Essentially, for a while, the SCQ has been interested in presenting a phylogeny related section, which would use some type of creative form as its driving force. And why not haikus (or is it Haiki?). So this is essentially a call for some Haiku’s on various organisms, preferably ones that work in the phylogenetic context. Can you imagine it? A phylogenetic database derived solely from 5,7,5 syllabus prose. Should be quite interesting, and hopefully, we’ll be able to set something up so that Haiku submissions can be dynamic (i.e. real time). Anyway, to get your creative juices rolling, here is…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From June, 2006
COMPOSURE
On page 1420 of the old Second Edition Webster’s Unabridged my father bought over 20 years ago for my brothers and me, it states that in music, a prelude is an introductory section or movement of a suite or fugue, and that since the 19th century it has become any short romantic composition. I was not quite four when my family moved to Vancouver from Manila. I remember it was the nearing the end of the rainy season, and it was overcast and grey. I was wearing my best dress – crinoline and lace that made a wedding cake of…
A BRAKE ON THE EVER EXPANDING GENOME
Want to expand a genome? Previous thinking suggests you only need some transposable elements, often nicknamed “jumping genes”, to repeatedly, and irreversibly, insert into the genome. Time will take care of the rest. However, new research is now challenging this view by revealing that transposable elements can also be deleted during evolution. The new findings were recently reported by Louie van de Lagemaat, Dixie Mager and their colleagues from the Terry Fox Laboratory in Vancouver, BC. They compared the human, chimpanzee and Rhesus monkey genomes and found 37 instances where transposable elements were present in the primitive Rhesus monkey, but…
BIOPROSPECTING: A NEW WESTERN BLOCKBUSTER, AFTER THE GOLD RUSH, THE GENE RUSH
Picture a group of scientists exploring tropical forests to collect plants, fungi or microorganism samples. They are bioprospecting. In other words, they are looking for new compounds that may help remediate so-far incurable diseases. Picture them settling in villages and discussing with the shaman to learn their traditional way of using plants to heal their people. These local medicine men are often rich of a secular oral tradition about nature’s secrets. Now, picture the scientists coming back to their wealthy country with their suitcase full of unexplored drug candidates. Ten years later, after intense research work and numerous trial and…
JOURNAL CLUB FIND: I CHOOSE BURGER ‘B’
REFERENCE: Potential Effects of the Next 100 Billion Hamburgers Sold by McDonald’s. (2005) American Journal of Preventive Medicine 28(4) :379-381 ABSTRACT: Background: McDonald’s has sold more than 100 billion beef-based hamburgers worldwide with a potentially considerable health impact. This paper explores whether there would be any advantages if the next 100 billion burgers were instead plant-based burgers. Methods: Nutrient composition of the beef hamburger patty and the McVeggie burger patty were obtained from the McDonald’s website; sales data were obtained from the McDonald’s customer service. Results: Consuming 100 billion McDonald’s beef burgers versus the same company’s McVeggie burgers would provide,…
A DIALOG ON NUCLEAR WARFARE: CHARLES SHAW, HERMAN KAHN AND ME
The Participants Charles Shaw: A brand of wine, widely known as “two buck chucks” for its affordability (although in Ohio, one can’t seem to find it for no less than $3.33). An acquaintance of both participants in this dialog. Herman Kahn—Arguably the most celebrated and controversial nuclear strategist of his time. Often said what was on everyone’s mind, was Director of the Hudson “think tank” and wrote “On Thermonuclear War.” Also a rather large man. Me– Pacifist. Has the last name Kahn, but is probably unrelated to Herman Kahn and related to Justin Kahn only in his own imagination. Definitely…
CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY – A VISUAL SLICE OF THE CELLULAR WORLD
(August, 2004) Seeing a cell is an essential aspect of cell biology. To the small world of the cell, confocal microscopy is a major advance upon normal light microscopy since it allows one to visualize not only deep into cells and tissues, but to also create images in three dimensions [1]. There are many aspects to a confocal microscope that make it a much more versatile instrument than a conventional fluorescence microscope. Although the confocal microscope is often thought of as an instrument that can create 3D images of live cells, the great versatility of the machines means that many…
FLOW CYTOMETRY: A TECHNOLOGY TO COUNT AND SORT CELLS
(August, 2003) Flow cytometry is a technology that allows a single cell to be measured for a variety of characteristics, determined by looking at how they flow in liquid [1]. Instruments used for this can gather information about cells by measuring visible and fluorescent light emissions, allowing cell sorting based on physical, biochemical and antigenic traits. Flow Cytometers A flow cytometer, sometimes called a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS), has several key components [2] (see Figure 1): 1. A light or excitation source, typically a laser that emits light at a particular wavelength; 2. A liquid flow that moves the…
DNA RESTRICTION DIGEST AND GEL ELECTROPHORESIS: A VIRTUAL LAB
– Click here to launch virtual lab – (Screenshot #1) This is the virtual version of the UBC Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory’s experimental kit #2 (see Restriction Digest of Lambda DNA and Gel Electrophoresis for details) which features a common and important molecular technique used in laboratories to analyze DNA. This molecular technique can be used to isolate a gene of interest and to identify DNA sequences that are different. This molecular technique is particularly useful in forensics where it is used to analyze DNA from crime scenes! In this virtual experiment, analysis is performed on lambda DNA and will…