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March 22, 2014

3/28/2014

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How do transcription factors find their targets and how long do they stay bound?
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867414001974?via=ihub
I suppose this is the reason for transcriptional heterogeneity among cells

A very complicated - but hopefully precise and reasonably high-throughput- way to do lineage tracing:
http://dev.biologists.org/content/141/7/1589/F1.expansion.html
Not sure is this would be better than brainbow in zebrafish, need to read more thoroughly.

On vasculature possibly guiding nerve growth:
http://dev.biologists.org/content/141/7/1480

Being clueless can be advantageous:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v507/n7492/full/507277d.html
How does this apply to scientific exploration?

Here is a dilemma: if you have $5,000, should you buy a used car or sequence your genome?
http://www.nature.com/news/technology-the-1-000-genome-1.14901
If you just wait, both will get cheaper :-

Enjoy.

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March 14

3/14/2014

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State-of-the art imaging to characterize cell migration. In zebrafish, of course.
http://dev.biologists.org/content/141/6/1282

Don’t know what to make of it, but it appears that control of lymphangiogenesis is quite different between fish and mice
http://dev.biologists.org/content/141/6/e605.full
The exception proves the rule perhaps?

A cool paper about a mutation in what one would consider a global regulator of transcripotion phenocopying Tbx1 mutation:
http://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/fulltext/S1534-5807%2812%2900329-2

A must-read review abut the role of myeloid cells in muscle regeneration
http://dev.biologists.org/content/141/6/1184.full

Not so big on big data
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6176/1203.full

Of course Science is happy to point out that a Nature paper (see my list for January 31st) is likely to get retracted.
http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/03/retraction-request-made-more-questions-swirl-around-simple-stem-cell-method
When you go for highest profile discoveries, some of them just might turn out to be questionable. Who knew...

Now onto easy (if not fluffy) matters:

Imagine a figure for which YOU would write a legend/caption containing phrase “...population caught in the act of evolving lighter skin”. Then go to
http://news.sciencemag.org/archaeology/2014/03/new-diet-sexual-attraction-may-have-spurred-europeans-lighter-skin
Yep, a skeleton in a grave. Not what you imagined?
Two more notes. First, use of term “ancient Ukrainians” to describe a people living there 6000 years ago is odd. It makes ancient Ukraine precede ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. Second, I doubt the evolutionary models used account for all kinds of armies (including those of certain Genghis Khan and the Great Duke of Lithuania Vytautas) marching through what IS AND SHOULD REMAIN Ukraine today.

Here is a case of Europeans (in the US) taking up the great American tradition of resolving disputes by suing each other.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6175/1065.summary
Actually, this is anything but funny. I can not pretend to know who is right and who is wrong here. But I am pretty sure that if you are a postdoc in the same situation and you do not have a Nobel laureate standing behind you, you are done. Right or wrong.

We ALL KNOW girls can’t count.
http://news.sciencemag.org/math/2014/03/both-genders-think-women-are-bad-basic-math?rss=1
The most disturbing part is that even when presented with evidence, people still refused to give up their prejudice. But then again- victories of prejudice over facts occur every day, everywhere.

Here is another “doomsday” report on science environment
http://chronicle.com/article/Strapped-Scientists-Abandon/144921/?key=SWJzJAE5OHMVbCo1ZTtHZ2oBOnVqOBt3ZnYWOSwlblBVEQ==
I wish I could refute it…

...but US science funding just keeps getting worse
http://www.nature.com/news/don-t-hide-the-decline-1.14848


Have a worry-free weekend everyone
:-)
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    Weekly sciencey bits

    Disclaimer: This started as a "weekend reading list" meant to encourage students in the lab to think about science and their own future in it. Do not take it seriously: I myself may no longer agree with whatever I wrote here last week.
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