Small Things Considered

Talmudic Question #61

Endocytosis is said to be an exclusively eukaryotic property. Why did prokaryotes not develop this ability? Read more →

True or False: All Metazoans Need O2

by Elio | Life without air — a term coined by Louis Pasteur, the discoverer of anaerobiosis — has been thought to be exclusively a property of microbes, be they prokaryotic or eukaryotic. Multicellular organisms were thought to lack this talent. Until recently that is, when an Italian and Danish group led by Roberto Danovaro looked at an unusual-sounding habitat... Read more →

The Attendee's Guide to Scientific Meetings, Part II

by Julian Davies | To begin with, attending a scientific meeting should be considered a privilege, especially if you have been invited to speak or present a poster. In accepting the invitation you are representing yourself, your lab, your colleagues, your institute or university, even... Read more →

Autumn Leaves

by Merry Youle | Each autumn, as the leaves on the apple trees in the Loire Valley turn from green to gold, observant orchardists notice islands of healthy green within the otherwise yellow leaves. These islands coincide with the site of leaf mines created by the larvae of a small moth, the apple leafminer... Read more →

Of Terms in Biology: Gene Ontology

by Elio (Click to enlarge) From Gene Ontology, a portion of the biological process ontology describing DNA metabolism. Note that a node may have more than one parent. For example, DNA ligation has three: DNA-dependent DNA replication, DNA repair and DNA recombination. Source Not to be confused with ontogeny (the... Read more →

Paleovirology

by Welkin Johnson | How does one even begin to investigate the natural history of viruses? The dinosaurs bequeathed a motley assortment of bones, teeth, footprints striding 'cross ancient riverbeds, fossilized eggs, the occasional coprolite. The tiny trilobite left lasting and ubiquitous impressions, finding its way into... Read more →

Did van Leeuwenhoek Observe Yeast Cells in 1680?

by Nanne Nanninga | It is common knowledge that beer was produced by the ancient Egyptians and that van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) was the first to see yeast cells. However, what was defined as yeast in the seventeenth century is different from that of today. So did van Leeuwenhoek really observe yeast? In attempting to answer this question... Read more →

A Most Lively Virus

by Merry Youle | Morphologically speaking, the viruses of mesophilic and moderately thermophilic bacteria and archaea are a dull bunch. Of 5,100 surveyed, 97% are ho-hum head-and-tail phages — icosahedral heads with helical tails. Read more →

Talmudic Question #60

Are there more different viral "species" or different plasmid genomes on Earth? Read more →