{"title":"The spark of life.","authors":"John Parrington, Kevin Coward","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The sperm activates the egg to begin developing into an embryo by triggering a wave of intracellular calcium release, which sweeps across the egg like a forest fire. The identity of the signaling molecules that mediate this fundamental event has remained a mystery until recently. Now, new information emerging from the genome projects has made it possible to isolate and characterize the proteins responsible.</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"5-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sinking methane.","authors":"David S Reay","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concentrations of the powerful greenhouse gas, methane, in our atmosphere have doubled since the beginning of the industrial age. Reducing these levels is a vital part of global efforts to combat global warming. Could we make use of the Earth's own methane sinks?</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"15-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Re-introduction of birds and mammals to the British Isles.","authors":"Roy Dennis","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Large and exciting raptors like white-tailed eagle and red kite have been restored to the skies of Scotland and England, and now there are advanced plans to return the beaver. These successes encourage debate on other missing animals, with the elusive Eurasian lynx as the next best candidate.</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"20-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biologists on the loose.","authors":"Wilson Wall","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Bloom's syndrome helicase: keeping cancer at bay.","authors":"Payam Mohaghegh, Ian D Hickson","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bloom's syndrome, a very rare inherited disorder, predisposes its sufferers to the full range of cancers that afflict humanity. This predisposition is rooted in just one defective gene on chromosome 15. It encodes the BLM helicase - an enzyme that ordinarily protects against DNA damage arising during replication.</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"29-33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insect repellants in urban settings.","authors":"Chris Peterson","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Why kill bugs when you can just make them go away? Used primarily for biting-insect control, repellants may control household pests as well, once their potential is fully realized. Repellents may provide low-dose, specific and low-toxicity augmentations to conventional pesticides applied around the home and workplace.</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"39-43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Obesity: part one - the greatest health threat facing mankind.","authors":"John R Speakman","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>'In the 15 minutes it will take you to read this article nine people in the USA, and one person in the UK, will have died as a direct consequence of obesity related illnesses.'</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"10-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ripe for a change.","authors":"Greg Tucker","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As rich sources of vitamins and minerals, fruits are an important part of our diet. However, they are highly perishable. As the biochemical basis for fruit quality is being unraveled, so genetic approaches are being developed to modify the way in which fruit ripen, for the benefit of the consumer.</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"50 1","pages":"34-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22246814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Carnivorous plants--classic perspectives and new research.","authors":"Barry Rice","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ranks of known carnivorous plants have grown to approximately 600 species. We are learning that the relationships between these feeders and their prey are more complex, and perhaps gentler, than previously suspected. Unfortunately, these extraordinary life forms are becoming extinct before we can even document them</p>","PeriodicalId":39845,"journal":{"name":"Biologist","volume":"49 6","pages":"245-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"22159442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}