Some of the exciting projects and possibilities in basic biological research, and the need for its support, described by a research scientist for the layman with no background in science. Photographs.

"Tells the story of how the marvelous discoveries of molecular and developmental biology are transforming our understanding of who we are and where we came from. Jacob scrutinizes the place of the scientist in society". -- Jacket.

In May 1993, a cluster of cases of a lethal disease among healthy young people brought the attention of the world to the southwestern deserts. A previously unknown disease was killing up to 80% of the people it infected. The reaction in the area and across the nation mixed fear, lack of information, and the struggles of doctors to save the victims of an unknown killer with hard science and the age old rhythmns of the desert. What came out was the story of a virus that had been killing since man arrived in the American continents, Hantavirus, with deadly relatives across the Americas and across the world. This book explains why and how the virus kills, and why it is still killing today. Why all of the science aimed at a virus identified back in 1993 has not brought a vaccine or a cure is part of the story, as is how that killer virus fits into the story of "new" diseases across the world. The story of hantavirus disease, what has happened since that first outbreak, and what the real risks are is laid out by an experienced scientist and an award winning journalist living and working in the area of the 1993 outbreak. - Covers the full story of the recent hantavirus outbreak - Includes interviews with survivors, and local reaction - Presents the science in lay terms - Places the event in the broader context of emerging diseases worldwide - The only account which takes the reader beyond the initial outbreak in 1993-1994, bringing them up to late 1998 - Discusses hantavirus disease in the U.S., Argentina, and Canada

In the past thirty years, significant advances have been made in the field of reproductive biology in unlocking the molecular and biochemical events that regulate spermatogenesis in the mammalian testis. It was possible because of the unprecedented breakthroughs in molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, and biochemistry. In this book entitled, Molecular Mechanisms in Spermatogenesis, a collection of chapters has been included written by colleagues on the latest development in the field using genomic and proteomic approaches to study spermatogenesis, as well as different mechanisms and/or molecules including environmental toxicants and transcription factors that regulate and/or affect spermatogenesis. The book begins with a chapter that provides the basic concept of cellular regulation of spermatogenesis. A few chapters are also dedicated to some of the latest findings on the Sertoli cell cytoskeleton and other molecules (e.g., proteases, adhesion proteins) that regulate spermatogenesis. These chapters contain thought-provoking discussions and concepts which shall be welcomed by investigators in the field. It is obvious that many of these concepts will be updated and some may be amended in the years to come. However, they will serve as a guide and the basis for investigation by scientists in the field.

Dr John West, Cambridge don and private investigator, was present at the trial of an odd duck, R. A. Adcock, who was being most uncooperative in answering questions about a bank robbery. At length, Adcock had made a dash for it from the courtroom - through a glass window, and what should have been a three storey drop to the street. But suddenly, Adcock wasn't there, and at once a swarm of bees came into the courtroom. Thus begins The Molecule Men, which takes many fascinating and terrifying turns to its chilling conclusion. In the second story, the Monster of Loch Ness, Tom Cochrane, an independent scientist, determines to find out why the waters of Loch Ness are inexplicably warming up. What was it that caused the waters of the loch to pour up into the air like the worst rainstorm any of the observers had ever seen? What was at the bottom of the loch? These two short novels by a celebrated father and son team will hold the interest of the science fiction fan from page one on.

Male fertility, both resilient and fragile, is heavily affected by external factors such as the environment, drug use, and eating habits, in a similar way to a wall of stone that is constantly attacked and weathered to varying degrees. The use of cancer drugs, for instance, may increase life expectancy and cure diseases, but may also negatively affect male fertility. A variety of factors complicate male infertility, such as the intricate spermatogenesis process. The available methods for diagnosis are limited, not to mention treatment. However, some evidence showed that different reproductive physiologies may share some biological basis and thus molecular pathways, such as mTOR, which plays a role in testis physiology, Sertoli cell function, transcriptional and translational control of spermatogenesis, as well as drug and environmental exposure. Moreover, male fertility can also reflect men's overall health and the likelihood of suffering from certain diseases, suggesting that these events have common regulatory mechanisms. This Research Topic aims to identify these potential shared mechanisms, analyze and explore how environment, disease, drug use, and nutritional supplements affect male fertility, as well as reveal the seemingly chaotic but traceable phenomena. It will be crucial for the development of diagnostics, treatments, and maintenance methods needed to enhance male fertility, which is also the objective of this research topic. This Research Topic encourages Original Research, Reviews, and other accepted article types, including, but not limited to: • Analyses of the possible effects of environmental pollutants brought about by industry and human activities, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), on male reproduction; • Links between men's overall health and fertility, as well as andrological effects of various illnesses, including infectious diseases, deficiencies, hereditary diseases, and physiological disorders; • Effects of medications and dietary supplements on male reproductive systems, such as those used for cancer treatment, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, etc; • The use of herbal and medicinal remedies to prevent or reverse adverse andrological effects caused by putative toxic chemicals and diseases; • Specific molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways that affect spermatogenesis, the testis, and sperm function associated with the above 4 points; • Shared molecular mechanisms underlying both the generation and remission of male infertility disease.

This book features scientists from a broad spectrum of disciplines discussing recent data on aggression in laboratory animals with particular reference to possible implications for understanding human aggression. Chapters focus on the major current experimental issues in the study of aggression in humans and animals. The extensive discussions deal with specific problems of interpretation at the molecular level, as well as general issues relating to our understanding of human and animal aggression.

Illustrates the Complex Biochemical Relations that Permit Life to ExistIt can be argued that the dawn of the 21st century has emerged as the age focused on molecular biology, which includes all the regulatory mechanisms that make cellular biochemical reaction pathways stable and life possible. For biomedical engineers, this concept is essential to

This Research Topic is dedicated to our current understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Topics in this issue include the following: human infection models for testing gonococcal virulence, animal models that mimic lower female genital tract infection, and an ex vivo system derived from the human female lower genital tract. Vaccine development efforts, and the impact of gonococcal infection on the host's immune response are also described. Also part of this issue are reviews of the molecular aspects of several important virulence factors, including: biofilm formation, neutrophil resistance, innate immune factor resistance, iron acquisition, and type 4 secretion systems.

Conceptual advances in the biological sciences are marked by the applica tion of new techniques and experimental strategies. Nowhere has this ge neric principle been more apparent than in the study of testicular cells, as judged by the evolution of themes presented at the Testis Workshop over the past 23 years. Like its predecessors, the 1995 Testis Workshop was structured to offer fresh insights and approaches for understanding the mechanisms of spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis. The chapters pre sented in this book emphasize three aspects of testicular cell function: first, the molecular analysis of the cell cycle; second, examination of the cell cycle, including the function and identification of specific macromolecules that direct the proliferation and differentiation of germ cells; and third, the development of Leydig cells and the role of specific macromolecules in the formation of testicular steroids. Each chapter is based on a lecture presented at the XIIIth Testis Work shop held on March 30 to April 1, 1995, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina. The selection of topics reflects the recommenda tions of the workshop'S organizing committee. Sincere thanks are due to the speakers who agreed to lecture and prepare chapters.