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Advancing Science through Conversations: Bridging the Gap between Blogs and the Academy
A postdoc by day and a scientific activist by night, Nick Anthis isn't letting his research in protein structure and function get in the way of defending scientific and social progress.
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Category: Oxford
In the op-ed pages of The Washington Post today, Elliot Gerson--the American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust--takes a bold stand.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 12:05 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: structural biology
Why glutamate is generally not a suitable mimic for phosphorylated tyrosine.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:39 AM • 0 Comments •
Category: integrins
My first first-author paper and another that I contributed to shed light on the important biological process of integrin activation.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:39 AM • 1 Comments •
Category: scientific literature
Late last week, I received emails from two journals (The Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) and PLoS ONE) indicating that they are now incorporating interactive 3D images of molecular structures in their papers. The atomic coordinates of all published biomolecular...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 11:52 PM • 4 Comments •
Category: animal research
The fellowship will fund their proposals for projects that will spread awareness about the role of animal research in medicine.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 4:50 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: medicine
Yesterday, the Institute of Medicine released a report entitled "Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice". As far as I can tell, the full report is only available for a fairly substantial charge, but these are some of...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 9:54 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: stem cells
About a week ago, the NIH announced its draft guidelines covering the funding of human embryonic stem cell research. You can read the draft guidelines here and my post on the topic here. As these are draft guidelines, they are...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 10:10 AM • 1 Comments •
Category: Pro-Test
Several hundred turn up to show their support for animal research at Pro-Test's first UCLA rally
Posted by Nick Anthis at 9:55 AM • 8 Comments •
Category: scientific literature
Various studies indicate that the number of times a paper is downloaded soon after publication correlates with the number of times it is cited later on.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 1:45 PM • 4 Comments •
Category: Pro-Test
Intimidated into silence no longer, UCLA scientists are standing up for research and speaking out against animal rights extremism.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 10:21 AM • 17 Comments •
Category: integrins
The cell adapts to constantly changing conditions by controlling the adhesiveness of the integrins.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 3:48 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: animal rights
On Saturday, animal rights extremists torched the car of a scientist at UCLA--just one more incident in a long streak of violent threats and wanton destruction of property. LA Times columnist Tim Rutten gets it right when he states: No...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 1:55 PM • 6 Comments •
Category: transgenic crops
If I ran an agricultural biotech company and I wanted to go out of my way to alienate my supporters and lend credence to my conspiracy theory-peddling critics, I think that this is exactly how I would go about doing...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:52 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: animal rights
The public face of Oxford's animal rights movement winds up in prison, where he belongs.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 1:07 PM • 9 Comments •
Category: evolution
I'm not sure where one finds it, but if such a thing does exist, I doubt you'll find it populated by scientists
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:05 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: academia
Last fall, most of the Oxford Biochemistry Department moved into a fancy-schmancy new building (imaginatively named "New Biochemistry"). A few of us stayed behind (have you ever tried to move a 6-magnet NMR facility?), and--to be totally honest--I can't say...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 1:22 PM • 8 Comments •
Category: science policy
Paul Drayson came across as out of touch and blinded by fanatical entrepreneurialism.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 1:46 PM • 7 Comments •
Category: open access
Grant review sessions.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:07 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: blogosphere
Find out what others are saying... and what I have to say about what they're saying.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:36 PM • 3 Comments •
Category: blogosphere
Acknowledgments for "Advancing Science through Conversations: Bridging the Gap between Blogs and the Academy"
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:50 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: blogosphere
A new paper on science blogging by Shelley Batts, Tara Smith, and myself.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:47 PM • 6 Comments •
Category: internet
If so, check out EcoliWiki.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:28 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: open access
...apparently involves reposting others' blog posts without permission or proper attribution. I'm being facetious here, of course, but it is quite ironic that Mike Dunford of The Questionable Authority just caught anti-open-access warrior Elsevier copying the majority of one of...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 4:00 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: space science
The second part of an interview with planetary geologist Bethany Ehlmann
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:01 AM • 1 Comments •
Category: space science
The first part of an interview with planetary geologist Bethany Ehlmann
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:39 AM • 11 Comments •
Category: science policy
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), which is responsible for higher education in the UK, is seeking feedback to help it develop its new science strategy. The DIUS has put together a website for this purpose: interactive.dius.gov.uk/scienceandsociety/. There,...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:05 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: academia
After a rapid media outcry, the US and Israel have come together to reinstate the Fulbright Scholarships initially revoked from several students from Gaza due to Israel-imposed travel restrictions. From The New York Times: JERUSALEM -- The American State Department...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 4:30 AM • 0 Comments •
Category: academia
A shocking overreaction, marked in its absurdity, heavy-handedness, and counterproductivity
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:15 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: philosophy of science
Is there a certain suite of legislation that needs to be passed now in order to provide a greater assurance of scientific good in the near future?
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:20 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: Life of Nick
A tiny modification can make a big difference in proteins involved in cell adhesion and migration.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 3:30 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: Texas A&M University
First female President picked as successor to popular President Robert Gates, although selection process remains controversial.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:05 AM • 0 Comments •
Category: animal rights
No surprises there.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 2:09 PM • 16 Comments •
Category: academia
Too many bureaucrats and businessmen.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 2:40 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: Nobel Prize
Awarded for the knockout mouse to Mario R. Capecchi, Martin J. Evans, and Oliver Smithies
Posted by Nick Anthis at 9:21 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: academia
My message to undergraduate researchers.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:48 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: open access
There's only one way to fight such absurdity... with more absurdity!
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:48 AM • 3 Comments •
Category: open access
I've seen a prism distort light before, but I've never seen one distort information like this.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:33 PM • 3 Comments •
Category: animal rights
...and then publish a scientific paper!
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:15 AM • 10 Comments •
Category: funding of science
Regarding grant success rates, budget constraints, the Roadmap, biodefense, young investigators, and open access
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:29 AM • 4 Comments •
Category: Oxford
A couple of current American Rhodes Scholars ruffled a few feathers today after writing an unabashedly critical account of their Oxford experiences for their undergraduate alma mater's paper, The Harvard Crimson. Melissa Dell and Swati Mylavarapu write: Take it from...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:45 PM • 9 Comments •
Category: Life of Nick
The second paper from my undergraduate work at Texas A&M University was recently published in Molecular Cancer. The abstract can be found here, and the pdf of the full paper here. Molecular Cancer is an open access journal, so a...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 7:39 AM • 3 Comments •
Category: blogosphere
Via A Blog Around the Clock comes news that Daniel Rhoads, who writes the informative blog Migrations (and formerly A Concerned Scientist), has successfully defended his dissertation. So, after a few minor revisions, it looks like it won't be too...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 2:57 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: academia
The first edition of the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) will be released at 11:00 pm EST tonight.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 5:22 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: stem cells
The "ethically sound" stem cell paper resurfaces this week, as it appears in the print version of the current issue of Nature.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 6:37 PM • 10 Comments •
Category: structural biology
Oxford's Iain Campbell discusses the past and future of structural biology.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 10:20 AM • 4 Comments •
Category: Life of Nick
My first appearance in the peer-reviewed scientific literature provides an opportunity to learn a little bit about blood vessel development.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 10:20 AM • 7 Comments •
Category: animal rights
A new study from the Research Defence Society (RDS) indicates that medical doctors in the UK overwhelmingly support the role of animal research in contributing to important medical advances. The RDS questioned four hundred general practitioners from across the UK...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:09 PM • 12 Comments •
Category: Nobel Prize
The 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Roger Kornberg for his work on elucidating the molecular basis of transcription in eukaryotes.
Posted by Nick Anthis at 8:23 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: biochemistry
The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was announced this morning, with one half going to Andrew Fire and the other half to Craig Mello, both for the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi). The discovery of RNAi added a...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 9:38 AM • 0 Comments •
Category: funding of science
Since I reported yesterday on a letter in Science describing the current decline in funding of NIH (National Institutes of Health) R01 grants, several others have chimed in as well. PZ Myers of Pharyngula gave the post a mention,...
Posted by Nick Anthis at 11:16 AM • 5 Comments •
PZ Myers 11.19.2009
PZ Myers 11.14.2009
Ed Brayton 11.21.2009
James Hrynyshyn 11.20.2009
Tim Lambert 11.12.2009
