Issue | November 2008 | November 2008 | The Scientist Magazine®

Features

Alison McCook | Nov 1, 2008 | 4 min read

Sitting at a small table on the second floor of the Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Charles Vite crosses his legs and smiles gently - the warm, mild-mannered look of someone you would trust to give shots to a beloved (and terrified) family pet. "I was debating how to talk about the cats," he says. Along with treating some of the 30,000 animals that are brought in each year to the clinic one floor below, Vite conducts somewhat

The art of WE at UAB

Bob Grant | Nov 1, 2008 | 2 min read

Shelby Biomedical Research Building. Credit: Courtesy of the University of Alabama at Birmingham" />Shelby Biomedical Research Building. Credit: Courtesy of the University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama at Birmingham prides itself on a culture of cross-disciplinary collaboration, which could be why the university rocketed from 47th place in our 2007 survey to 5th place this year. An embodiment of UAB's cooperative spirit can be seen

Survey Methodology

The Scientist | Nov 1, 2008 | 3 min read

Related Articles Best Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodology Slideshow: BPTW 2008 Academia Type of Institutions How respondents spend their time Top 40 US Academic Institutions Top 15 US Academic Institutions Top 10 US Academic Institutions Top US institutions on five most important factors Strengths and Weaknesses of the International top 10 Top Countries List What's important to US and international scientists Downloadable PDFs Best Places to W

Dead Sea Science

Alla Katsnelson | Nov 1, 2008 | 2 min read

Dwek Campus Center with the Koffler Accelerator in the background Credit: Courtesy of the Weizmann Institute of Science" />Dwek Campus Center with the Koffler Accelerator in the background Credit: Courtesy of the Weizmann Institute of Science This year, two Israeli institutions, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, placed first and second, respectively, among international institutions. What makes these two institutio

Coreceptor KAPOW!

Cormac Sheridan | Nov 1, 2008 | 10+ min read

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

Contributors

Phyllis Wise has spent more than 30 years trying to understand the role of estrogen in animal models, and found that the hormone protected the body from injury following stroke. So, in 2002, when the Women's Health Initiative announced that hormone therapy appeared to cause more harm than good, Wise, based at the University of Washington, and her colleagues were shocked. Wise and her

Editorial

National Character and Scientific Enterprise

Is there something in our cultural heritage that makes us better or worse at biotech?

Mail

Let's change the world I congratulate you on "The scientist as politician,"1 and I personally feel it is critical that those in scientific professions become involved in the political process for a variety of reasons. Skills in writing and communication are important, since I have found that by being on several nonprofit boards, and now serving as president of a local homeowners' association, that

Notebook

Immunize thyself

Do these school kids hold the secret to a malaria vaccine? Credit: Courtesy of Arlene Dent" />Do these school kids hold the secret to a malaria vaccine? Credit: Courtesy of Arlene Dent Mud-brick, thatch-roofed school houses in small villages that cling to rugged mountainsides in Papua New Guinea - this was the topic of conversation between two malaria researchers at a Philadelphia restaurant during a

Drug wars

Temperatures outside Nomura bank in London climbed into the high summertime registers as six biotech executives in dark suits filed into windowless rooms. The men were immediately segregated into two groups and told they had two days to turn a university spin-out into a billion dollar public company. Oh, and the two groups were competing against each other in a biotech "wargame," and wo

Reuse, or recycle?

Credit: Courtesy of Sorenson BioScience" /> Credit: Courtesy of Sorenson BioScience In labs across the world, heaping piles of pipette tip boxes spill out of trashcans and onto the floor. A single lab can burn through hundreds of pipette tips in an hour, creating enormous waste. In an attempt to minimize the waste, Jonathan Trent's protein chemistry lab at NASA AMES reuses all of its micropipette tip boxes.

Morph mystery

Some proteins may morph from one structure to another - in this case, a cube-like structure can switch to a tetrahedal shape. Credit: SOURCE: Eileen Jaffe / Fox Chase Cancer Center" />Some proteins may morph from one structure to another - in this case, a cube-like structure can switch to a tetrahedal shape. Credit: SOURCE: Eileen Jaffe / Fox Chase Cancer Center For years, Fox Chase Cancer Center researcher Eileen Jaffe's findings on the behavior of

A frog's foe

A strawberry poison frog at La Selva. Credit: Courtesy of Pete Carmichael" />A strawberry poison frog at La Selva. Credit: Courtesy of Pete Carmichael On a humid summer afternoon, Steven Whitfield, a wildlife researcher at Florida International University, leaves the extensive trail system at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica and wades deeper into the rainforest. "I'll watch out for snakes for you," he says.

The Agenda

Credit: © Karin Pierre / Institut de Physiologie, Unil, Lausanne" /> Credit: © Karin Pierre / Institut de Physiologie, Unil, Lausanne N IS FOR NEURO » November is neuroscience month, both in our pages (A Potent Protein), and in Washington DC. On the 15th, attendees of the 38th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience will gather to hear the latest on their fields. Organizers are expecting more than 30,000 people this yea

Opinion

Disease Prevention in Islamic Countries

A network of international experts is setting up a Supercourse to meet the challenge.

Column

Peer Review Isn't Perfect...

...But it's not a conspiracy designed to maintain the status quo.

Uncategorized

Twin disorders

Twin Disorders What can two little girls teach us about Alzheimer's disease? By Alison McCook hen you meet identical four-year old twins Addi and Cassi Hempel, you might notice something about the way they walk. They used to run around like other toddlers, but now they are more wobbly, more uncertain, and walk with their legs somewhat wide apart, as if aboard a boat. They can sway in any direction, losing their balance. They fall more often than they should.

Clearing Estrogen's Bad Name

Clearing Estrogen's Bad Name In the six years since the Women's Health Initiative, we're learning estrogens might not be so bad after all. By Phyllis Wise The summer of 2002 was a tense time for us. One announcement and all of our knowledge and experience as basic researchers was put to question. On July 10th, Jacques Rossouw, the director of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial, which tracked the long term effects of hormone therapy (

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top 40 US Institutions

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top 40 US Institutions In our November issue, we review the institutions that ranked at the top of our annual Best Places to Work for Academia survey. Click here to view the printable PDF.Click on the thumbnail to use the interactive chart. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view each category. Related ArticlesBest Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodology

Type of Institution

Type of Institution var FO = { movie:"/supplementary/flash/Charts/FC_2_3_Pie3D.swf", width:"450", height:"300", majorversion:"8", build:"0", flashvars:"&dataURL=/fragments/bptw/type_of_institution.xml&chartWidth=450&chartHeight=300" }; UFO.create(FO, "ufoDemo"); Replacement content Related Articles The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodology Slideshow: BPTW 2008 Academia Type of Institutions How

How this year's respondents spend their time

How this year's respondents spend their time var FO = { movie:"/supplementary/flash/Charts/FC_2_3_Pie3D.swf", width:"500", height:"350", majorversion:"8", build:"0", flashvars:"&dataURL=/fragments/bptw/spend_time.xml&chartWidth=500&chartHeight=350" }; UFO.create(FO, "ufoDemo"); Replacement content Correction: When originally posted "Laboratory Services" and "Other Activities" were listed being major activities for 5% of this year's respondents.

Best Places to Work 2008: Academia

Best Places to Work 2008: Academia This year's top institutions give researchers more than a place to do great science. They offer the opportunity to nurture, and be nurtured in return. By Megan Scudellari Related Articles Best Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodology Slideshow: BPTW 2008 Academia Type of Institutions How respondents spend their timeRanking Tables: Top 40 US Academic Insti

BPTW 2008: Academia Slideshow

BPTW 2008: Academia Slideshow BPTW 2008: Academia Slideshow var so = new SWFObject("http://images.the-scientist.com/content/images/slideshows/bptw_academia_2008/slideshow.swf", "gallery", "400", "425", "6", "#ffffff");so.addVariable("file", "http://images.the-scientist.com/content/images/slideshows/bptw_academia_2008/slideshow.xml");so.addParam("wmode", "transparent");so.write("flashcontent"); Related Articles The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Met

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top 15 US Institutions

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top 15 US Institutions In our November issue, we review the institutions that ranked at the top of our annual Best Places to Work for Academia survey. Click here to view the printable PDF.Click on the thumbnail to use the interactive chart. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view each category. Related ArticlesBest Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodology

Best Places to Work 2008: Academia Top Institutions PDF

Best Places to Work 2008: Academia Top Institutions PDF Related Articles Best Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodology Slideshow: BPTW 2008 Academia Type of Institutions How respondents spend their time Ranking Tables: Top 40 US Academic Institutions Top 15 US Academic Institutions Top 10 International Academic Institutions Top US institutions on five most important factors Stre

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: What's Important to US and international scientists

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: What's Important to US and international scientists In our November issue, we review the institutions that ranked at the top of our annual Best Places to Work for Academia survey. Click here to view the printable PDF.Click on the thumbnail to use the interactive chart. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view each category. Related ArticlesBest Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Scien

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top Countries List

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top Countries List In our November issue, we review the institutions that ranked at the top of our annual Best Places to Work for Academia survey. Click here to view the printable PDF.Click on the thumbnail to use the interactive chart. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view each category. Related ArticlesBest Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodology

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top US Institutions on five most important factors

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top US Institutions on five most important factors In our November issue, we review the institutions that ranked at the top of our annual Best Places to Work for Academia survey. Click here to view the printable PDF.Click on the thumbnail to use the interactive chart. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view each category. Related ArticlesBest Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Scie

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Strengths and Weakness of the Top 10 International Institutes

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Strengths and Weakness of the Top 10 International Institutes In our November issue, we review the institutions that ranked at the top of our annual Best Places to Work for Academia survey. Click here to view the printable PDF.Click on the thumbnail to use the interactive chart. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view each category. Related ArticlesBest Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top 10 International Institutions

Best Places to Work Academia 2008: Top 10 International Institutions In our November issue, we review the institutions that ranked at the top of our annual Best Places to Work for Academia survey. Click here to view the printable PDF.Click on the thumbnail to use the interactive chart. Resize the rows or scroll within the chart to view each category. Related ArticlesBest Places to Work in Academia 2008 The art of WE at UAB Dead Sea Science Survey Methodo

The Science of Stress

NIH's Gisela Storz has spent her career drilling down to the core of questions such as how bacteria respond to oxidants - work that has taken her in some unexpected directions.

Books etc.

A Potent Protein

Identifying a key protein behind ALS redirects the fight against the disease.

Hot Paper

Abundant archaea

Credit: COURTESY OF Jennifer M. Warner / Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Charlotte" /> Credit: COURTESY OF Jennifer M. Warner / Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Charlotte The paper: S. Leininger et al., "Archaea predominate among ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotes in soils," Nature, 442:806-9, 2006 (Cited in 84 papers) The surprise:

Tree timer

Credit: © Pekka Parviainen / Photo Researchers, Inc." /> Credit: © Pekka Parviainen / Photo Researchers, Inc. The paper: Ove Nilsson et al. "CO/FT regulatory module controls timing of flowering and seasonal growth cessation in trees," Science, 312:1040-3, 2006. (Cited in 58 papers). The finding: While trying to speed up breeding in flowering trees, Ove Nilsson's group

Reserve power

Credit: Frank Vincentz / wikimedia.org" /> Credit: Frank Vincentz / wikimedia.org The paper: M. Lagouge et al., "Resveratrol improves mitochondrial function and protects against metabolic disease by activating SIRT1 and PGC-1α," Cell, 127:1109-22, 2006. (Cited in 139 papers) The finding: In 2006, Johan Auwerx of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in France and colleagues trea

Scientist To Watch

Doris Tsao: A real visionary

Credit: © Eric Shambroom Photography" /> Credit: © Eric Shambroom Photography As a child, Doris Tsao spent long hours musing on the mechanics and philosophy of vision with her father, who owns a company that designs artificial vision systems. "He made vision seem like the greatest scientific problem," she says. By the time Tsao was 11 or 12, she'd been hit by "the realization that your sense of vision is created by your brain" - and

Lab Tools

Lab Tools: Fret-free FRET

How to put FRET biosensors to work for you when tracking cell signaling.

BioBusiness

Serotonin, Repurposed

Immune Control CEO Stephen Roth is banking on a controversial hypothesis and is fashioning ways to block a neurotransmitter to fight autoimmune disease.

Pulse Oximeter

Libraries 2.0

Secrets from science librarians that can save you hours of work.

Foundations

Cholesterol and NPC1, circa 1997

NPC1's amino acid sequence homology to PATCHED, human HMG-CoA reductase and SCAP. Credit: Reprinted with permission from AAAS / Carstea et al., Science 277:228, 1997." />NPC1's amino acid sequence homology to PATCHED, human HMG-CoA reductase and SCAP. Credit: Reprinted with permission from AAAS / Carstea et al., Science 277:228, 1997. In the 1990s, the Ara Parseghian Foundation donated money to the National I