295 posts · 161,323 views
I received a PhD in analytical chemistry in Sep 2005, completed postdoctoral research in Jun 2007, and taught chemistry survey and organic chemistry from Sep 2009 - May 2010. I am currently a freelance technical science editor. Phased presents science journalism written for a lay audience. My goal is to discuss technical content (from the technical journals) without sacrificing readability. The topical focus is diverse, but tends to focus on chemistry, technology, and cell biology.
Phased
295 posts
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- October 28, 2010
- 04:43 PM
- 316 views
Do Not Cut Funding for Mosquito Surveillance
by Michael Long in Phased
Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec (Emory University, United States) and coworkers show that reducing the budget of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vector-borne disease research and surveillance will cost far more money than it saves.... Read more »
Vazquez-Prokopec, G., Chaves, L., Ritchie, S., Davis, J., & Kitron, U. (2010) Unforeseen Costs of Cutting Mosquito Surveillance Budgets. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 4(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000858
- October 26, 2010
- 01:43 PM
- 346 views
The Competitive Advantage of Vibrio cholerae
by Michael Long in Phased
Stefan Pukatzki (University of Alberta, Canada) and coworkers have found that the bacterium which causes cholera attacks other bacteria common to the human stomach and intestines. This finding may help scientists treat and vanquish cholera outbreaks.... Read more »
MacIntyre, D. L., Miyata, S. T., Kitaoka, M., & Pukatzki, S. (2010) The Vibrio cholerae type VI secretion system displays antimicrobial properties. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1012931107
- October 25, 2010
- 07:38 PM
- 617 views
Finding Parameters for Cancer Progression and other Complex Biological Models
by Michael Long in Phased
Diego Fernandez Slezak (Buenos Aires University, Argentina), Gustavo Stolovitzky (IBM), and coworkers show that a mathematical "best fit" to a complex biological model may be biologically implausible.... Read more »
Fernández Slezak, D., Suárez, C., Cecchi, G. A., Marshall, G., & Stolovitzky, G. (2010) When the Optimal Is Not the Best: Parameter Estimation in Complex Biological Models. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013283
- October 22, 2010
- 06:22 PM
- 531 views
Industry vs the Leading Medical Journal: Rejection or Fear?
by Michael Long in Phased
Elizabeth Wager (Sideview, United Kingdom) and coworkers show that after requiring independent statistical analysis in academia prior to publication, the Journal of the American Medical Association has been publishing fewer studies financed by industry.... Read more »
Wager, E., Mhaskar, R., Warburton, S., & Djulbegovic, B. (2010) JAMA Published Fewer Industry-Funded Studies after Introducing a Requirement for Independent Statistical Analysis. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013591
- October 22, 2010
- 01:13 PM
- 567 views
The State of Confined Water in the Ribosome Exit Tunnel
by Michael Long in Phased
Vijay Pande (Stanford University, United States) and coworkers have used computer simulations to show that water confined within the ribosome exit tunnel has unique properties, which may explain certain aspects of protein synthesis, and provide insight into how certain antibiotics work.... Read more »
Lucent, D., Snow, C. D., Aitken, C. E., & Pande, V. S. (2010) Non-Bulk-Like Solvent Behavior in the Ribosome Exit Tunnel. PLoS Computational Biology, 6(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000963
- October 21, 2010
- 08:35 PM
- 356 views
International Stock-Brokers: Greedy or Illogical?
by Michael Long in Phased
The ongoing global financial crisis has prompted many to question why it happened. A recent study by Markus Knauff (Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany) and coworkers investigates the possible role of stock-brokers' irrational behavior in the international meltdown. This news feature was written on October 21, 2010.... Read more »
Knauff, M., Budeck, C., Wolf, A. G., & Hamburger, K. (2010) The Illogicality of Stock-Brokers: Psychological Experiments on the Effects of Prior Knowledge and Belief Biases on Logical Reasoning in Stock Trading. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013483
- October 20, 2010
- 11:55 AM
- 538 views
Structural Contributors to Selective Drug-Protein Binding
by Michael Long in Phased
Are there any chemical features which need to be incorporated into an effective drug molecule? If so, what are they? Paul Clemons, Stuart Schreiber (Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States), and coworkers have answered these questions on a fundamental level, although more pieces to the puzzle will undoubtedly be uncovered in the future. This news feature was written on October 20, 2010.... Read more »
Clemons, P. A., Bodycombe, N. E., Carrinski, H. A., Wilson, J. A., Shamji, A. F., Wagner, B. K., Koehler, A. N., & Schreiber, S. L. (2010) Small molecules of different origins have distinct distributions of structural complexity that correlate with protein-binding profiles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1012741107
- October 17, 2010
- 05:00 PM
- 378 views
New Insights into When and Why Bacteria Assemble into Biofilms
by Michael Long in Phased
Chuanwu Xi and Jianfeng Wu (University of Michigan, United States) have found that pathogenic bacteria form dense protective aggregates (biofilms) in response to a physiological warning of their presence. This news feature was written on October 17, 2010.... Read more »
Xi, C., & Wu, J. (2010) dATP/ATP, a Multifunctional Nucleotide, Stimulates Bacterial Cell Lysis, Extracellular DNA Release and Biofilm Development. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013355
- October 13, 2010
- 08:57 PM
- 324 views
Chip-Based Malaria Diagnosis
by Michael Long in Phased
Masatoshi Kataoka (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan) and coworkers have developed technology for fast, cheap, reliable, and sensitive malaria diagnosis. This news feature was written on October 13, 2010.... Read more »
Yatsushiro, S., Yamamura, S., Yamaguchi, Y., Shinohara, Y., Tamiya, E., Horii, T., Baba, Y., & Kataoka, M. (2010) Rapid and Highly Sensitive Detection of Malaria-Infected Erythrocytes Using a Cell Microarray Chip. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013179
- October 13, 2010
- 03:23 PM
- 316 views
Breaking Through the Hype of Genomic Medicine
by Michael Long in Phased
Wayne Hall (University of Queensland, Australia) and coworkers argue that genetic screening is generally not ready for clinical use, and gets in the way of more effective medical and preventive care. This news feature was written on October 13, 2010.... Read more »
Hall, W. D., Mathews, R., & Morley, K. I. (2010) Being More Realistic about the Public Health Impact of Genomic Medicine. PLoS Medicine, 7(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000347
- October 12, 2010
- 09:40 AM
- 427 views
Towards an Improved Treatment for Gluten Intolerance
by Michael Long in Phased
Eva Helmerhorst (Boston University, United States) and coworkers have found that microbes native to the human mouth degrade gliaden, providing hope that gluten intolerance can be countered other than through a strict dietary regimen. This news feature was written on October 12, 2010.... Read more »
Helmerhorst, E. J., Zamakhchari, M., Schuppan, D., & Oppenheim, F. G. (2010) Discovery of a Novel and Rich Source of Gluten-Degrading Microbial Enzymes in the Oral Cavity. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013264
- October 11, 2010
- 04:50 PM
- 527 views
Will Global Warming Continue Even After Greenhouse Gas Removal?
by Michael Long in Phased
Computer simulations by Susan Solomon (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States) and coworkers suggest that heat trapped deep with the ocean, and only slowly released, will enable a continuation of global warming long after greenhouse gases have been removed from the atmosphere; longer warming will result the longer we wait to stop greenhouse gas emissions. This news feature was written on October 11, 2010.... Read more »
Susan Solomon,, John S. Daniel,, Todd J. Sanford,, Daniel M. Murphy,, Gian-Kasper Plattner,, Reto Knutti,, & Pierre Friedlingstein. (2010) Persistence of climate changes due to a range of greenhouse gases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. info:/10.1073/pnas.1006282107
- October 10, 2010
- 06:15 PM
- 514 views
Isolating G-quadruplex Nucleic Acids from Human Cells
by Michael Long in Phased
Raphael Rodriguez, Shankar Balasubramanian (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom), and coworkers have isolated DNA, in a specific type of folding arrangement important to intracellular physiology, from human cells. This news feature was written on October 10, 2010.... Read more »
Müller, S., Kumari, S., Rodriguez, R., & Balasubramanian, S. (2010) Small-molecule-mediated G-quadruplex isolation from human cells. Nature Chemistry. DOI: 10.1038/NCHEM.842
- October 8, 2010
- 03:05 PM
- 437 views
Towards a Conclusive Test of Termite Eradication
by Michael Long in Phased
Why would anyone collect thousands of individual pieces of termite poo? If you're Michael Haverty (University of California Berkeley, United States) or one of his coworkers, you need them to develop an analytical protocol for determining the success of termite eradication. This news feature was written on October 8, 2010.... Read more »
Lewis, V. R., Nelson, L. J., Haverty, M. I., & Baldwin, J. A. (2010) Quantitative Changes in Hydrocarbons over Time in Fecal Pellets of Incisitermes minor May Predict Whether Colonies Are Alive or Dead. Journal of Chemical Ecology. DOI: 10.1007/s10886-010-9864-5
- October 7, 2010
- 09:45 PM
- 374 views
Unique Strains of Yersinia pestis Caused the Black Death
by Michael Long in Phased
Barbara Bramanti (Johannes Gutenberg University, Germany) and coworkers present conclusive biochemical (DNA and protein) evidence that Yersinia pestis, of multiple and possibly extinct lineages, was responsible for the Black Death of medieval Europe. This news feature was written on October 7, 2010.... Read more »
Haensch, S., Bianucci, R., Signoli, M., Rajerison, M., Schultz, M., Kacki, S., Vermunt, M., Weston, D. A., Hurst, D., Achtman, M.... (2010) Distinct Clones of Yersinia pestis Caused the Black Death. PLoS Pathogens, 6(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001134
- October 6, 2010
- 03:55 PM
- 281 views
Is it Easy to be an Urban New York Ant?
by Michael Long in Phased
Marko Pecarevic (Columbia University, United States; and State Institute for Nature Protection, Croatia) and coworkers have found that three ant species overwhelmingly dominate heavily urbanized environments in New York City, with implications in natural adaptation to an increasingly urban world. This news feature was written on October 6, 2010.... Read more »
Pećarević, M., Danoff-Burg, J., & Dunn, R. R. (2010) Biodiversity on Broadway - Enigmatic Diversity of the Societies of Ants (Formicidae) on the Streets of New York City. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013222
- October 5, 2010
- 08:50 PM
- 511 views
A Lack of Energy May Increase the Size of Human Civilization
by Michael Long in Phased
John DeLong (Yale University, United States) and coworkers present a paradoxical finding, namely that a lack of available energy supplies will enable the human population to keep on growing, rather than stabilize, in the coming decades. This news feature was written on October 5, 2010.... Read more »
DeLong, J. P., Burger, O., & Hamilton, M. J. (2010) Current Demographics Suggest Future Energy Supplies Will Be Inadequate to Slow Human Population Growth. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013206
- October 5, 2010
- 12:00 PM
- 574 views
An ATP Synthesis Puzzle Answered via Macromolecular Crowding
by Michael Long in Phased
Martin Gruebele, Margaret Cheung (University of Illinois and University of Houston, both in the United States) and coworkers have found that macromolecular crowding may explain a mystery of energy production in living cells. This news feature was written on October 5, 2010.... Read more »
Dhar, A., Samiotakis, A., Ebbinghaus, S., Nienhaus, L., Homouz, D., Gruebele, M., & Cheung, M. S. (2010) Structure, function, and folding of phosphoglycerate kinase are strongly perturbed by macromolecular crowding. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1006760107
- October 3, 2010
- 04:05 PM
- 481 views
Selectively Unleashing Cytotoxic Nanoparticles
by Michael Long in Phased
Vincent Rotello (University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States) and coworkers have delivered nanoparticles to cancer cells, and once there, unleashed cytotoxicity via the drug molecule 1-adamantylamine. This news feature was written on October 3, 2010.... Read more »
Kim, C., Agasti, S. S., Zhu, Z., Isaacs, L., & Rotello, V. M. (2010) Recognition-mediated activation of therapeutic gold nanoparticles inside living cells. Nature Chemistry. DOI: 10.1038/nchem.858
- October 1, 2010
- 07:35 PM
- 371 views
Grunting During a Tennis Shot May Provide a Competitive Advantage
by Michael Long in Phased
Scott Sinnett (University of Hawaii, United States) and Alan Kingstone (University of British Columbia, Canada) have scientifically tested whether or not a controversial tennis practice is distracting to the opponent. This news feature was written on October 1, 2010.... Read more »
Sinnett, S., & Kingstone, A. (2010) A Preliminary Investigation Regarding the Effect of Tennis Grunting: Does White Noise During a Tennis Shot Have a Negative Impact on Shot Perception?. PLoS ONE, 5(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013148
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