A view from the bridge: Subjectivity,embodiment and animal minds

Abstract

In contemporary discussions of animal mind the difficulty of studying the nature of private, subjective awareness in animals is often seen as a barrier to a fuller understanding of animal experience. Relatively little work has focused on more recent psychological accounts of mind that emphasize its extended, embodied and social aspects. We examine some of the main conceptual difficulties in this area, and then consider a number of more embodied approaches. We suggest that a consideration of the nature of the animal-human relationship is crucial to a consideration of animal awareness.     

The animal in the genome: comparative genomics and evolution

Comparisons between completely sequenced metazoan genomes have generally emphasized how similar their encoded protein content is, even when the comparison is between phyla. Given the manifest differences between phyla and, in particular, intuitive notions that some animals are more complex than others, this creates something of a paradox. Simplistic explanations have included arguments such as increased numbers of genes; greater numbers of protein products produced through alternative splicing; increased numbers of regulatory non-coding RNAs and increased complexity of the cis-regulatory code. An obvious value of complete genome sequences lies in their ability to provide us with inventories of such components. I examine progress being made in linking genome content to the pattern of animal evolution, and argue that the gap between genomic and phenotypic complexity can only be understood through the totality of interacting components.     

A view from the NIH bridge: perspectives of a program officer

This essay is written from my perspective as a program officer for research and training activities at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) for almost 27 yr. It gives a bird's-eye view of the job of a program officer, which includes providing advice to applicants and grantees, making funding recommendations, overseeing grantees' progress, facilitating scientific opportunities in specific areas of program responsibility, and shaping NIGMS and National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy. I have highlighted the numerous rewards of serving as a program officer, as well as some of the difficulties. For those who may be considering a position as an NIH program officer now or in the future, I've also described the qualities and qualifications that are important for such a career choice. Finally, this essay addresses some of the challenges for the NIH and the research community in the years ahead as we simultaneously face exciting scientific opportunities and tighter budgets.     

Farm animal genomics and informatics: an update

Farm animal genomics is of interest to a wide audience of researchers because of the utility derived from understanding how genomics and proteomics function in various organisms. Applications such as xenotransplantation, increased livestock productivity, bioengineering new materials, products and even fabrics are several reasons for thriving farm animal genome activity. Currently mined in rapidly growing data warehouses, completed genomes of chicken, fish and cows are available but are largely stored in decentralized data repositories. In this paper, we provide an informatics primer on farm animal bioinformatics and genome project resources which drive attention to the most recent advances in the field. We hope to provide individuals in biotechnology and in the farming industry with information on resources and updates concerning farm animal genome projects.     

Evolutionary genomics: a dinosaur's view of genome-size evolution

Estimates of cell volume in fossilized bones of extinct dinosaurs indicate that genome size underwent a significant reduction in the early theropods, from which birds later evolved. This suggests that birds' small genomes are not an adaptation to metabolic demands associated with flight.     

Master of laboratory animal science program: teaching the science of laboratory animal science

The administrators of the only program of its kind in the US explain the demand for a Master's degree in Laboratory Animal Science, the value of the degree, and plans to expand the program to make it available for distance learning.     

Undergraduate animal behavior program: Teaching and research

The purpose of this paper is to present strategies for teaching animal behavior within a mixed traditional and nontraditional format. Based on our experience, it is very useful to use zoological parks as convenient locales for observational studies. Students gain many valuable experiences in a nontraditional course such as this. Various suggestions are made for animal behavior courses and student projects. Some of the potential pitfalls and problems associated with an animal behavior course are also discussed. Finally, future directions are suggested.     

Surviving an identity crisis: A revised view of chromatin insulators in the genomics era

The control of complex, developmentally regulated loci and partitioning of the genome into active and silent domains is in part accomplished through the activity of DNA-protein complexes termed chromatin insulators. Together, the multiple, well-studied classes of insulators in Drosophila melanogaster appear to be generally functionally conserved. In this review, we discuss recent genomic-scale experiments and attempt to reconcile these newer findings in the context of previously defined insulator characteristics based on classical genetic analyses and transgenic approaches. Finally, we discuss the emerging understanding of mechanisms of chromatin insulator regulation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Chromatin and epigenetic regulation of animal development.     

Functional genomics: going forwards from the databases

Extrapolating systematically from gene sequence to function is undoubtedly the major challenge facing industry and academia alike as we approach the end of the millennium. Many electronic and laboratory approaches are being developed to meet this challenge but the rate of evolution of these is not keeping pace with the speed of sequence generation.