Issue | March 2007 | March 2007 | The Scientist Magazine®

Contributors

Leonard Hayflick's inverted microscope from the late 1950s laid the foundation for virtually all microscopes in cell culture labs, notes Terry Sharrer here. Hayflick, currently professor of anatomy at the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, came up with "the Hayflick limit" - the number of times a cell can divide before dying - and developed a cell line that has since been used to develop many childhood vaccines. Hayflick's interest in cell mortality m

Editorial

Bucking the Zeitgeist

What happens when biologists and a physicist try to create a grand unifying theory of biology?

Mail

"Invention is alive and well in the US, but innovation - the successful commercialization of invention - is in steep decline." The Trouble with Tech Transfer Ed Silverman's "The Trouble with Tech Transfer" does not put the subject in context and focuses only on anecdotal evidence. Academic tech transfer offices were set up by institutions in response to the Bayh-Dole Act, which The Economist called "possibly the most inspired piece of legislation to be enacted in

Notebook

A cartoon funds research

Credit: Stephen Pincock" /> Credit: Stephen Pincock The oversized, fluffy "Taz" looks decidedly out of place in the gift shop at Narawntapu national park, a wildlife-rich reserve on the north coast of Tasmania. Nearly two feet high, it looms over a small selection of other, more refined, souvenirs. But the plush toy, modeled on Warner Brothers' whirlwind Looney Tunes cartoon character, is on sale for a good cause. Each one raises money for research into Devil Facial Tumor Diseas

The Agenda

POSTDOCS UNITE » Check out our annual survey of the Best Places to Work for postdocs here. Then register for the 2007 National Postdoc Association Annual Meeting in Berkeley, California, from March 30 to April 1. For more information go to www.nationalpostdoc.org. ANTI-AGING » The strategies described here meant to create the everlasting human still belong to the future, but there are plenty of ways to make humans appear ageless now. In Monaco, from March 22-24, physi

The biotech contrarian

Joseph Cortright" />Joseph Cortright If you've been to any Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) convention in the past several years, you'll have noticed dozens of booths staffed by economic development officials from all over the world, all working to lure biotech investment in their regions. Biotech, many seem to believe, is one of the most important drivers of growth and jobs. Joe Cortright disagrees. The economist and vice president of Impresa Consulting in Portland, Oreg

Mummies' parasites

Ana Vicente and her team at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro began their quest for ancient pinworm RNA at San Pedro de Atacama, a pre-Incan village that was once part of an important trade route to the Pacific coast. Considered the driest place on earth, the region boasts 35 mm of rainfall in its wettest years and is considered a veritable time capsule for archaeologists, says paleoparasitologist Adauto Araujo, "There are so many bodies there, that archaeologists no longe

Nobelist's QVC debut

Credit: courtesy of world Almanac library" /> Credit: courtesy of world Almanac library Somewhere between "Bracelet Showcase" and "Now You're Cooking" biologist Ferid Murad made his QVC television debut on January 21, 2007. The winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology graced the studios of one of the largest American home shopping television networks to hawk his new book, The Wellness Solution, penned with QVC's own Medical Wellness Doctor Edward Taub. Taub's regular

The self-experimenter

For an hour each morning Seth Roberts gazes at his own visage in the mirror. His experiments have convinced him that the practice elevates his mood. Credit: Courtesy of Gordy Slack" />For an hour each morning Seth Roberts gazes at his own visage in the mirror. His experiments have convinced him that the practice elevates his mood. Credit: Courtesy of Gordy Slack The last thing Seth Roberts does each night is turn on his bedside timer, and the first thing he does each morning is switch

Uncategorized

Slideshow: A devil of a disease

Slideshow: A devil of a disease by Stephen Pincock var FO = { movie:"http://www.the-scientist.com/supplementary/flash/52874/devil.swf", width:"550", height:"450", majorversion:"8", build:"0", xi:"true"}; UFO.create(FO, "ufoDemo"); Please download the Adobe Flash Player to view this content:

Re-engineering Humans

We challenged experts across fields to imagine a new way to solve the problems of human aging. Our question: What if Humans were Designed to Last? By S. Jay Olshansky, Robert N. Butler, and Bruce A. Carnes Illustrations by Thom Graves When Michelangelo painted The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he portrayed the Renaissance view of humanity as having been molded by the hand of its creator, a "perfect" physical spe

Glossary of retractions

function printAll(){ window.print(); var divs = $('content1','content2','content3','content4','content5','content6','content7','content8','content9','content'); for(i=0; i Glossary of retractions | Print Glossary ARTICLE EXTRAS: Feature: Your Guide to Retractions Letters are often an opportunity for peers to raise concerns over the findings of others published in the journal. Errors raised by one author can stem from the inability to r

Your Guide to Retraction and Non-Retraction Retractions

Your Guide to Retraction and Non-Retraction RetractionsBy Andrea Gawrylewski ARTICLE EXTRAS Glossary of retractions Judging by the press coverage of Woo-Suk Hwang and others in the past few years, you might be forgiven for thinking that study retractions are on the rise. At first blush, the data support that: Among the 5,020 journals in Medline, there were 97 retracted articles in 2006, which is almost four times the 25 in 1997. The climb has not been

Infographic: Metabolic Theory in Elephants and Mice

Infographic: Metabolic Theory in Elephants and Mice Characteristic Units & Formula Mouse Elephant Weight Grams 20 2,000,000 Metabolic rate Watts 4.1 M 0.75 20.5 1226 Metabolic rate/weight Watts/grams 0.018 M -0.25 0.049 0.0027 Heart rate Beats per minute 240 M-0.25 640 36 Lifespan Years 5.3 M0.25 2 35 Heartbeats/lifetime 700,000,000 700,000,000

Audio Slideshow: Discussing Metabolic Theory

Audio Slideshow: Discussing Metabolic Theory var FO = { movie:"http://www.the-scientist.com/supplementary/flash/52862/xmlSlideshow.swf", width:"500", height:"511", majorversion:"8", build:"0"}; UFO.create(FO, "ufoDemo"); Audio Slideshow: Discussing Metabolic Theory. Please download the Adobe Flash Player to view this content: ARTICLE EXTRAS Feature: The Powers That Might Be A metabolic theory for everything Chart: Metabolic Theory in Elephants and Mic

The Powers That Might Be

The Powers That Might BeTwo ecologists and a physicist hone a theory with the potential to unify all of biology. Can they extend its reach while fending off critics? By Bob Grant ARTICLE EXTRAS 1 introduced the group's theory and has been cited more than 700 times. While attracting a fair share of praise, it has also proved a magnet for criticism. "We've created a cottage industry for critics," says Brown, an ecologist at the University of New M

A Metabolic Theory for Everything

A Metabolic Theory for Everything By Bob Grant ARTICLE EXTRAS 1 "It's unfortunate to associate it only with ecology," says Brown. Indeed, metabolic theory has branched from ecology, and its underlying principles and predictions have the potential to serve in a variety of contexts. Urban Planning - This past month in the Harvard Business Review's "Breakthrough Ideas for

Interactive map of results

Top 15 North American InstitutionsClick on a number on the map below to see the top ranking institutions.ARTICLE EXTRAS Feature: Best Places to Work Postdocs Survey 2007 • Top 40 North American institutions • Iowa surges again• Industry postdocs make the grade• Assessing the postdoc experience • Most important factors • Least important factors •UBC is Canada's front-runner• Top 15 North American institutions •M.

Best Places to Work 2007: PostDocs

Best Places to Work 2007: PostDocs It's a simple formula: Start with well-equipped research facilities, add helpful mentors and knowledgeable colleagues, allow researchers the freedom to explore new ideas, throw in enough money and benefits, and you get productive and satisfied postdocs. At least, that seems to be the winning formula for research institutes ranked by their postdocs as being the "Best Places to Work" in 2007. By Ted Agres Related Articles Top 40 Nor

M.D. Anderson tops 2007 list

M.D. Anderson tops 2007 list Courtesy of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center By Andrea Gawrylewski ARTICLE EXTRAS Feature: Best Places to Work 2007 Top 40 North American institutions Top 15 North American institutions Interactive map of results M.D. Anderson tops 2007 list UBC is Canada's front-runner Industry postdocs make the grade Assessing the postdoc experience Most important factors Least important factors After hopping ar

Top 40 North American institutions

Top 40 North American institutions View Printable PDFUse the interactive chart below to sort the top ranked institutions by category. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view the content in each cell. // create ActiveWidgets data model - CSV text table var table = new AW.CSV.Table; // provide data URL - plain text comma-separated file table.setURL("/supplementary/csv/52902/institutions.csv"); // start asyncronous data retrieval table.req

Assessing the postdoc experience

var FO = { movie:"/supplementary/html/52903/Charts/FC_2_3_MSColumn2D.swf", width:"550", height:"420", majorversion:"8", build:"0", xi:"true", flashvars:"&dataURL=/supplementary/html/52903/length.xml&chartWidth=550" }; UFO.create(FO, "lengthDiv");var FO = { movie:"/supplementary/html/52903/Charts/FC_2_3_Bar2D.swf", width:"450", height:"250", majorversion:"8", build:"0", xi:"true", flashvars:"&dataURL=/supplementary/html/52903/citizenship.xml&chartWidth=450&chartHeight=250" }; UF

Most important factors

Most important factors Use the interactive chart below to sort the top ranked institutions by category. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view category. // create ActiveWidgets data model - CSV text table var table = new AW.CSV.Table; // provide data URL - plain text comma-separated file table.setURL("/supplementary/csv/52904/topfactors.csv"); // start asyncronous data retrieval table.request(); // define column labels var columns = [ "200

Least important factors

Least important factors Use the interactive chart below to sort the top ranked institutions by category. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view category. Click on a row to highlight it. // create ActiveWidgets data model - CSV text table var table = new AW.CSV.Table; // provide data URL - plain text comma-separated file table.setURL("/supplementary/csv/52905/bottomfactors.csv"); // start asyncronous data retrieval table.request(); // define

Iowa surges again

Iowa surges again By Andrea GawrylewskiARTICLE EXTRAS Feature: Best Places to Work 2007 Top 40 North American institutions Top 15 North American institutions Interactive map of results M.D. Anderson tops 2007 list UBC is Canada's front-runner Industry postdocs make the grade Assessing the postdoc experience Most important factors Least important factors After spending two years in the lower half of the top 40, the postdoc program at the University of

Industry postdocs make the grade

Industry postdocs make the grade By Edyta Zielinska Sarah Hymowitz wasn't planning on moving into industry once she finished her PhD. She applied mainly for postdoctoral positions in academia, but also included one industry laboratory, whose work she greatly admired: Genentech, where she ended up at a protein engineering lab. Hymowitz had considered going back to academia after that, but said that her time at Genentech spoiled her for wanting to go anywhere else. Wh

UBC is Canada's front-runner

UBC is Canada's front-runnerJennifer Bishop, UBC PhD student, and UBC professor B. Brett Finlay.© Martin Dee By Andrea GawrylewskiARTICLE EXTRAS Feature: Best Places to Work 2007 Top 40 North American institutions Iowa surges again Industry postdocs make the grade Assessing the postdoc experience Most important factors Least important factors Top 15 North American institutions Interactive map of resultsM.D. Anderson tops 2007 list New multi-mill

Best Places to Work for Postdocs 2007

Best Places to Work for Postdocs 2007 Methodology Related Articles Top 40 North American institutions Iowa surges again Industry postdocs make the grade Assessing the postdoc experience Most important factors Least important factors UBC is Canada's front-runner Top 15 North American institutions Interactive map of results M.D. Anderson tops 2007 list Survey methodologySurvey Form: A web-based survey was posted on The Scientist web site from January Februar

Top 15 North American institutions

Top 15 North American Institutions Related Articles Feature: Best Places to Work Postdocs Survey 2007 Top 40 North American institutions Iowa surges again Industry postdocs make the grade Assessing the postdoc experience Most important factors UBC is Canada's front-runner Top 15 North American institutions Interactive map of results M.D. Anderson tops 2007 list

How It Works: Surface Plasmon Resonance

How It Works: Surface Plasmon ResonanceMany functional proteomic technologies require time-consuming labeling steps and still produce little more than yes or no answers as to whether proteins interact. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) allows for label-free detection in real time and provides rich information about the interaction kinetics. Under total internal reflection conditions, light shining at a specific angle at a thin film of gold between two media with different refractiv

Column

Hostile Environment for Documents

Why is the EPA's library being decimated?

We Die Too Soon

Wise Methuselahs could save the world.

Profiles

Fire Fly

UC Berkeley's Mike Levine almost became a physician. Lucky for research, he didn't.

Books etc.

Time-Lapse Proteomics

Isotope labeling and mass spectrometry unite to track proteome dynamics.

Hot Paper

Old Mice Hard to Replicate

Credit: © Aleksandr Lukin" /> Credit: © Aleksandr Lukin The paper: S.E. Schriner et al., "Extension of murine lifespan by overexpression of catalase targeted to mitochondria." Science, 308:1909-11, 2005. (Cited in 107 papers) The finding: Peter Rabinovitch at the University of Washington at Seattle and his colleagues found that transgenic mice overexpressing the antioxidant enzyme catalase in their mitochondria lived nearly 20% longer and exhibi

Tracking Tregs

The paper: J.D. Fontenot et al., "Regulatory T cell lineage specification by the forkhead transcription factor Foxp3," Immunity, 22:329-41, 2005. (Cited in 217 papers) The finding: Using a GFP-tagged knockin mouse, Alexander Rudensky's group at the University of Washington in Seattle showed that the expression of the transcription factor Foxp3 defines a subset of regulatory T cells involved in suppressing autoimmune activity. The

Networking E. coli

The paper: G. Butland et al., "Interaction network containing conserved and essential protein complexes in Escherichia coli,' Nature, 433:531-7, 2005. (Cited in 91 papers) The finding: Jack Greenblatt and Andrew Emili from the University of Toronto led a team of Canadian researchers that produced a large-scale map of a bacterial interaction network by tagging and purifying protein complexes from 23% of the Escherichia coli genome.

Papers To Watch

Redox-regulated immunity

Kwangseog Ahn of Seoul National University led a group that purified protein complexes associated with MHC class I loading and found protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in the mix of peptides.1 PDI carries out sulfide-bond oxidation, reduction, and isomerization, assisting in the general folding of proteins with disulfide bonds. So, the link to antigen presentation was "surprising," according to Faculty of 1000 member Laurence Eisenlohr of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

An ecologic ménage à trois

Credit: © 2006 AAAS" /> Credit: © 2006 AAAS A virus in a fungus in a plant: This three-way symbiosis was discovered in a tropical panic grass Dichanthelium lanuginosum. Marilyn J. Roossnick of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla., and collaborators were examining an endophytic fungus, Curvularia protuberata, which inhabits the roots of the grass, allowing it to grow in the high-temperature soils of Yellowstone National Park. They isolated a dsRNA virus in the fungus

Papers to watch

C.A. Feillet et al., "Lack of food anticipation in Per2 mutant mice," Curr Biol, 16:2016-22, Oct. 24, 2006. The two period genes, Per1 and Per2, are integral parts of biological rhythm generation in the body's master clock, housed in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei. The authors show now that the absence of Per2 expression abolishes the centrally regulated anticipation of meal times without interfering with the entrainment of peripheral clocks by nu

Scientist To Watch

Fabrizio Chiti: Aggregation from Every Angle

Credit: © 2007 PAOLO CAPPELLI" /> Credit: © 2007 PAOLO CAPPELLI On weekends, Fabrizio Chiti can be found behind the wheel of his RV, exploring the Italian countryside with his wife and daughter. A decade ago, as an undergraduate at the University of Florence, Chiti never imagined he would be doing science in his home country, let alone in the same department where he became fascinated by proteins. "I was told there were no chances for me," Chiti says. "The opportunities and funding f

Lab Tools

What Can Systems Biology Do for You?

Four computational modeling strategies and the data that build them.

BioBusiness

From Buckets of Banana Mash

Genizon CSO Tim Keith's cautious but rigorous approach has made it possible for companies to separate real data from noise.

Pulse Oximeter

Going from Science to Sales

Thinking about becoming a sales rep? Here's what you can expect.

A day in the life of a sales rep

Related Articles Going from Science to Sales Zeiss sales representative John Morreale's days are long. Morreale, who studied biology as an undergraduate, took his first job in sales at Biochem ImmunoSystems, a hospital instrument company, and moved on to LabCorp, before finally landing a job at Zeiss in 2003. Edyta Zielinska tagged along for a day of calls. 5:00 a.m. - "There's a lot more work involved in sales than people realize," says Morreale. He starts early, preparing

Foundations

Leitz Inverted Microscope, Circa 1958

Credit: COURTESY OF TERRY SHARRER" /> Credit: COURTESY OF TERRY SHARRER When Leonard Hayflick began his cell culture work at the Wistar Institute in the 1950s, the field was facing a nagging problem. Culture flasks were so big, that microscope objective lenses couldn't come reasonably close to the subject. Hayflick told his Leitz sales representative about the problem, and the sales rep returned with an inverted chemist's microscope popular among crystallographers. With slight modifi