PerspectivesAre you interested in submitting a Perspective Article? Be sure to read The Science Advisory Board's Editorial Guides for Perspective Articles. Click here. 6/6/2008 -- Mapping and Conserving the Genetic Diversity of Medicinal Plant Species through the Establishment of Forest Gene Bank Models
by Madhugiri Nageswara-Rao1,3, K.N. Ganeshaiah3, R. Uma Shaanker2 A proposed method for genetic conversation: the establishment of the Forest Gene Bank (FBG) Model... more>> 4/24/2008 -- Importance of Garlic in Health and Diseases by Tahira Farooqui Garlic has long been used around the world in cooking as well as in medicine... more>> 4/1/2008 -- The Future of Human Genomics by Juergen K. V. Reichardt, Ph.D The sequencing of the human genome at the dawn of this century by two groups was justifiably heralded as a breakthrough... more>> 3/24/2008 -- Next-Generation DNA Sequencing: Competition, Confusion and Fireworks in Florida by Richard Wintle, PhD. There is considerable interest in “next-generation” DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies, so named as they represent a sea change over the existing “generation” of capillary electrophoresis (CE) instruments.... more>> 3/11/2008 -- Trends in Science and Medical Publications: Video Journals by Manu Lopus, Ph.D. No amount of description -- no matter how didactic it is -- can convey a protocol in its entirety... more>> 2/27/2008 -- THE BEST OF SCIENCE 2007 by Gabriel Dorado1, Pilar Hernández2, Fernando Luque-Recio33, Jesús Sáiz4, Adela Sánchez4, María del Pilar Dorado5 Probably the most exciting face of science is discovery... more>> 2/4/2008 -- When, How and Why Did Humankind Lose Its Fur? by Sergey N.Rumyantsev, M.D., Ph.D., DSc Circa 5,000 mammal species exist on the earth. Nearly all of them are provided with fur... more>> 1/24/2008 -- Intuitive statistics for easy data analysis: A Review by Gabriel Dorado1, Pilar Hernández2, María del Pilar Dorado3 The diversification and specialization of current science and technology represents an strategic advantage, but may also pose a significant handicap... more>> 1/15/2008 -- Biodefense at Risk? Exploring the Impact of Gene Patents and Genomic Inventions by Dana Perkins, PhD Like any other chemicals, DNA sequences are eligible for patents when isolated from their natural state or synthesized in a laboratory when “at least one specific, substantial, and credible utility” is disclosed.... more>> 12/20/2007 -- Science Education by Wim D'Haeze, Ph.D. The importance of high-level science education and the fact that it's time for a change in a better direction as it concerns science education is reflected in the valuable initiatives that are organized by major research institutions, and pharmaceutical and other companies... more>> 12/18/2007 -- Streamlining Scientific Publications: A Review by Gabriel Dorado1, Pilar Hernández2, María del Pilar Dorado3 If we had to decide which application to carry with our Mac to a deserted island, it would be Endnote... more>> 11/27/2007 -- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007: A closer look by Manu Lopus, PhD This years Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Mario R. Capecchi, Martin J. Evans, and Oliver Smithies.... more>> 10/25/2007 -- Medical and Scientific Information and the Media by Clark D. Hinderleider, M.D., Ph.D. Americans have trouble getting good information about health, with the Internet and cable television being conduits for an increasing onslaught of misinformation..... more>> 10/15/2007 -- Blooming Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries by Wim D'Haeze, Ph.D. Whoever regularly follows the news will recognize that the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry is still expanding.... more>> 9/26/2007 -- Deadly Microbes Turned Some Apes into Humans by Sergey N. Rumyantsev, M.D., Ph.D., DSc The research was based on the discovery of relicts of the evolution preceding the inherent immune features of modern humans.... more>> 9/4/2007 -- Professor Llyod A. Horrocks: Obituary by Tahira Farooqui, Ph.D. The international neuroscience and biochemistry community has lost an outstanding scientist, leader and teacher who nurtured generations of biochemists in America and produced collaborations with the worldwide scientific community.... more>> 8/22/2007 -- Biotechnology in Taiwan—An International Perspective by Enal Razvi, Ph.D. With twenty three million inhabitants on the island and an economy driven in large part by their electronics industry (which is now maturing) Taiwan (like its neighbors) seeks to participate in the growing biotechnology space... more>> 8/3/2007 -- Janus Face of Neuroinflammation: Role in Neural Cell Survival and Death by Tahira Farooqui, Ph.D. Neuroinflammation is a complex mechanism that protects and isolates uninjured brain tissue from the damaged cells. It destroys injured cells, and restores normal tissue structure and function. ... more>> 7/30/2007 -- Cutting-edge bioinformatics software programs by www.news-medical.net Large-scale undertakings such as the Human Genome Project have produced massive amounts of data.... more>> 6/28/2007 -- Proteome Analysis - Limits and Expectations by Simone König Analyzing a proteome means to investigate a highly complex mixture of thousands of different proteins caught at one particular point in time and space for a good scientific reason. ... more>> 5/24/2007 -- The World Atlas of Cancer by Wim D'Haeze, Ph.D. NIH has launched TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas), an initiative to map and characterize the genomic changes involved in tumor growth and development.... more>> 5/24/2007 -- Magnesium Intake: A Balanced View by Tahira Farooqui, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University Does modern westernized diet include sufficient amounts of Magnesium? Farooqui discusses the results of hypo- and hypermagnesemia on the human body.... more>> 4/3/2007 -- Animals for research by Wim D'Haeze, Ph.D. Around the world, animals are used for testing products ranging from soaps and cosmetic products to drugs against cancer... more>> 3/15/2007 -- RNA Interferences by Wim D'Haeze, Ph.D. This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded on October 2, 2006 to the duo Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello... more>> 2/28/2007 -- The Debate: Stem Cell Research by Clark D. Hinderleider, M.D., Ph.D. Opponents of stem cell research are quite simply wrong... more>> 1/3/2007 -- The Success of Open Access by Wim D'Haeze, Ph.D. Open access to the scientific literature is per definition based on the complete removal of barriers that somehow restrict the accessibility of the literature. Thus, an open access article can be read by anyone in the world who has access to the worldwide web without paying a journal subscription fee or pay-per-view charges.... more>> 12/22/2006 -- Mercury Tooth Fillings - A Time Bomb in Your Head by Radhesh Rao According to a Health Canada report, as many as 15 percent of people with amalgam fillings show signs of sensitivity to mercury. Some American researchers claim that at least 20 percent of people with amalgam fillings are “mercury toxic.” What gives?... more>> 11/27/2006 -- Neglected diseases - Anti-trypanosomal drug discovery and delivery by Willias Masocha, Ph.D. Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) is categorized as an intractable disease. Other diseases in this category include malaria and tuberculosis. Trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis could be considered among the �most neglected diseases.� ... more>> 11/17/2006 -- Into the rabbit hole... now what? by Vashisht G. Yennu-Nanda, Ph.D.Instructor, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX This statement is extremely relevant for doctoral and postdoctoral science researchers in academia, who can easily get lost in the vastness of available research directions.... more>> 11/9/2006 -- Biodefense Research: A 'Boondoggling' of Critical Biomedical Research Funds? by Richard McDonald, J.D., PH.D. Biomedical Health Sciences Division GenoVar Bioscience Ltd. Is biodefense research draining critical areas of biomedical research of funding?... more>> 10/30/2006 -- Statins: The Miracle Drugs by Tahira Farooqui, Ph.D Department of Entomology The Ohio State University Cardiovascular disease mainly results from hypercholesterolemia. In addition to high cholesterol, there are other risk factors (such as hypertension, genetic factor, diabetes, stress, smoking, and overweight), that modulate atherogenesis. By inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, statins are considered as principal and most effective drugs to reduce serum cholesterol levels in cardiac patients.... more>> 10/20/2006 -- Publish and Get Cash by Wim D'Haeze, Ph.D. The most relevant criticisms include that paying for top publications may force scientists to rush to publish thereby ignoring important ethical issues related to animal and human subjects, and may increase the amount of professionally faked data and plagiarism. Thinking deeper about this development provides one with a number of questions for discussion.... more>> 10/12/2006 -- The Significance of Chemicals as Contaminants of Cultured Cell Lines by Janice A. Schwartz, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Physiology Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, MI Although infectious agents may be the more familiar form of contamination, cell cultures that are contaminated with unwanted chemicals are, by far, the more widespread of the two. However, surprisingly little is known about what actually constitutes chemical contamination and how it can be recognized when it does occur. ... more>> 9/19/2006 -- Prostate Cancer and Chemotherapy by Alexandre BRIDOUX Postdoctoral Research Fellow Albany College of Pharmacy (ACP) , NY, USA Today, too little is still known about the biological mechanisms of this disease and efficient non-hormonal treatments are lacking. The Pharmaceutical Research is always in search for new biological targets which inhibition would be preventive or curative in order to avoid surgery... more>> 9/7/2006 -- Custom Oligos: Is Screening for Bioterrorist Threats Possible? by Richard McDonald, J.D., PH.D. What seems good on paper (i.e., an academic answer), in the real world is too narrow and misguided to work. ... more>> 7/17/2006 -- Ageing: Consequences and Responses by Tahira Farooqui, Ph.D. Research Scientist Department of Entomology The Ohio State University Many theories of ageing have been proposed, but the biological mechanisms that underlie ageing are still unknown.... more>> 7/12/2006 -- Flow Cytometry: A Brief Introduction and Guide to On-Line Resources by Beverly E. Barton, Ph.D. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what are thousands of pictures worth? This statement might sum up the power of flow cytometry... more>> 7/7/2006 -- Nanotechnology to solve global problems by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. Several important applications with potential to have a large impact on the world are noteworthy. Nanotechnology can help to improve energy storage and production... more>> 6/19/2006 -- The Joy of Science by Heather Kiefer, Ph.D. In this humorous perspective, Heather Kiefer explores the lighter side of science that “makes people LAUGH and then THINK”... more>> 5/30/2006 -- Electrophoretic Profiles of Different Protein Molecular Weight Markers by Ghanshyam D. Heda, Ph.D. Department of Veterans Affairs V.A. Medical Center Memphis, TN Dr. Heda analyzes the protein profiles of the following sets of molecular weight markers: stained and unstained, low and high, and biotinylated and un-biotinylated molecular weight markers... more>> 5/23/2006 -- Microtubule-targeted drugs for cancer chemotherapy by Manu Lopus, Research Scholar Powai, Mumbai, India Manu Lopus discusses the potential for microtubule-targeting anti-cancer agents as a novel method of cancer treatment... more>> 5/10/2006 -- What's in an image? by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. In this perspective, Wim D'Haeze relates the power of using (and unfortunately abusing) technology in science... more>> 4/18/2006 -- Germs of War: Biological Weaponry (Part 1 of 2) by Ketan Desai, MD Ph.D. In this in-depth article, Dr. Ketan Desai addresses weapons of mass destruction from a biological perspective, and what can be done about the threat they pose.... more>> 4/6/2006 -- Story-Boarding Science by Bala Rathinasabapathi Ph.D. Story-boarding is what many artists use to visualize their production.... more>> 3/15/2006 -- Malaria: “Here I come!” by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. Malaria is one of the most devastating vector-born diseases and is responsible for the highest global morbidity and mortality. Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. discusses the scope of the disease and its causes.... more>> 2/22/2006 -- The Dirt on Dirt by Heather Kiefer, Ph.D. It has been estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency that children in the U.S. eat 200 to 800 mg of dirt per day. That is roughly 73 to 292 grams of dirt per year. To me, that doesn’t seem like very much. ... more>> 1/3/2006 -- Pick of Recent Times: A Review of a Seminal Genomics Paper by Chetan Datta Poduri, Ph.D. A few classic publications may not make any impact on the scientific community initially, but over time their real significance emerges and reshapes entire fields of thought.... more>> 12/19/2005 -- The Post-Genomic Era by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. Undoubtedly, high throughput approaches will significantly hasten the process to find new drug targets and suitable drugs to ameliorate human diseases, but the challenge yet remains as to how to integrate these large volumes of data and observations into an accurate and appropriate model of cellular behavior... more>> 11/16/2005 -- Patented Science by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. More often than one may think, patenting may restrict open-minded scientific research... more>> 10/31/2005 -- Women in Science by Lori Kelman, MBA, Ph.D. It’s one thing to draw attention to the “gender gap”, or the dearth of female physics majors or the lack of tenured female scientists, but it’s quite another to state that the reason for the disparity is that women are innately dumber than men... more>> 10/17/2005 -- Research on stem cell research by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. If one wants to perform research on a new (embryonic) stem cell line, obtaining national funding might be tough if not impossible... more>> 10/3/2005 -- New Genetic Insights into Asthma: the TIM Family Emerges by Paul D. Rennert It has been suggested that the rise in asthma prevalence is linked to improved hygiene, and to a dramatic drop in exposure to viral and bacterial infections... more>> 9/19/2005 -- Moringa: The Ideal Food for Obese and Malnourished? by Monica G. Marcu, PhD, Pharm.D. Reflections on the recently published book “ Miracle Tree”Reflections on the recently published book “ Miracle Tree”... more>> 9/19/2005 -- Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Ravi Shankar Nagarajan, M.V.Sc Toxicity to the liver is reported to be the second most common cause of drug failure through adverse effects in clinical trials of potential drugs... more>> 9/6/2005 -- Medicines By Design by Alisa Zapp Machalek, National Institute of General Medical Sciences Many scientists are drawn to pharmacology because of its direct application to the practice of medicine... more>> 8/22/2005 -- Curiosity Creates Cures: The Value and Impact of Basic Research by Alisa Zapp Machalek, National Institute of General Medical Sciences Ingredients of good research include stimulating scientific collaboration, adequate funds, and the ability to shift directions to pursue promising leads... more>> 8/15/2005 -- Cheminformatics: Rationalizing the Drug Design In Silico by Prashanth Suravajhala, M.Sc. Cheminformatics, by and large has become a decision making tool in drug discovery... more>> 8/8/2005 -- “It's All Garbage,” I Say by Shirin Kalyan, Ph.D. A Member Since September 2004 A growing number of life science researchers have come to realize that our work for the improvement of health and our drive to understand the biological processes in health and disease is incompatible with the amount of waste we produce in the process... more>> 7/25/2005 -- Obesity: A Reckoning for Genetic Immunity to Infection and Xenogamy by Sergey N. Rumyantsev, M.D., Ph.D. Over 300,000 adult excess deaths in the United States each year are related to obesity... more>> 7/11/2005 -- Life Extension, Caloric Restriction, and Scientific Philanthropy by Leonid A. Gavrilov, Ph.D. But is it possible to defeat aging? Can we go against the laws of Nature, or would it not be better to be reasonable and to accept the inevitable? ... more>> 6/27/2005 -- The Science Library of the 21st Century by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. Print versions of any scientific journal are absolutely unnecessary and superfluous if all articles are freely accessible and published online... more>> 6/13/2005 -- How to Fix Peer Review by David Kaplan, Ph.D. Separating its two functions – improving manuscripts and judging their scientific merit – would help... more>> 5/31/2005 -- Déjà Vu All Over Again? by Lori Kelman, MBA, Ph.D. I’m not sneaking around behind the backs of my students – I explain to them the difference between copying and paraphrasing, and we go over some examples in class... more>> 5/11/2005 -- NIH Rules by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. NIH rule makers may not ignore the fact that it is just important for the NIH as well as for its senior scientists and researchers to serve as members of scientific advisory boards of companies or other research institutions, to engage in collaborations with other laboratories and to provide answers to tough biological questions that cannot be dealt with within for instance a particular pharmaceutical company... more>> 4/25/2005 -- Telemicroscopy over the Internet by Ravi Shankar Nagarajan Unfortunately, establishing an Internet connection between two computers located in different hospitals is usually not as simple as it may seem... more>> 4/12/2005 -- The Green Road to Open Access: A Leveraged Transition by Stevan Harnad Open Access (OA) is: immediate, permanent, toll-free online access to the full-texts of peer-reviewed research journal articles... more>> 3/28/2005 -- Drug Induced Lipofuscinosis by Nagarajan Ravishankar, Ph.D. It is widely theorized that the damage to the cellular organelles by oxidative processes, in particular lipid per-oxidation, contributes to the Lipofuscin formation ... more>> 3/22/2005 -- Post-Infectious Immunity: the Origin of its Strength and Duration by Sergey N. Rumyantsev, M.D., Ph.D. One of the ‘atomic facts’ of immunology is that the immunity naturally acquired through infection is usually incomparably stronger than vaccine induced resistance... more>> 3/7/2005 -- Obituary for Dr. Julius Axelrod May 30, 1912 - December 29, 2004 by Tahira Farooqui, Ph.D. His findings will lead the way for many future scientists having interest in hormones, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators... more>> 3/7/2005 -- The Impact of the Impact Factor by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. The journal’s impact factor becomes even more cumbersome when it is used by professionals as an indicator of the quality of an individual scientist, research group and/or institution. ... more>> 2/22/2005 -- It's a Gut Reaction: Innate Immunity and the Development of Gut Inflammatory Disease by Paul D. Rennert The interaction of the self with the environment provides continuous opportunity for the immune system to respond to antigens in a way that can become detrimental... more>> 2/7/2005 -- Scientific Elites and Scientific Illiterates by David L. Goodstein, Ph.D., The paradox is that we, here in the United States today, have the finest scientists in the world, and we also have the worst science education in the world, or at least in the industrialized world... more>> 2/2/2005 -- Stem Cell Semantics by Ricki Lewis An embryo is an embryo is an embryo-except when it's not.... more>> 1/24/2005 -- Honesty in Medicine: Should Doctors Tell the Truth? by James F. Drane, Ph.D Truthful Disclosure vs. Lying in a Clinical Context... more>> 1/10/2005 -- Thinking Through the Ethics of Cloning by James F. Drane, Ph.D. Cloning turns every thinking being into something of a moral philosopher... more>> 12/22/2004 -- Downsizing the Status of Science by Frank Furedi Intellectual life is given short shrift in the age of competing rationalities ... more>> 12/13/2004 -- A Historical Perspective on Managed Care by David W. Crippen, M.D., F.C.C.M. A Member Since July 2003 Managed health care and the art of protest: "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant (excepting Alice)"... more>> 11/29/2004 -- The Future of Human Health and Longevity by Leonid A. Gavrilov, Ph.D. What do you think about the promise of forthcoming life extension offered by some scientists? ... more>> 11/15/2004 -- Quality Assurance…Bah…Humbug by David W. Crippen, M.D., F.C.C.M. A Member Since July 2003 I think deliverance of quality care in medicine depends almost exclusively on the internal incentive of individuals, but self-motivation is notoriously difficult to measure objectively... more>> 11/2/2004 -- Trauma and Homelessness by Reverend Susan Brandt Risk factors such as antisocial personality disorder, substance abuse, and major depression is often coupled with aggressive behavior within the homeless population. ... more>> 10/20/2004 -- Chronic Radiation Is Beneficial to Human Beings by Yuan-Chi Luan Tantalizing insights... have suggested that chronic radiation might paradoxically be beneficial to humans... more>> 10/11/2004 -- Tough Mining: The challenges of searching the scientific literature by Steven Dickman because biological text-mining comes so close to the challenge of comprehending human language—arguably the most complex invention in the history of the planet—it is what computer scientists call a “hard problem.” ... more>> 9/10/2004 -- Knock Knock, Who’s There? The FDA! by Katrina A. Bramstedt, Ph.D. Cleveland Clinic Foundation Evan J. Topol, B.S. cand., University of Virginia Warning letters (WL) issued to clinical investigators by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reveal common ethical concerns associated with clinical trials... more>> 7/26/2004 -- Treatment Guidelines: How Valid and Practical is Their Generalized Use? by Nusrat Shafiq, M.D. and Samir Malhotra, M.D. The universal endorsement of these guidelines is often not feasible and may even be questionable... more>> 7/11/2004 -- Would I Do It All Again? by Lori M. Kelman, Ph.D. I love my job. I love my lifestyle. Depending on who you ask, I’m either a “scientist” or a person who “left” science to teach college. I’ve experienced discrimination, sexism, and just plain meanness, and I’ve had to make sacrifices. I would do it all again.... more>> 7/11/2004 -- Reflections upon my Scientific Career by Sue Mischke, Ph.D. Albert Einstein said it best (as he so often did): "Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it." ... more>> 6/28/2004 -- Biodefense Research: Can Secrecy and Safety Coexist? by Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP Over the next 10 years, the United States will spend $6 billion to develop countermeasures against biological and chemical weapons... more>> 6/21/2004 -- Some Thoughts on Biodefense Research by Jan van Aken and Edward Hammond Currently, the US is especially guilty of stretching the definition of legitimate biodefense to justify very questionable research projects. ... more>> 6/14/2004 -- Progress in Canavan disease by Sankar Surendran, Ph.D. and Reuben Matalon, M.D., Ph.D. Canavan disease (CD) is an autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by spongiform degeneration throughout the white matter of the brain... more>> 6/1/2004 -- Personalized Medicine: Sweet or Bitter Pill? by Monica G. Marcu, Ph.D., Pharm.D. An increase in the safety and efficacy of "individualized" pharmacotherapies, by tailoring them to individuals, has obvious benefits in financial terms... more>> 6/1/2004 -- Equivalence trials: A Marker of Advancement or Stagnation in Pharmacotherapeutics? by Samir Malhotra, MD Prescribers must give more thought to the actual advantage (in terms of a better safety-efficacy profile) achieved with the newer drug... more>> 5/26/2004 -- Anatomy of a Comparative Gene Expression Study by Jeremy Buhler, Ph.D. DNA microarrays are perfectly suited for comparing gene expression in different populations of cells. ... more>> 5/17/2004 -- Bioweapon: The Emperor’s New Suit! by Sergey N. Rumyantsev M.D., Ph.D. The apprehension of Iraqi's mass annihilating bioweapons had recently been the number one problem discussed at all levels of world-wide society... more>> 5/3/2004 -- SPECIAL FOCUS ON IMAGING Building the National Health Information Infrastructure for Personal Health, Health Care Services, Public Health, and Research by Don E. Detmer, M.D., M.A. The health sector's most avoidable shortcomings can be linked to poor quality or lack of access to data, information, and knowledge.... more>> 4/19/2004 -- Managing Records On-Line by Beth Friedman, RHIT Today savvy health care providers are using security tools coupled with the Internet to move toward on-line medical records as a competitive differentiator, a way to improve care delivery and reduce costs... more>> 4/12/2004 -- Neuroscience Networks: Data-sharing in an Information Age by Thomas R. Insel , Nora D. Volkow , Ting-Kai Li , James F. Battey, Jr. , Story C. Landis As directors of National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutes dedicated to neuroscience, we recognize several areas of research where sharing of primary data will be necessary for us to reach our scientific goals, including brain-mapping, genetics, and clinical trials... more>> 3/29/2004 -- RNAi Therapeutics: How Likely, How Soon? by Richard Robinson RNA interference (RNAi) has been called “one of the most has exciting discoveries in biology in the last couple decades"... more>> 3/15/2004 -- Phytochemicals: Their Role in the Modern Era by Amrit Pal Singh, B.A.M.S, M.D. Scientific validation of herbal drugs always has been questioned, but with recent advances and publications of clinical trials, the researchers and the public are viewing herbal products with more respect... more>> 3/8/2004 -- Reducing the Incidence and Impact of Clinical Trial Litigation by Katrina A. Bramstedt, Ph.D. The past five years has seen an upsurge in clinical trial litigation in the United States... more>> 3/1/2004 -- BIOENTREPRENEUR SERIES Incubator Focus: Maryland, USA by Tamara Zemlo, Ph.D., MPH Interested in finding out what types of resources are available for fledgling biotech companies in the MidAtlantic Region?... more>> 3/1/2004 -- BIOENTREPRENEUR SERIES Incubator Focus: Georgia, USA by Tamara Zemlo, Ph.D., MPH Interested in finding out what types of resources are available for fledgling biotech companies in the Southeast U.S.? ... more>> 2/23/2004 -- BIOENTREPRENEUR SERIES Promoting Entrepreneurial Opportunities: The Technology Interface at the Public:Private Sector by Tamara Zemlo, Ph.D., MPH One of the most challenging concepts to explain to inventors is that of “authorship versus invention.” ... more>> 2/9/2004 -- BIOENTREPRENEUR SERIES Bioentrepreneurship: The Road Less Traveled by Dr. Krishna M. Ella Every bioentrepreneur must thoroughly understand the grassroots of biotechnology sector such as research, collaboration, infrastructure, technology and commercialization capital and come up with an alternative business model to achieve success.... more>> 2/2/2004 -- BIOENTREPRENEUR SERIES Perceptions Of Science In A Small-Island Developing State by Sephra Rampersad The effort extended to make scientific research more applicable will encourage those who use it to trust in an entity that although imperfect, can offer solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems... more>> 1/19/2004 -- Confronting the Social Context of Science by Carl M. Cohen, Ph.D. Scientists are typically well trained in the technologies and academic subjects of their discipline. However, they are missing a set of skills, which handicaps them both in academic and for-profit environments... more>> 1/5/2004 -- Applying Biotechnological Advances to Aerospace Medicine by James E. Whinnery Ph.D.,M.D. Aerospace medicine shares the roots of traditional clinical medicine in the understanding and treatment of disease, injury, and suffering... more>> 12/22/2003 -- Seeking Long-Term Solutions: Laboratory Staffing Shortages by Anita Stone MT, CLS, ASCP In the United States, the medical community is facing a critical shortage of qualified, experienced staff... more>> 12/8/2003 -- Broadband Science: Dangers and Injustice in Sight! by Yan Ropert-Coudert1 and Rory P. Wilson2 A major reason why journal impact factor is not necessarily a reliable index of the scientific value of a researcher is that it measures the degree of popularity of journals, not isolated articles... more>> 11/24/2003 -- Outcome-Based Research Has an Important Place in the Scientific Community by Robert Owre Uppgaard, D.D.S. Medicine’s insistence that only controlled studies, (e.g. random, double blind clinical trials), are valid diagnostic tools, denigrates the importance of what I call “patient variables” in diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders... more>> 11/10/2003 -- Excerpts from Biogeneric Drugs: Ready Or Not Here they Come by Carl M. Cohen, Ph.D. The biotechnology industry has good reason to worry about the scenario of a generic manufacturer producing a duplicate biological molecule, using sophisticated tests to show that it the same as the original, and then referencing the original manufacturers clinical tests to demonstrate efficacy... more>> 11/3/2003 -- The Power of High Throughput Methods to Accelerate Scientific Discovery by Christopher White, Ph.D. The application of high efficiency methods to scientific inquiry has opened up new venues to formulation and measurement related problems... more>> 10/27/2003 -- Defend only the Defenseless by Sergey N.Rumyantsev, M.D., Ph.D. We are today at the end of the era of total vaccination and at the edge of selective vaccination based on individual immunogenetic indications... more>> 10/20/2003 -- Improving Innovation in Medical Technology by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Governments can play a unique and critical role in facilitating the advancement of technology by addressing and clarifying regulatory uncertainty, by increasing predictability in product development, and by ensuring that its regulatory processes are based on the latest scientific thinking, and are designed to assure safety and effectiveness through the most efficient means possible... more>> 9/29/2003 -- SELEX Explained: A Novel Combinatorial Technique for Drug Identification by Sung-Kun Kim, Ph.D. Through combinatorial chemistry a wide variety of compounds can be effectively tested for promising drug activity.... more>> 9/22/2003 -- Beyond the Central Dogma by Steven Henikoff, Ph.D. The central dogma, DNA makes RNA makes protein, has long been a staple of biology textbooks. More recently, this paradigm has been extended from individual genes to whole genomes by advances in genomic technologies... more>> 9/22/2003 -- The Discussion Forum: An Agora Definitely Not for Agoraphobics... by Mathilde Poussin, Ph.D. Or, let’s discuss ourselves discussing... more>> 9/9/2003 -- The Reuse of Single-Use Medical Devices by Eduardo Abreu, M.D., MSc. The reuse of devices labeled for “single-use only” has been a controversial subject for decades. The reality is that, despite heavy criticism, the practice of reuse is prevalent in several countries... more>> 9/2/2003 -- Finding Dough: NIH Funding Awaits Your Proposals by Robert F. Ryan, M.S., Ph.D. This article may be just what you need to find your special niche and the money to do it!... more>> 8/18/2003 -- A Great Scientific Presentation–From Stress to Success! by Monica Gianina Marcu, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Rarely have I been impressed with a speaker’s good technique but I have always appreciated a vibrant, eloquent presenter.... more>> 8/11/2003 -- The Peer-Review Reviewed by Wim D’Haeze, Ph.D. Communicating new findings to the scientific community in the form of a publication is pivotal and important for the development of that community. Unfortunately, this crucial process is somehow governed by an unfair, closed-minded, and old-fashioned system of peer-review in its common and current state!... more>> 8/4/2003 -- Parasitic Diseases: Opportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century by Daniel G Colley, Ph.D. The potential in vaccine development and delivery coupled with further recognition of the role of host genetics, will greatly change what is in the tool box for preventing parasitic infections... more>> 7/21/2003 -- Excerpts from Clinical Proteomics: New Promises for Early Cancer Detection by Sara M. Mariani, M.D., Ph.D. These new avenues of investigation have been made possible by significant advances in the technologies used in the analysis of complex protein mixtures from very large numbers of samples... more>> 7/21/2003 -- Clinical Proteomics: Applying Protein Research for Disease Prevention by Jim Brady, Ph.D. The effectiveness of clinical proteomics hinges on two technological components: rapid, multiplex protein detection assays and data analysis systems that use artificial intelligence to assimilate vast amounts of protein expression data ... more>> 7/8/2003 -- And Another and Another…Advertisement by Robert F. Ryan, M.S., Ph.D. Advertisements are considered the bane of civilization to many of us, including scientists and physicians... more>> 6/30/2003 -- St. John’s Wort: Quality Control & Assurance Issues by Amrit Pal Singh, M.D. Herbal medicines are becoming increasingly popular and more patients are visiting alternative medicine clinics... more>> 6/23/2003 -- The World According to Your Next Employer: An Aid to Finding Your Big Break by Robert F. Ryan, M.S., Ph.D. That time honored job hunting experience awaits you at every turn... more>> 6/16/2003 -- Start-ups for Postdocs: A Survival Guide in Three Parts by Richard Wintle, Ph.D. If you crave a higher salary, a goal-oriented workplace, and are concerned about a future career in academic research, it is probably worthwhile at least exploring industry... more>> 6/9/2003 -- A Story Concerning Leonardo da Vinci by Dhastagir Sheriff, Ph.D. The possibility of science being used us a double-edged weapon for betterment or detriment to the welfare of humankind... more>> 6/2/2003 -- Toxicogenomics: Do Our Expectations Exceed the Technology? by James E. Trosko, Ph.D. Challenges of DNA micro-array technology... more>> 5/19/2003 -- A Case of Wishful Thinking Excerpts from Between Literature and Science [McGill/Queen’s UP, 2000] by Peter Swirski, Ph.D. After discussing several means of biological reproduction, and remarking that many biologists see species propagation through reproduction as an essential element of life... more>> 5/19/2003 -- Tissue Microarrays: Bringing Histology up to Speed by Jim Brady, Ph.D. Tissue microarrays present an ideal method for quality control of diagnostic histology procedures... more>> 5/14/2003 -- Essay on the Therapeutic Development Process by J. E. Gilchrist Much is published on the general topic of drug discovery but little emphasis is placed on how to navigate in the post-human genome world of heightened sensitivity to the down side of using these discoveries without harming the patient... more>> 5/7/2003 -- Avoiding the Curse of the Sales Rep: Scientist's Thoughts to Aid Sales Representatives and Advance Science by Robert Ryan, M.S., Ph.D. Although not in their job description, it is quite possible for Sales representatives to help or hinder the advancement of science... more>> 5/5/2003 -- Aculturation of the Cultured or the Price of Success by Arseni Markoff, Ph.D. The mere subject of scientific research goes way beyond the national borders and is embedded in the much broader subject of human culture... more>> 4/28/2003 -- The Impact of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA by Juan Mendible, Ph.D. The discovery of the structure of DNA was the keystone to more than a half-century of research that initiated a scientific revolution whose end is not yet in sight... more>> 4/22/2003 -- Cytokines in Wound Healing by Sharon Wahl, Ph.D. The complex interplay between multiple cytokines, cells and extracellular matrix is central to the initiation, progression and resolution of wounds... more>> 4/9/2003 -- Toxicogenomics: "The Call of the Wild Chip" by Philip M. Iannaccone, Ph.D. Toxicogenomics is a new undertaking in the pursuit of human genes relevant to health risk from environmental toxicants and related stress... more>> 4/7/2003 -- An Application of Toxicogenomics Research: Slowing Down Aging Through Hormesis by Suresh I.S. Rattan, Ph.D., D.Sc. Recently, new approaches are being developed to slow down aging, to improve the quality of life in old age, and to increase the lifespan. One such approach is called hormesis, in which low levels of stress have positive effects on health and survival... more>> 3/19/2003 -- Quantitative PCR and its real time dimensions by Arseni Markoff, Ph.D. Those of you who have worked in the field of quantitative PCR (qPCR) , will certainly remember the early ‘90s, when this assay was very tedious in its original form. ... more>> 3/11/2003 -- Should Biotech Firms Abandon Basic Science? by Juan Mendible, Ph.D. According to recent news, Biotech companies are cutting basic science positions to redirect their efforts to product development. At no point do these press releases mention the future of basic research ... more>> 2/19/2003 -- The Annual Renewal of the Catalogs on the Shelves by Mathilde Poussin, Ph.D. There is a seasonal event affecting each year the scientific community around the world. The one I am referring to is not, as comes first in mind, the annual migration of scientists towards the scientific congresses, but the annual delivery of the scientific catalogs. ... more>> 2/6/2003 -- Great Chefs of the World Labs by Eduardo Abreu, M.D. I have the impression that lab work is pretty much like cooking. Everyday assays (as well as daily cooking) is not a problem, but when it comes to something more complex… ... more>> 1/28/2003 -- Special Topics Focus: RNAi Technology Tools and Techniques of RNA Interference by Jean-Claude Zenklusen, M.S., Ph.D. With the discovery of small interference RNA (siRNA), a new horizon has opened in the reverse genetics field using cell based experimental systems.... more>> 1/9/2003 -- Frankenstein to 2001: A Space Odyssey and Beyond: The Society of Medical Technology by Anita Stone, B.S., MT, ASCP, CLS Will Medical Technologists become an extinct society?... more>> 12/19/2002 -- The Role of the Ph.D. in Improving Medical Education by Dhastagir Sheriff, Ph.D. The goal of producing Ph.D.’s in different fields of specialization is to develop the country in all spheres of education and research whether academic, industrial or military... more>> 12/4/2002 -- The Holist Versus the Determinist Way of Doing Science (Or the Way We Do Our Daily Experiments) by Arseni Markoff, Ph.D. A Member Since December 2001 What makes an experiment “successful”? ... more>> 11/25/2002 -- Mergers and Acquisitions in the Life Sciences: The Timid New World and Its Impact on the Life Science Consumer by Richard Wintle, Ph.D. The conglomeration of life science suppliers can, however, have real benefits to the customer as well. It should come as no surprise, however, that hand-in-hand with these benefits are also a suite of disadvantages... more>> 11/22/2002 -- Why Are So Many Scientific Talks So Dull? Do They Have To Be that Way? by D. Eric Walters, Ph.D. When you attend a conference or a seminar, what is the probability that very good science will be presented in a very dull way? Unfortunately, this happens too often... more>> 11/14/2002 -- Values in Medicine: How Will We Keep Hold of Our Oath? by Faith T. Fitzgerlad, M.D. In truth, this estrangement from patients had come sometime before the advent of health care reform, as diagnostic technology replaced the touch of the physical exam, and subspecialty medicine fractured continuity of care. The science no longer complemented, but now often replaced, the art of medicine... more>> 11/7/2002 -- Can Literature and Science Ever Bond? by Peter Swirski, Ph.D. It’s true that we need science. But the question worth asking is how much of it has translated into real understanding of the nature of things?... more>> 10/31/2002 -- Excerpts from "Hard Realities: The Subtle but Sure Erosion of Education and Research Capacity " by William N. Kelley, M.D. Clearly, the substantial financial pressures on the nation’s academic health systems and medical centers brought about by the combination of innate inefficiencies, the costs of their education and research missions, the impact of the uncompensated care that they provide, and the intense pressures from the payor community are putting overwhelming stress on each organization... more>> 10/24/2002 -- The Fine Art of Creating Life by Amy M. Youngs It is the genetic engineers who are doing almost all of the creating, while the rest of us on the sidelines are watching with great interest, as traditional species barriers are being breached before our eyes... more>> 10/17/2002 -- Special Topic Focus: Plant Research Excerpts from “Biotechnology Provides New Tools for Plant Breeding” by Trevor V. Suslow, Bruce R. Thomas and Kent J. Bradford The majority of the altered traits associated with domestication of crop plants were already accomplished by the time of historic agricultural civilizations such as the Egyptian, Chinese, or Mayan... more>> 10/11/2002 -- Perspectives on Biotechnology by Dave Sleper, Ph.D. Agricultural production has profound effects by transforming our environment, human health, the economy... more>> 10/10/2002 -- Anti-Aging Therapies: Kinetin by Suresh Rattan, Ph.D., D.Sc. more>> 10/3/2002 -- Beyond Biomedicine: Renegotiating the Sick Role for Postmodern Conditions by Susan McKay The power of the biomedical approach to understanding disease cannot be under-estimated, however without a cultural context, its discoveries are ultimately ineffectual... more>> 9/26/2002 -- Professional Standards: How To Stay Current in This Fast-Paced Health Care Environment by Barbara Acello, M.S., RN The standard of care is not what the best professional in the field would do, but rather what any reasonable professional would do in the same or similar circumstances... more>> 9/19/2002 -- A Five-Year Member Remembers by one of the original members of The Science Advisory Board The following reminiscences explain one member's long-term commitment to The Science Advisory Board... more>> 9/10/2002 -- Excerpts from “Ethical Issues in Pharmacogenetics” by Carol Isaacson Barash, Ph.D. In coming years, we are likely to learn that particular single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with sensitivities or resistances to chemical compounds in the environment... more>> 8/29/2002 -- Smallpox From Ancient Times to the Present by James Newman, M.D., FACP Smallpox has ravaged the earth for millennia. In 430 B.C. Athens, Thucydides noted post-epidemic survivors of the disease were immune to further infection. ... more>> 8/15/2002 -- A Point of View from the National Institutes of Health: Medicine…The Intersection of Research, Training and Care by Ruth Kirschstein, M.D. Importantly, it was Pasteur who said that clinical and basic research were no more separable than the tree from its fruit. I ask you to keep this truth in mind... more>> 8/1/2002 -- Challenges in Teaching the 21st Century University Student by Joe Dynlacht, Ph.D. Ah, education! People are willing to spend an enormous amount of money for the opportunity to work toward obtaining it, yet many are content to settle for less than a maximum return on their investment simply because they are unwilling to make the necessary commitments... more>> 7/24/2002 -- Investigator Fraud in Clinical Research by Mark Parascandola, Ph.D. Fraud does not always involve blatant falsehoods, and the circumstances that lead to it can be far more subtle and insidious, particularly in the complex world of modern biomedical research.... more>> 7/11/2002 -- Excerpts from “Preventing Scientific Misconduct” by Douglas L. Weed, M.D., Ph.D. When a case of serious scientific misconduct comes to light, reactions are often swift and impassioned, reflecting the importance of a problem that strikes at the heart of the scientific enterprise ... more>> 6/27/2002 -- Emerging Trends in the Herbal Pharmaceutical Industry and Practice by Amrit Pal Singh, MD Herbal medicine has been shown to have genuine utility and about 80% of rural populations depend on medicinal herbs as their sole source of primary health care. ... more>> 6/20/2002 -- The Philosophy Of Information and the Application of Information Technology To Medicine by By Winston Mendes-Davidson, M.D. The use of technology in medicine has a very long history with or without the application of computer based systems.... more>> 6/6/2002 -- The Success of Empirical Science Depends Upon Inductive Inference: The critical links between laboratory science and epidemiology by Mark Parascandola, Ph.D. Criticism of epidemiology has been on the increase in the past decade... more>> 5/31/2002 -- Evidence-Based Medicine: What It Is and What It Isn't by David L. Sackett, William M.C. Rosenberg, J.A. Muir Gray, R. Brian Haynes, W. Scott Richardson Evidence-Based Medicine, whose philosophical origins extend back to mid-19th century Paris and earlier, remains a hot topic for clinicians, public health practitioners, purchasers, planners, and the public... more>> 5/31/2002 -- Shaken Baby Syndrome: Putting Evidence Based Medicine to the Test? by Jan E. Leestma, MD, MM There are several very important scientific issues involved in Shaken Baby Syndrome not to mention the legal and societal consequences of them. The crux of the issue is that a large number of physicians (pediatricians mostly) subscribe to the theory that when a baby is shaken our of frustration or rage... more>> 5/17/2002 -- Technology Licensing -- The European Way by Arseni Markoff, Ph.D. Following the recent SAB discussion on technology licensing, I was telling myself, "Well, they mean it quite seriously in the USA, don't they? What are we doing here in Europe in this regard? Is the US experience applicable to our own situation at universities, for example, in Germany?"... more>> 5/8/2002 -- U.S. Life Science Job Market Projections for Ph.D.s by Eleanor Babco, Ph.D. Total doctorate production in the life sciences (agricultural sciences, biological sciences and health/medical sciences) increased 24% during the decade of the 1990s (1991-2000), with the exception of 1999 when there was a decline... more>> 5/8/2002 -- My Thoughts About Balancing Time for Research and Learning About New Techniques and Reagents by Bill Hosker I am near the end of the second year of a PhD, working in the area of Type 1 diabetes mellitus pathogenesis. Specifically, we are researching the effect of reactive species on cell signalling leading to apoptosis in beta cells... more>> 5/8/2002 -- A Career in Science Policy: Communicating Science to Policy-Makers and Policy to Scientists by Heather Rieff, Ph.D. Many scientists today are choosing to pursue careers outside of academia. I'd like to offer my thoughts on the changing nature of scientific careers and tell you about my experience working in science policy at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)... more>> 5/2/2002 -- Does Technology Deliver The Goods? by J. R. Archer Discovery processes in both drug and agrochemical research have increasingly focused in the last decade on automated screening in conjunction with related technologies such as combinatorial chemistry, automated compound management and genomic based target development... more>> 4/24/2002 -- Microbial Contamination: The Importance of Microbiological Testing to Prevent Its Spread From the Field to the Consumer by M.V. Rao, Ph.D. Microbial contamination of foods is a growing issue of concern for the producer, processor, trade and consumer... more>> 4/9/2002 -- From Bench to the Market by Jessy John Alexander, Ph.D. Discovery is very exciting no matter what the field -- whether it is biomedical research to discover possibilities that save or enrich people's lives, microchips that will increase the speed of the tasks that are performed today by computers, or telecommunication and transportation that make the world smaller and more closely interlinked... more>> 3/19/2002 -- How I Achieved My Dream of Working in Big Pharma by Following an Unconventional Career Path by Donald Rossi It's my senior year in high school and I'm in Spanish class. The teacher's discussion moves from Spanish to what type of career we were deciding upon... more>> 3/12/2002 -- Regenerative Medicine and e-biomed: The Journal of Regenerative Medicine by William A. Haseltine Ph.D. Improving capabilities for publication of technical material via the World Wide Web have made it the most convenient vehicle for worldwide distribution of research findings... more>> 2/26/2002 -- The Baloney Detection Kit: How to draw boundaries between science and pseudoscience by Michael Shermer from The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense (2001, Oxford University Press) When exploring the borderlands of science we often face a "boundary problem" -- where to draw the line between science and pseudoscience?... more>> 2/26/2002 -- Whither Bioinformatics? by Richard P. Grant, M.A., Ph.D. When I started my doctorate in 1991, I was granted access to the University's VAX, with some elementary sequence analysis programs... more>> 2/20/2002 -- Should they charge us to pass the Genome? by Arseni Markoff, Ph.D. Given the recent success in sequencing the human genome, almost every lab doing research in the fields of human molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, genetics and pathology is interested in using the assembled and annotated data... more>> 2/13/2002 -- Advancing Scientific Understanding of Living Systems Through Computation by Stefan Unger, Ph.D. (Principal Author) Biology underlies all the life sciences. Today, without computational approaches, our potential to learn and understand the complex relationships between and among the subsets (biological response, biodiversity, genetics, medicine, etc.) would be totally thwarted... more>> 2/7/2002 -- A Fantastic Voyage: From the Realm of the Tiny Come the Tools for Human Regeneration by Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. Regenerating the human body -- cells, tissues, whole organs -- using genetic and nanoscale materials and techniques is happening in spaces smaller than the head of a pin... more>> 1/29/2002 -- Animal Right Extremists Threaten Medical Research by Joseph E. Murray, M.D. One of the greatest challenges faced by biomedical research lies beyond laboratory doors... more>> 12/19/2001 -- No News is Bad News by Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D. Stem cell research and cloning have been much in the news over the past five months. Unfortunately, the news has gotten too far ahead of the science involved and that is not good either for the news or science... more>> 12/18/2001 -- The Age of e-Health by Vincenzo Della Mea, Ph.D. From e-Commerce, to e-Learning, to e-Health, adding a "e-" means adding information and communication technologies (ICT) to some traditional fields of activity... more>> 12/11/2001 -- Cloning Time: Is it Too Fast? by Ketan Desai, M.D., Ph.D. Seeing double seems to have acquired a new meaning lately, thanks to the controversy over cloning. Along with the new connotation of diplopia, some are also seeing red... more>> 11/29/2001 -- The Emergence of Regenerative Medicine: A New Field and a New Society by William A. Haseltine Ph.D. Chairman and CEO of Human Genome Sciences We are embarking on a great enterprise: the formation of a new field of medicine that will improve the lives of people everywhere by curing disease. It will spawn... more>> 11/6/2001 -- The Evolution of Bioterrorism: The Agents Remain Constant but the Terrorist Profile Has Changed by Mark Sorrentino, M.D., M.S. Bioterrorism seems to be the current "buzz word." We have suddenly become inundated with comments by the so-called media "experts." What do we really know about bioterrorism? The FBI admitted... more>> 10/15/2001 -- Bioterrorism: Is it the Ultimate Revenge Weapon? by David C. White, M.D., Ph.D The Internet, our newspapers and CNN have been telling us that the next wave of terror will be bioterrorism... more>> 9/25/2001 -- Proteomics: Overview and Outlook by Deborah Fitzgerald The field of proteomics is organizing itself and gathering momentum by feeding on the energy of the genomics revolution and the sea of potential monetary profits... more>> |
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