Online Editorials Archive
(December 29
th, 2011) Why is Ardevan suddenly behaving so strangely? Enjoy reading the second episode of our new science thriller The Scienticks by Nanür.
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(December 26
th, 2011) Languidly waiting for your samples to be ready or still lazing around at home? Lab Times has just the right thing to get you excited again. Over the next days, we will give you the first three episodes of our new science thriller The Scienticks by Nanür.
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(December 22
nd, 2011) A Scottish researcher has unravelled the biological principles of the Christmas season.
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(December 19
th, 2011) Santa Claus may be old and feeble already but luckily, he has some good-natured companions with special skills by his side. Recently, Norwegian and British researchers unveiled that reindeer not only see more but have also came up with a very neat strategy to keep their cool.
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(December 15
th, 2011) As a PhD student one has many stories to tell. Madhuvanthi Kannan tells us one such story – about 'power boosters' in the lab. Enjoy reading the second episode of our new series EngulPhD!
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(December 12
th, 2011) From 1993-1997, Bruno Lemaitre made ground-breaking discoveries on innate immunity in insects. Yet, although he clearly did this research, the lab’s administrative manager, Jules Hoffmann, has now received the Nobel Prize. A case of mistaken identity? Jeremy Garwood looks at the evidence.
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(December 8
th, 2011) An international team has cracked down on the evolutionary history of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a fungus of morbid fame.
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(December 5
th, 2011) Fans of Star Trek have already been confronted with some unusual life forms like the 'intelligent crystals' of Velara III. Despite being inorganic, these creatures revealed many features of life. Scientists on Earth are currently working towards creating similar, inorganic life forms in the lab.
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(November 28
th, 2011) The ‘antibiotic era’ is only 70 years old, yet bacterial resistance to antibiotics now threatens the return of lethal infections. How did bacteria find so many ways to resist in such a short time? Jeremy Garwood reports on reservoirs of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
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(November 28
th, 2011) Hungary has its scientific strongholds and a few places with modern infrastructure allowing scientists to be engaged in internationally competitive research. Reasons enough for Csaba Pál to return to his home country and for the Scot Christopher Henstridge to set out for picturesque Budapest.
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(November 24
th, 2011) One point five billion euros in the red – that's the balance of the Italian San Raffaele del Monte Tabor research centre. Luckily, the centre has some generous friends, among others, surprisingly, the Vatican.
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(November 21
st, 2011) The Internet has surely changed our world but has it changed our brains as well? Or do our brains dictate how we live our virtual social lives? Researchers from UCL have the answers.
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(November 17
th, 2011) Having your own genome sequenced – that's old hat already. But what about getting to know your gut microbiota better? A new large-scale scientific project 'open to everyone' is there to help.
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(November 14
th, 2011) We can forget about hiring a medium to contact dead scientists. There’s a corner in the Internet where we can find the ideas of Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin and James Maxwell as fresh as they were originally published. And it’s as free as the minds of the authors were.
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(November 11
th, 2011) Fantasy is a beautiful thing, but too much can be harmful. An interim report by Tilburg University revealed the hard facts of a severe case of misconduct involving Dutch social psychologist Diederick Stapel.
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(November 9
th, 2011) Piranhas are notorious for their big appetite but little is known about the ways they communicate with each other. Recently, Belgian researchers bravely confronted the piranha in his laboratory lair and picked up some irritating noises.
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(November 7
th, 2011) A seemingly endless battle has eventually come to an end, for now. The European Court of Justice ruled that human embryonic stem cells are not eligible for patenting. Is the decision a curse or a blessing maybe?
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(November 3
rd, 2011) Already in 2009, social scientist Daniele Fanelli published a study that revealed “how many scientists fabricate and falsify research” (see also LT 6-2009). Now he's back with some new insights, this time into scientific publishing.
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(October 31
st, 2011) Linked with many 'otherworldly' perceptions, Near Death Experience is one of the most favourite, but also most controversial topics of past and present times. Recently, researchers from Charité Berlin have boldly taken another step towards that peaceful light...
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(October 27
th, 2011) Have you ever looked at a jellyfish and asked yourself - seriously - how did they manage? Having survived several mass extinctions and changes in global climate that would horrify Al Gore, jellyfishes have proved to be the toughest among the fragile-looking animals. But just how, that's what Spanish researchers recently found out.
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(October 24
th, 2011) As a PhD student one has many stories to tell. Madhuvanthi Kannan tells us one such story -- about funny lab jargon. Enjoy reading the first episode of our new series EngulPhD!
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(October 18
th, 2011) Why not earn your PhD in Prague, one of Europe’s cultural hotspots? Why not follow in the footsteps of Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics, and become a group leader in Brno? Lab Times talked to Anamika Rawat from India and the Taiwanese Yuh-Man Sun. Czech it out!
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(October 14
th, 2011) A new website offers an exciting new approach to research – let other groups battle for who will do your project for you. Seems like a pretty good idea, but is it...
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(October 12
th, 2011) Can simple re-routing of an enzyme prevent Alzheimer's Disease? Research between Belgium and the UK has identified a possible new therapeutic target.
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(October 10
th, 2011) Stories that only life can write... or science. Our cartoonist Leonid Schneider explores the realms of fiction and is electroshocked as a result.
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(October 6
th, 2011) On Monday, the works of the three immunologists Jules A. Hoffmann, Bruce A. Beutler and Ralph M. Steiman were honoured with the highest accolade of them all.
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(September 30
th, 2011) 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks' has long served as a more or less lame excuse for not taking up lessons of any kind in adult years. From now on, you probably won’t be able to fob people off with that. Scientists from Croatia and the Netherlands are to 'blame'.
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(September 28
th, 2011) The Netherlands are also not immune against scientific fraud. Psychologist Diederik Stapel from Tilburg University has been accused of fabricating data. Jutta Wirth from the NIOO Wageningen has the details.
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(September 27
th, 2011) Balancing career and family obligations is a hard job, not only for female scientists. During recent job interviews, Lab Times writer, Sanja Pavlica, noticed that some lab heads were not only interested in her scientific CV...
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(September 23
rd, 2011) Two weeks ago, not so far from the majestic Danube River, scientists from all around the globe gathered in Vienna for four days to discuss the most recent breakthroughs of molecular biology.
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(September 19
th, 2011) Recently, a British researcher found a unique lineage of insects, where females have managed to mostly wipe out males from their lives... is this the beginning of a new revolution? A world without males?
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(September 12
th, 2011) Germany has become one of Russia’s favourite partners in education and science. Lab Times talked to Jörn Achterberg, who is in charge of the Moscow office of the German Research Foundation, and to Juliane Hiernet, who visited Lomonosov State University in frame of a successful cooperation.
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(September 6
th, 2011) The UK employment situation for scientists has become so bad that some senior scientists are now advising British science students that their best hopes for a decent job are in other countries. But, asks Jeremy Garwood, is the employment situation really much better elsewhere?
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(September 2
nd, 2011) Kangaroos, like many other marsupials, are a strange kind of mammal. They are surrounded by many mysteries. One of those mysteries has now been solved – or more accurately it has now been sequenced...
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(August 30
th, 2011) It's that time of the year again. Publication of the new Impact Factors both excite and frustrate the scientific community (including scientists and journal editors). Lab Times writer Jacqueline Loo shares her personal thoughts on this issue with us.
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(August 26
th, 2011) Use of multimedia presentations over the internet provide new ways of clogging up the information highways. Scientific journals have now discovered the joys of podcasts – recorded spoken interviews with authors and editors of research articles. But just how useful is this additional call upon our limited concentration span? Jeremy Garwood has a listen.
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(August 23
rd, 2011) Bacteria are known to be very versatile microbes. They can live in the strangest places and do metabolically amazing things. Now, they are also helping art restorers to clean valuable works of art.
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(August 19
th, 2011) What everybody already knew is now substantiated by hard facts. An expatriate reveals the truth behind nepotistic practices in the Southern European country.
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(August 16
th, 2011) Human genes have been introduced into rice, mice, rats, goats and now, the new
hot recipe: gelatine, as used in sweets, is being made with “humanised” yeast – yummy! more...
(August 12
th, 2011) Stories that only life can write... or science. Our cartoonist Leonid Schneider explores the realms of fiction and makes his protagonists see double and triple and...
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(August 10
th, 2011) What exactly should be on your plate for lunch today? A new EU-funded project prepares a healthy menu for you - depending on your genes.
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(August 6
th, 2011) The announcement last month by three major research organisations of their intention to launch a new, online only, open access journal has been received with a mix of enthusiasm and scepticism. Additionally, it provided new fuel for the debate on what’s the best model for open access publishing.
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(August 2
nd, 2011) Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine and Guanine are essential components of all life on earth. But researchers from Germany, USA, France and Belgium have now initiated a chemical (r)evolution.
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(July 29
th, 2011)> Just finished your studies and what then? There are several interesting avenues you can explore besides doing a PhD. Madhuvanthi Kannan gives you some ideas...
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(July 26
th, 2011) A new study on zebra finches blames female cheating on the father and suggests there may be an important genetic component involved.
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(July 22
nd, 2011) Not only elephants but also flies never forget. That is until you tamper with their “mushroom bodies”, as researchers from Germany, France, the US and Japan have found.
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(July 19
th, 2011) Where there are millions of euros in the game, there will be crooks trying to steal the prize. Italian authorities and the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) have recently announced the uncovering of a huge fraud network.
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(July 15
th, 2011) Not everyone is particularly fond of figures, at least not in our human world. But it seems like ants have developed a taste for them - at least when there's syrup involved.
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(July 12
th, 2011) Two species of worms, including one brand new one, were found in the depths of Bellatrix, an old gold mine in South Africa. The findings have broad implications in our search for life below and above our feet.
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(July 8
th, 2011) Stories that only life can write... or science. Our cartoonist Leonid Schneider explores the realms of fiction and gives his protagonists a horrific surprise.
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(July 5
th, 2011) Science and research are the cornerstones of modern economic development. Many countries have already realised that. Europe, though, still has to make some more budget adjustments.
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(July 1
st, 2011) It was a sensational finding half-a-year ago; NASA scientists discovered some remarkable life forms – bacteria that lived on arsenic. Could this really be true? Six months later the discussion continues...
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(June 27
th, 2011) There are not so many work places in the world, where you can go for a quick swim at lunchtime. But Greece has more to offer than beautiful beaches and picturesque islands. The German Frank Fackelmayer and the Belgian Luc Swevers opted to move to Hellas before the large slump.
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(June 23
rd, 2011) The first encyclopaedias covering huge amounts of knowledge emerged about 2,000 years ago. More recently, the collective wisdom of geneticists has been compiled in a new database of DNA elements.
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(June 19
th, 2011) As Jeremy Garwood recently reported, genetic “health tests” are available also for the smaller budget. However, researchers warn that results of those commercial, direct-to-consumer genetic tests are often inaccurate and uninformative.
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(June 15
th, 2011) Yes, occasionally also owls find something in their mailbox. A fellow feathered friend pours out her heart...
moreTelomere Testing – To What Ends?
(June 10
th, 2011) Just how long are your chromosomes? Several companies are currently competing to present this latest personal health test for ‘as little as’ $200 (150 Euros). However, despite the active involvement of a Nobel Prize winner, are these Telomere Tests scientifically valid or simply a new way to make money from health anxieties?
moreFungi Find
(June 7
th, 2011) The hide and seek is finally over. Recently, researchers from Exeter University discovered a whole new clade of microorganisms in the unknown depths of a nearby pond.
moreMethods Navigator, A New Tool For the Natural Sciences
(June 3
rd, 2011) Tired of browsing through seemingly endless sources of lab recipes, until getting the right protocol? Elsevier releases a new web-based database to fill all your “Material and Methods” needs.
moreMaking Sense About Science
(May 31
st, 2011) Lately, all sorts of workshops, initiatives or projects on how to put science properly across to the general public have been springing up like mushrooms everywhere. Divya Venkatesh has checked out one such workshop in Manchester.
moreThe Beauty of Teamwork at a Massive Scale
(May 27
th, 2011) Thousands of collaborators from all across Europe, and over half a million samples bring together the largest ever evolution project, focusing on a humble little snail.
moreResearch Letter from a Pub Near You -- Cheers – a Drop of Science in the Bar
(May 24
th, 2011) Is it really true that Guiness tastes better in Ireland? A reseach letter from our corresponding author, Thirsty O’Leary.
moreProtect the Octopus!
(May 19
th, 2011) As we all know, usually mice, rats or even primates have to suffer for science. But there are also intelligent and, what's more, scientifically fascinating beasts living under the sea. So when it comes to animal protection law, is someone thinking of the cephalopods?
moreKeeping Pace with Bacteria
(May 16
th, 2011) In recent times, the medical arsenal to fight bacterial infections has become more and more harmless because the tiny evil-doers simply resist. However, teams from Sweden and Oxford have started sharpening their weapons to ensure victory in this fight.
moreBig Promises - Small Finances
(May 10
th, 2011) The European Commission's plans to establish research flagships for Future and Emerging Technologies raise a variety of questions.
moreScientific Careers in the Baltics
(May 9
th, 2011) Fancy long walks on the beach or soaking up the atmosphere in a mediaeval city? Then why not move to the Baltics? Former emigrants Viljar Jaks and Irute Girkontaite have returned to their native country. Not only because of the picturesque surroundings.
moreHow (not) to Become a Millionaire
(May 5
th, 2011) Recently, worrying headlines hit the news – a Danish autism researcher was accused of wasting a huge amount of funding money on “private purposes”. The evidence seems damning or is there actually more to this story than first meets the eye? Frederick Gruber investigates.
moreSweet But Sick
(May 2
nd, 2011) No-one likes wrinkles except on dogs. But cuteness comes at a price, as Swedish researchers recently found.
moreA new DNA sequencing world record?
(April 27
th, 2011) Modern DNA sequencers have an enormous capacity for sequencing whole genomes but this can get expensive if you want to routinely do something less ambitious with them. Juggling their methods, Swedish researchers now claim to have simultaneously sequenced a record number of DNA samples in a single sequencing run.
moreHappy Easter!
(April 20th, 2011) Five million years ago, Easter bunnies might have looked a little different. Recently, Spanish researchers found the “Balearic King of Hares”.
moreBees + Fungus = Orchids?
(April 15
th, 2011) At least some researchers think so. A new study sheds some light on the old problem of “why are there so many species”?
moreChanging temperatures and changing genes?
(April 12
th, 2011) A British group has obtained surprising evidence that climate change may have a say in population genetics.
moreHallmarks of Cancer - The Next Generation
(April 7
th, 2011) Eleven years after its publication, Robert Weinberg and Douglas Hanahan's famous paper “The Hallmarks of Cancer” has been updated. What have cancer researchers learned throughout the past decade?
moreNew Cell Type Defined in the Gut
(April 4
th, 2011) Every day brings reports of new genes, and yet it is still somewhat of a novelty to learn that not all the cells expressing these genes have themselves been fully discovered. Welcome to the ‘Tuft cell’, a newly defined secretory cell type in the intestine.
moreLet's Go Wild
(March 28
th, 2011) Eco-Immunology is slowly becoming a research field on its own but it took some time to get there. Amy Pedersen (with some editorial help from Simon Babayan) from the University of Edinburgh lets you in on the difficulties of establishing a whole new research field.
moreScientific Careers in Poland
(March 28
th, 2011) The wind of change is currently blowing in the Polish science scene, with many new reforms breaking old habits. After spending some time abroad, Agnieszka Dobrzyn and Matthias Bochtler will, if they haven’t done so already, soon be returning to Poland. Both think that time has come to look eastwards...
moreA Postdoc's Dream Destination
(March 25
th, 2011) For a postdoc, having the right surroundings can be as important as doing good science. To help you in choosing a good place, The Scientist magazine compiles a yearly 'Best Places to Work as a Postdoc' list.
moreNippon Science Support Network
(March 22
nd, 2011) To keep Japanese research moving after the catastrophes of the last week, German scientists set up a network to offer free lab space and more scientific help.
moreCan Two Individuals Form A Pair?
(March 18
th, 2011) Change is about to happen as two major players on the European stage, the ESF and EUROHORCS join forces thus increasing their impact on the European Research Area.
moreNew Insights into Gene Formation
(March 15
th, 2011) A group of French researchers has obtained some surprising results on how genes arise in prokaryotes.
morePopular Science Culture
(March 11
th, 2011) Modern scientists need more than just good pipetting skills, they also require communication skills to impart their knowledge to the world outside. In the UK, a well-tried TV formula now makes this easier.
moreEqual Possibilities
(March 8
th, 2011) As today is International Women's Day, here are the latest analysis and consequential plans from the ERC to assure proper gender balance in the Council's grant competitions.
moreA New Vision for Collaborative Brain Research: The Digital Atlasing Framework
(March 2
nd, 2011) Combining and comparing plenty of data generated from multiple types of modern brain studies is a necessary step for progress in neuroscience research. It would enhance coordination and communication between neuroscientists eliminating the limitations due to integrating data from various experiments and laboratories. The International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) has developed an open and shared program on digital mouse brain atlasing.
moreCoral Reef Noise
(February 25
th, 2011) As deaf as a … crustacean? That's what scientists have long believed to be true. Now, researchers from Bristol University have found that even our tiny marine invertebrates “listen” to what their world has to say to them.
moreMighty Water
(February 22
nd, 2011) Former Nobelist, Luc Montagnier, recently hit the headlines again when he decided that China would be a better suited place to continue his controversial studies on electromagnetic signals produced by highly diluted DNA. Karl Gruber Gonzalez shares his thoughts as to whether or not Mr. M. needs a reality check.
moreFrance Pledges to Tighten Pharmaceutical Controls Following 'Mediator' Drug Scandal
(February 18
th, 2011) A damning report has revealed chronic official failure to restrict the use of Mediator, an anti-diabetic drug and slimming pill, despite known lethal side-effects dating back over a decade. The drug is thought to have killed at least 500 people in France and resulted in thousands of hospitalisations over a 30-year period. Public outcry over the scandal has prompted promises of an extensive reform of the French drug regulatory system, reports Jeremy Garwood.
moreNew Hope for Embryonic Stem Cells Patents
(February 15
th, 2011) Different EU countries have different laws concerning stem cell research, especially when it comes to the creation of new human embryonic stem cell lines. National principles of morality expressed in patent law are not uniform in Europe. A few weeks ago, at the request of the German Federal Court of Justice, the European Court of Justice started to discuss the (re)definition of ‘human embryos’ and their industrial and commercial use.
moreDoing Research in the Land of a Thousand Lakes
(February 11
th, 2011) Emmy Verschuren and Stefan Veltel swapped their cosy homes in San Francisco and Germany for the cold, harsh north. How did they adapt to the new (research) climate in Finland?
moreUniversal Equality
(February 8
th, 2011) A new journal hits the scientific publication scene like a sledge hammer. Its basic principle: total rejection!
moreScience Can Take a Joke
(February 4
th, 2011) At least once a year, editors of peer-review journals let loose their inner comedian. Whether myth-busting studies or the funniest reviewer's quotes; science can be quite entertaining.
moreDid I do that? Why? – Novel Finding Dissects Impulsive Behaviour
(February 2
nd, 2011) Impulsivity is a broad term often encompassing harmful behaviour associated with addiction, violence, and even suicide. An international research team now might have narrowed the basis of this complex trait down to one single mutated gene. Unsurprisingly, serotonin has something to do with it.
moreCrime Scene Science: Age and Hair Colour Written in Blood
(January 26
th, 2011) As crime fiction fans know all too well, science doesn't just look to cure disease or reveal the secrets of the universe, it can also help catch criminals. Now, researchers from Poland and the Netherlands have developed new methods that can predict a suspect's age and hair colour from a single drop of their blood.
moreBiology Gets Political: Wikileaks Reveals US Government’s ‘Moral Imperative’ for Biotechnology.
(January 21
th, 2011) The US has threatened EU countries that refuse to accept GMOs, manipulated Spanish support of GMOs, and intensively lobbied Europe’s smallest state (the Vatican) in the belief that the Catholic Church can sell GMOs to the developing world! Jeremy Garwood reports on strange revelations seeping out of Wikileaks’ US Embassy Cables.
moreFungus and Its Relevance to Jet Lag
(January 14
th, 2011) There are probably not many things that mould and humans have in common, but surprisingly, an internal clock is one of them. Norwegian researchers have dared to disturb Neurospora crassa’s beauty sleep and drugged it to boot.
moreDeadly Virus Succumbs to Potato Starch
(January 7
th, 2011) Some viruses kill their victims within just a couple of days. The immune system just can’t keep up with them but with the help of a chemically modified sugar, it can be persuaded to pick up the pace.
moreResearch Letter from Funny Norway -- Can You Live Longer By Laughing Inwardly?
(January 3
rd, 2011) Humour research now suggests that people with a greater “sense of humour” have distinctly longer lives to chuckle over than their more sober neighbours (at least in Norway). A research letter from our corresponding author, Dødelig Latter.
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