Spatial Structure of Pelagic Ecosystem Processes in the Global Ocean

We propose an operational definition of spatial structure in the oceanic ecosystem; it is equivalent to the large-scale, horizontal distribution of the dominant ecophysiological rate parameters for the questions of interest. In an important, particular case, the relevant rate parameters are those that characterize autotrophic production. In the ocean, these parameters are believed to be distributed in a manner that is not smoothly continuous. Rather, they seem to have a piecewise continuous distribution. This leads to a requirement to partition the ocean into a suite of provinces where the boundaries between the provinces mark the locations of abrupt changes in the magnitudes of the rate parameters. The area covered by a particular province represents an area of common physical forcing, insofar as the forcing is relevant to autotrophic production. The boundaries are taken to be elastic rather than fixed, such that they can respond to variations in forcing. At any given time, the boundaries can be located with the aid of remotely sensed imagery, especially ocean-color imagery. Received 7 January 1999; accepted 2 June 1999.     

Full-speed mammalian genetics: in vivo target validation in the drug discovery process.

The completion of the Human Genome Project has signaled the beginning of the post-genome era, with a corresponding shift in focus from the sequencing and identification of genes to the exploration of gene function. A rate-limiting step in deriving value from this gene sequence information is determining the potential pharmaceutical applications of genes and their encoded proteins. This validation step is crucial for focusing efforts and resources on only the most promising targets. Strategies using reverse mouse genetics provide excellent methods for validating potential targets and therapeutic proteins in vivo in a mammalian model system.