader, circa 1981 PROFILES A Fierce Competitor Christine Jacobs-Wagner’s studies of a bacterial species have changed how scientists think about cell shape and polarity. Scientist to Watch: Ken-ichi Noma For the love of yeast BIOBUSINESS: Reinventing the Antibody Coming up with an entirely new approach to cancer therapy can be a headache, as Micromet’s Christian Itin has learned. THE LITERATURE Hot paper: The Small Side of Cancer Can microRNAs help diagnose, classify, and stage human cancers? Hot paper in Oncology: mTOR double punch Hot paper in Metabolism: Common resistance Hot paper in Genetics: The short silence Citation Classic: 50 Years Ago in Immunology A cancer biologist recalls his work on immunosuppression. LAB TOOLS Amplifying Trouble How to get robust results from your dodgiest PCR. Plus, profiles of PCR users: Northern alternative; Staying clean; Dilution; Defixation; and Single cells. And Tips for tricky PCR CAREERS Click to Submit Want a better way to submit grants electronically? Find out the pros and cons of the most widely-used programs: Cayuse; ProposalCENTRAL; and Customizable Product Suites |