Cooling the German discussion A unique network that includes philosophers, lawyers and theologians as well as scientists is helping stem cell research in North Rhine-Westphalia to proceed in the face of stiff opposition. By Cormac Sheridan Embryonic stem (ES) cells need extrinsic growth signals. ES cells are shown cultured in the presence (left) and absence (right) of the cytokine LIF (leukemia inhibitory factor). LIF maintains the ES cell's key properti

Alfred Pühler Forty years (and counting) at the forefront of microbiology research have not dimmed Pühler's infectious enthusiasm or voracious work ethic. By Cormac Sheridan Alfred Pühler has been a powerhouse in German microbiological research—initially in the area of plant-microbe interactions and later in industrial microbiology—over the past four decades. But he actually started out in nuclear physics, obtain

Erich Gulbins Uncovering the surprising role of ceramide in different diseases motivates an accomplished young professor. By Cormac Sheridan Erich Gulbins has an arresting idea. The director of the Institute of Molecular Biology, at the University of Duisburg-Essen, reckons that a generic tricyclic antidepressant, the nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor amitriptyline, could play a beneficial role in conditions as diverse and apparent

How Pfizer's team targeted a human receptor to develop a powerful new HIV therapy