Features

Features

Capecchi's Transgenic Technology "Knocks Out" the Nobel Prize
Dr. Mario Capecchi’s pioneering work in gene targeting has won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Find out how it works.

Prions: On The Trail of Killer Proteins
Learn about the history of prions, what makes them so different from other infectious agents and why they are controversial in the scientific community.

Utah: A Gold Mine for Genetic Research
To understand how genetic diseases work and what makes them tick, scientists track their movement through families. In Utah, they have discovered a wealth of genealogical data stretching back centuries and encompassing millions of residents.

The Time of Our Lives
Earth spins on its axis every 24 hours, creating a cycle of day and night to which humans and other organisms must adapt. They do so with the help of internal clocks run by genes.

Are Telomeres the Key to Aging and Cancer?
Telomeres - the ends of our chromosomes - are like plastic shoelace tips that protect our genes. But telomeres also resemble bomb fuses, getting shorter as we age and when we develop cancer.

SARS: The First New Virus of the 21st Century
Track the international outbreak of SARS and find out how scientists are using genetic information to diagnose, treat and prevent the disease.

Celebrate DNA Day! April 25, 2007
April 25, 2005 commemorates Watson and Crick's ground-breaking discovery of the structure of DNA and the completion of the Human Genome Project. Check out our list of resources to celebrate these two tremendous advances in genetic science!

Got Duct Tape? The Truths and Tales of Biological Warfare
Examine the facts and myths surrounding biowarfare and see how a nation responds to the possibility of biological attacks.

Can DNA Demand a Verdict?
See how DNA profiling techniques can help convict the guilty -- and protect the innocent.

Pharming for Farmaceuticals
Explore the science, benefits and drawbacks of using transgenic animals to produce proteins with medicinal and other purposes.

The New, Improved Garden?
An introduction to the genetically modified food debate.

Scientist Profiles


Mario Capecchi, Ph.D. 
He may be a geneticist who uses probability theory to calculate the outcomes of experiments, but he also is an individual whose personal life proves that, while some events are not probable, anything is possible.

Alan Herr, Ph.D. 
From cows to plant viruses: Alan Herr's search for a good story

Anthea Letsou, Ph.D. 
Defining what it means to be a "good scientist."

See individual features for acknowledgments.