Human Genetic Variation Alters Anthrax Toxin Sensitivity
Martchenko, Candille et al., PNAS
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine show that genetic variation affecting capillary morphogenesis gene 2, or CMG2, dramatically alters toxin sensitivity in humans. In its analysis, the team reports on "a CMG2 single-nucleotide polymorphism occurring frequently in African and European populations [that they found] independently altered toxin uptake." The group goes on to suggest "testing of genomically characterized human cell populations may offer a broadly useful strategy for elucidating effects of genetic variation on infectious disease susceptibility."
And It's Probably More Fun!
April 06, 2008
At his blog, Freelancing Science, Pawel Szczêsny decides to elaborate on his job as a "freelance scientist," at least as it's playing out in his native Poland. While he's got an academic affiliation, the university doesn't pay him a salary; his income, he says, "comes from grants and subcontracting other people projects." As to his motivation to remain unaffiliated, he says, "I’m neither a genius nor a big shot but I have bunch of ideas I consider cool and which I’d like to get funded. It looks like for that I need to step out of academic money-flow system, and apply for funding to people who are less conservative and who can take a risk of supporting non-established ideas."