By the scientists, for the scientists

My association with the JCB began very early in my scientific career. In fact, it predated my understanding that there would even be a scientific career. In the mid-1970s while still an undergraduate, the JCB published my very first paper, a contribution noted perhaps less so for its reporting the characterization of the first known protein in plant cell walls than for a footnote that called attention to the evolutionary conservation of a relationship between “sex and slime” throughout the plant and animal kingdoms.     

Automated screening for biological weapons in homeland defense

Biological threat detection programs that collect air samples and monitor for large-scale release of biowarfare agents generate large numbers of samples that must be quickly and accurately screened for the presence of biological agents. An impediment to the rapid analysis of large numbers of environmental biological samples is that manual laboratory processes are time-consuming and require resources to maintain infrastructure, trained personnel, and adequate supplies of testing reagents. An ideal screening system would be capable of processing multiple samples rapidly, cost-effectively, and with minimal personnel. In the present study, we evaluated the Automated Biological Agent Testing System (ABATS) to explore the capability of automation to increase sample throughput, maximize system accuracy, and reduce the analysis costs associated with biological threat agent screening in environmental samples. This study demonstrates the utility of this concept and the potential of an automated system to address the growing environmental monitoring needs of the United States.     

Sinistral snails and gentlemen scientists

A single gene mutation can cause a complete left-to-right and right-to-left inversion of the body axis. This mutation exemplifies a large class of so-called maternal effect genes that regulate key events during early development. This principle was first established nearly one hundred years ago, principally by the work of amateur naturalists.     

The internet for scientists

by Kevin O'Donnell and Larry Winger, Harwood Academic Publishers, 1997. pound14.50 (pbk)/ pound30.00 (hbk) (xi+309 pages) ISBN 90 5702 221 4.