Double fertilization: a personal view

 This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of double fertilization by Nawaschin in St. Petersburg, Russia and, independently, Guignard in France. This discovery came at the end of a period of controversy about fertilization in angiosperms and ushered in a new period of intense research. Still, by 1950, there were many unanswered questions about double fertilization because of limitations of the light microscope. The introduction of the electron microscope stimulated new research and helped resolve some of the questions. My own research with the electron microscope and that of people who worked in my laboratory is recounted and some of the still unanswered questions raised. Received: 30 October 1997 / Accepted: 5 December 1997     

Women in cell biology: how personal lives shape careers

For women scientists who have 'made it', there is no standard route to personal happiness and professional success, although a universal attribute is an enduring passion for science. Growing up, some scientists enjoyed parental support, whereas for others low expectations or a geographical disadvantage were a spur to achievement. Partners can be good, bad or indifferent, but having children is not a bar to success.     

Continuing medical education: a personal view.

Over many generations doctors have kept up to date in ways which reflect their own learning styles. The current fashion for formalised and policed continuing medical education may prove ineffective unless it is recognised that individual needs must be taken into account. Attendance at formal courses based on lectures and papers may not suit a large proportion of those who attend to acquire the necessary points to satisfy their royal college. The ability to show that health care teams are up to date should come from effective clinical audit, which should also identify local educational needs.     

The use of expression profiling to study pigment cell biology and dysfunction

Regulation of gene expression is a fundamental process by which cells respond to both intracellular and extracellular signals. For a pigment cell, alterations in gene expression regulate the processes of cell migration, lineage restriction, differentiation, type of pigment produced, and progression from a normal pigment cell to that of melanoma. To date, the identification of genes involved in normal pigment cell development has been accomplished by the cloning of individual mutant alleles, a single gene at a time. Current advances in technology have now made it possible to use expression profile analysis to investigate, on a genomic scale, the process of pigment cell development and function. This review compares and contrasts the methods of subtractive suppressive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and differential display with that of cDNA microarray analysis.     

生物学发展及其对人才素质的要求

21世纪生物学发展由单一走向综合,其巨大成就的取得需要复合型人才一在众多方面的人才素质中,最突出的是人的进取性和创新精神?其中思维活力及创造力是现代人才要素的核心：因此,学校必须由应试教育向素质教育转轨,培养具备两种态度(即积极学习和正确做人的态度)和两种能力(独立学习与表达交流的能力)的创新人才。