Net Picks

Something to read while taking a break -

Fifty Years With Double Stranded RNA
Alexander Rich, the scientist who discovered hybridization and the "other" double helix describes what it meant to biology.

Bioengineering and AIDS
University of Utah scientists designed a "molecular condom" women could use daily to prevent AIDS by vaginally inserting a liquid that would turn into a gel-like coating and then, when exposed to semen, return to liquid form and release an antiviral drug.

Genetic Map Offers New Tool For Malaria Research
In one of three genomic studies of malaria appearing in Nature Genetics, scientists chart genetic variation across the genome of the malaria parasite, unlocking novel DNA regions associated with drug resistance.

Laugh And The Whole World Laughs With You: Why The Brain Just Can't Help Itself
Researchers at UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London have shown that positive sounds trigger a response in the listener's brain in an area that is activated by smile, as though preparing our facial muscles to laugh.

This Holiday Season drink without fear.
A study performed by the Research Laboratories of the Catholic University of Campobasso (Italy) confirms the beneficial effects that moderate consumption of alcohol has on our health: drinking in moderation reduces all-cause mortality.

Another reason why the Octopus Rules - in built 3-D light reflectors!
Roger Hanlon at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts and colleagues took a close look at the octopus's skin and identified a new group of proteins (leucophores) with remarkable properties.

New Insights Into The Origin Of Life On Earth
In an advance toward understanding the origin of life on Earth, scientists have shown that parts of the Krebs cycle can run in reverse, producing biomolecules that could jump-start life with only sunlight and a mineral present in the primordial oceans.