In December 2012 we reported that scientists in Italy had founded Pro-Test Italia to counter the rising tide of ignorance and intimidation that threatens the future of science in Italy. Last weekend we heard about a new animal rights outrage in Italy. As reported in Nature News, activists broke into the Department of Pharmacology in … Continue reading Pro-Test Italia in Milan: A silver lining to a grey cloud
Tag: nature
It’s a Cat-astrophe
A new report in Nature suggests that domestic cats, primarily un-owned, are responsible for an estimated 6.9 to 20.7 billion animal deaths every year. While the majority of animals killed were by strays, feral and farm cats, a significant number were from pet cats. Here we conduct a systematic review and quantitatively estimate mortality caused … Continue reading It’s a Cat-astrophe
University of Leicester shows how it’s done as new animal research facility opens
In a ceremony at the University of Leicester today City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby opened the new Central Research Facility, marking the beginning of a new era for animal research there. Speaking at the ceremony, the Mayor welcomed the University’s investment, saying: The University of Leicester has a well-deserved, worldwide reputation for its pioneering research, which … Continue reading University of Leicester shows how it’s done as new animal research facility opens
Cancer Stem Cells: Mouse studies lead to paradigm shift in cancer research
For the past 15 years one of the most intriguing ideas in cancer research has been that the growth and spread of most – if not all – cancers is driven by cancer stem cells. The hypothesis is that only a tiny proportion of cancer cells, cancer stem cells, have the stem cell-like ability to … Continue reading Cancer Stem Cells: Mouse studies lead to paradigm shift in cancer research
Bridging the gap: Monkey studies shed light on nature, nurture, and how experiences get under the skin
“Is it nature or nurture?” “How does that work? How can social experiences actually change someone’s brain?” “So early experiences matter, but how much? Is it reversible? How long does it last? Is there a way to change the course?” All of these are popular questions that I hear from students, community members, clinicians, and … Continue reading Bridging the gap: Monkey studies shed light on nature, nurture, and how experiences get under the skin
Highlights from Nature’s Q&A
Today (about 5 minutes ago), Nature ran an online Q&A session on the subject of animal research to fit in with its latest special editorial on the topic. There was a lot of interesting background to the Q&A session in the latest issue including a the results of a poll of around 1,000 scientists. Over … Continue reading Highlights from Nature’s Q&A
Coverage of the Pro-Test for Science rally 2010
Media Coverage of the Pro-Test for Science 2010 Rally, which attracted hundreds of supporters to the UCLA campus.
Defeating diseases of the developing world: tuberculosis and Chikungunya fever
Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes stomach ulcers and stomach cancer, may also play a protective role against tuberculosis, according to studies in both humans and monkeys by a team from Stanford University, UC Davis, the University of Pittsburgh and Aga Khan University in Pakistan (1). One-third of the world's population is infected with TB, … Continue reading Defeating diseases of the developing world: tuberculosis and Chikungunya fever
Speaking of Research 