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"People swap bacteria all the time-through sneezes and coughs, through hugs and sex, or through touching the same surfaces. Then there are people who swap bacteria because a doctor deliberately transplants faeces from one into the other. This isn't a bizarre medical perversion. It's usually a life-saving gambit. Faecal transplants-which are exactly what they sound like-are used to treat people who suffer from intense diarrhoea following rounds of antibiotics. The goal is simple: recalibrate the beneficial bacteria in a person's gut to fight off the ones that are causing them harm."

"My link was shared by Bora Zivkovic, whose network is immense. And in turn, the link was shared by Twitter users in Greece, Germany, Belgium and throughout the United States. In the end, the blogpost wound up with 109 readers on January 22nd - with about 50 via Twitter, 26 via Facebook, and others via LinkedIn and elsewhere. When each person shared the link with her or his network, the momentum is carried forward, pushing out to new networks and new degrees of separation. Social sharing is a bit like the emails you would get forwarded by your relatives (you know, those emails). The deeper you scroll down the thread, the less sender names you recognize. But with Twitter, and using analytics like WordPress or Google, you can actually trace how a little link travels through different social networks, and eventually back to your website. Also, because many people embed a small bio or website link in their Twitter profile, I can quickly see who has retweeted and read my link. I can read their tweets to get an idea of their profession and passions,"

"According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website: "Ricin works by getting inside the cells of a person's body and preventing the cells from making the proteins they need. Without the proteins, cells die... Death from ricin poisoning could take place within 36 to 72 hours of exposure, depending on the route of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, or injection) and the dose received."

"t turns out that all over the world there were people trying to do similar things - opening biohacker spaces. Three years later, this is a thriving global community. Each lab has a flavor of where it was created - people work together or alone, in big cities or small villages, they build things and take them apart, and do much, much more. The spirit is open. But what about the dark side? What about biosafety, biosecurity? The minute Genspace opened their doors, journalists called. And the only question they wanted to ask was, "Would this lab create the next Frankenstein?" The press was overestimating their capabilities - and underestimating their ethic"

"Synthetic Biology promises low-cost, exponentially scalable products and global health solutions in the form of self-replicating organisms, or "living devices." As these promises are realized, proof-of-concept systems will gradually migrate from tightly regulated laboratory or industrial environments into private spaces as, for instance, probiotic health products, food, and even do-it-yourself bioengineered systems. What additional steps, if any, should be taken before releasing engineered self-replicating organisms into a broader user space? In this review, we explain how studies of genetically modified organisms lay groundwork for the future landscape of biosafety."

"I visit a lot of molecular biology labs, and most of them look pretty much identical: lab benches, microscopes, computers, messy break rooms, big filing cabinets crammed into every free corner. When you look closely, though, every lab has its own flavor, its own culture. This is the first post of what I hope will be a fun, photo-heavy series on the culture of different labs. Florian Engert's lab at Harvard is large, colorful, and messy."

"Scientist Solutions Inc. was started in 2004 for the purpose of promoting the worldwide advancement of science and biotechnology. To achieve this goal we have developed an internet discussion site or "Board" to provide scientists a resource for the exchange of ideas and information. "

@Spatzlhirn "Afrikanische Mistkäfer (Scarabaeus satyrus) orientieren sich nicht nur an der Sonne, dem Mond und der Polarisation des Tageslichtes. Anders als viele andere Insekten nutzen sie für die Navigation offenbar auch die Sterne. Genau genommen ist es die Milchstraße - jener Teil unserer Galaxie, der als helles Band am nächtlichen Himmel zu sehen ist - um in mondlosen Nächten ihren Weg zu finden. Das berichten Marie Dacke von der Universität Lund und ihre Kollegen aus Schweden und Südafrika im Fachjournal Current Biology (online)."

"A new bioprinter developed at a hackerspace can print living cells for less than the cost of an iPod touch. 3-D bioprinters have the potential to change the way medical research is conducted, even print living tissue and replacement organs, but they are expensive and highly specialized. They literally build living structures, like blood vessels or skin tissue, cell by cell, revolutionizing biomedical engineering. Unfortunately, they're expensive, rare, and require a Ph.D. (or two) to operate successfully. Frustrated by their cost and exclusivity, a group of makers at the DIYbio hackerspace BioCurious are developing a system open to anyone with a soldering iron and a serious passion for cell biology."

"About the Cafe Cafe Scientifique is a forum for discussing and debating science issues which are of concern to everyone. Our aim is to promote public engagement with science and to foster interesting, fact-based discussions in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Our speakers are scientists or science journalists, ethicists, or related experts from the local community who donate their time to present and discuss their work with the public. We include a range of topics and disciplines. Cafe Scientifique started in France and Great Britain in the late 1990′s, and has now spread all over the world -including Vancouver!"

Pieter van Boheemen ‏@pietervboheemen This what we do @DutchDIYBio meetups: build, experiment, discuss and laugh https://vimeo.com/56906165 #DIYBio

"Nature: "A group called DIYgenomics has banded together to analyse their genomes, and even conduct and participate in small clinical trials" - October 2010 Nature Medicine: "...early adopters are showing how empowering and beneficial to science personal genetic information can be" - September 2010 WIRED: "...they wanted to build a model trial that could be easily replicated by citizen scientists anywhere" "

"Stephanie King (University of St. Andrews) et al.: Proceedings of the Royal Society B, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0053" Zusammenfassend lasse das eigentlich nur den Schluss zu, dass sich die kopierten Pfiffe direkt an den Träger der Signatur richteten - und dass der Nachahmer diesem zu verstehen gebe, wer ihn da rufe. Referenzielle Kommunikation nennen die Forscher dieses Verhalten. Man könnte auch sagen: Die Delfine rufen gegenseitig ihre Namen - allerdings nur dann, wenn es sich an einen engen Vertrauten richtet und auch nur im äußersten Notfall. Delfine sind damit neben dem Menschen die einzigen Lebewesen, bei denen ein solches Verhalten jemals beobachtet wurde.

""Die Viren scheinen genauso häufig zu sein wie die SAR1-Bakterien selbst", sagte Giovannoni. Sie töten ständig Unmengen von ihnen. Offenbar sind die SAR11-Bakterien aber in der Lage, sich an die Bedrohung anzupassen und dadurch ihre Population stabil zu halten, sagen die Forscher. Es gibt also demnach ein ständiges Wettrüsten zwischen den Meeresbakterien und ihren viralen Feinden. Das Wissen über dieses Zusammenspiel sei ein wichtiges Puzzleteil beim Verständnis der Stoffkreisläufe im Ozean. Das Gleichgewicht im Kampf zwischen SAR11-Bakterien und Pelagiphagen beeinflusst letztendlich alles Leben auf unserem Planeten, resümieren die Wissenschaftler. Stephen Giovannoni (Oregon State University) et al.: Nature, doi:10.1038/nature11921 "

Ines Wilhelm (Universität Tübingen) et al.Nature Neuroscience, doi: 10.1038/nn.3343 " Jetzt zeigt sich, dass das kindliche Gehirn während der Nachtruhe vor allem einen wichtigen Lernschritt absolviert: Den Übergang von unbewusst Aufgenommenem zu explizit verstandenem, abrufbarem Wissen. Wie deutsche Forscher herausfanden, ist der besonders tiefe Schlaf der Kinder sogar für diesen Umwandlungsschritt optimiert - sie profitieren deshalb mehr von einem Überschlafen neuer Fertigkeiten als"

"Die Universitäten von heute haben ein Problem: Ihnen gehen die Mythen verloren. Als die Alchemisten früher ihre Säfte zusammenmischten, konnte es knallen oder Gold regnen. Darwin und Humboldt erkundeten eine Welt, in der es überall vor allem zwei Dinge gab: Abenteuer und Gefahr. Heute gibt es keine Kontinente mehr zu entdecken, kein Gold zu destillieren. ZEIT Campus 2/13 Dieser Text stammt aus dem aktuellen ZEIT Campus Magazin, das am Kiosk erhältlich ist. Klicken Sie auf das Bild, um auf die Seite des Magazins zu gelangen. Dieser Text stammt aus dem aktuellen ZEIT Campus Magazin, das am Kiosk erhältlich ist. Klicken Sie auf das Bild, um auf die Seite des Magazins zu gelangen. Geblieben ist theoretischer Wettstreit: Wer entwickelt eine noch abgefahrenere Theorie? Ein noch besseres Modell? Das ist nicht nichts. Aber etwas fehlt. Bei unserer Arbeit vollbringen wir keine Wunder, keine Narben zeugen von Heldenmut.Vielleicht gibt es deshalb so viele neurotische Profs: Sie müssen den Verlust des Abenteuers in ihrem Forscherleben kompensieren"

Artificial brains are man-made machines that are just as intelligent, creative, and self-aware as humans. No such machine has yet been built, but it is only a matter of time. This website tracks the latest scientific and technological progress.

"Die Gedanken sind frei? Von wegen! Werbung und Wirtschaft drängen dank Neuromarketing immer tiefer in das menschliche Hirn vor. Das Ziel: Herausfinden, was in unseren Köpfen tatsächlich passiert, wenn wir konsumieren."

"After many centuries of splints and cumbersome plaster casts that have been the itchy and smelly bane of millions of children, adults and the aged alike, the world over, we at last bring fracture support into the 21st century. The Cortex exoskeletal cast provides a highly technical and trauma zone localized support system that is fully ventilated, super light, shower friendly, hygienic, recyclable and stylish."