Saturn moon's methane mystifies experts

Click here to read an article about the abundance of methane gas on the surface of Titan. Was this gas produced by living organisms?

Current Events: Synthetic Cell

Did you know that researchers created the first synthetic cell? Scientists believe that these microbes can be used to create biofuels and vaccines. Click here to read more.

What is your opinion of synthetic cells?

This week in current events

All Black Penguin Discovered

The World's Only Immortal Animal

Tuna, Polar Bear Protection Rejected

How does each article relate to Living Environment Curriculum? Explain?

Which article was your favorite?

**Special thanks to Michael Nguy!**

Extra Credit - Genetics

Interested in receiving extra credit? Read one article listed below. Write a summary of the article and explain how it is related to the Living Environment curriculum. Be sure to include the name, date, and publication of the article in your assignment. You can receive up to 5 points for your summary. Limit 1article per student. Due Friday, 3/12/10, but feel free to hand in your assignment at any time.

Zinc Fingers Could Be Key To Reviving Gene Therapy

Whole Genome of Ancient Human is Decoded

IBM Pursues $1,000 Genome Sequencing

Pfizer Buys Rights From Protalix for Gaucher Disease Drug 

Jaguars Don't Live Here Anymore

NY State Will Allow Use of Partial DNA Matches

Male Chromosome May Evolve Fastest

Malaria is a Likely Killer in King Tut's Post-Mortem

Frozen In Time - A Fertility Bank for Rare Livestock

FOXP2 Gene Shows Its Bossy Nature

Epigenetics Research Takes Aim at Cancer, Alzheimer's, Autism, other illnesses

Do-It-Yourself Genetic Engineering

New Brain Study

Target Cancer - After Long Fight, Melanoma Drug Gives Sudden Reprieve 

Telomeres - A Conversation with Carol W. Grieder - On Winning a Nobel Prize

Three Win Nobel for Ribosome Research

A Conversation with Martin Chalfie  -Watching Life in Real Time - Interview

Two Monkeys Get the Gift of Color

E.U. Clears Biotech Potato for Cultivation

IBM Pursues $1,000 Personal Genome

Did you ever wonder what your genome looks like? Wouldn't it be fantastic if doctors could personalize medicine based on your own DNA?

Click here to read an article that explains how IBM is developing new technology that will make the process of decoding individual genomes much cheaper and faster. 

Wow, technology is truly amazing! What do you think?

Ancient Man in Greenland Has Genome Decoded

Click here to read an article about how the entire genome of a man that lived 4,000 years ago was decoded.

Where did the DNA sample come from? What information were scientists about to gather about this ancient man and his people?

Wow - I thought I was getting old!

Current Events: Three Win Nobel for Ribosome Research

Click here to read a short article from the NY Times about 3 chemists who won the Noble Prize for their research on ribosomes! From left, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England; Thomas A. Steitz of Yale University; and Ada E. Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Isreal. 

Current Events: Lysosomes - Nature's Garbage Disposals?

Click here for an article from the NY Times about lysosomes. What you think about this article?
What do lysosomes recycle? What is the difference between proteasomes and lysosomes?