The Science of Pain • World of the Nanoputians • • for He's A

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Issue 1 Michaelmas 2004 A New Science Magazine for Cambridge

• The Science of Pain • World of the Nanoputians • • For He’s a Jolly Old (Cambridge) Fellow • Designer Babies • Biochrom, the company that created industry standard brands like Novaspec and Ultrospec and has 30 years experience of user needs, now introduces the Libra family • Flash Scan diode array – instant spectra of UV/Visible Spectrophotometers. • Press to Read source technology – longer lamp life Designed for users, the Libra range • Reference Beam Compensation – immediate stability combines new ideas with proven • Instrument Performance Validation – complete confidence technology to offer outstanding facilities:

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Biochrom Limited, 22 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, CB4 0FJ, England Tel: +44 (0)1223 423723 Fax: +44 (0)1223 420164 Web: www.biochrom.co.uk Biochrom is a Harvard Bioscience company Contents Issue1: Michaelmas 2004 Regulars Editorial ...... 03 Cambridge News ...... 04 Events ...... 05 Focus ...... 06 On the Cover ...... 20 A Day in the Life ...... 21 Away from the Bench ...... 22 Initiatives ...... 23 History ...... 24 Arts and Reviews...... 26 Features Dr Hypothesis ...... 28 Channelling the Pain Ewan Smith explains how we feel pain ...... 8 Jobs for Bacteria: Metal Miners Nerissa Hannink explores the curious world of rock eating bacteria ...... 10 For He’s a Jolly Old Fellow Is the life of a Cambridge Fellow really a longer one? Rosie Clift investigates ...... 11 Molecular Clocks: a Timely Perspective John O’Neill looks into what makes our body clock tick ...... 12 Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Laura Blackburn examines the two sides of the desert locust...... 14 Stem Cell Research: Getting to the Root of the Issue Carina Lobley discusses the ethical concerns surrounding stem cell research...... 16 Nanoputians Set to Invade Davina E. Stevenson ventures into Nanoput ...... 18 Cubic Jellyfish: Looking Out of the Box Matthew Wilkinson explains why we shouldn’t underestimate the humble jellyfish.19

The front cover shows a ‘Nanoflower’ Created by Ghim Wei Ho from the Nanoscience Centre. To find out more see page 20. If you’ve enjoyed our first issue, then why not write for us? We are currently looking for contributions for our Lent issue, which we need to receive by 15th November. We want articles on all kinds of science, but in particular we are lacking contributions from the physical sciences! So whatever your scientific passion why don’t you share it with our readers?

Or perhaps you want to join our production team? We need committed people to help with the editing and production of the magazine. If you’re interested just email enquiries@bluesci.org

To find out more information please visit our website www.bluesci.org

Next issue out January 2005

What’s it all about? This year the Science The Science Show Show is going to be better than ever before, Science Radio on CUR1350 packed full of competi- Tuesday nights 18.30 - 19.30 tions, the latest science news, interviews, reports, and a look at some of the really intriguing aspects of science.

To look forward to... A different theme each week: past shows have included the science of food and drink, the science of sport, and special Valentine’s shows. This year brings more themes, more random and interesting facts, and more prizes!

Get involved! The show is now interactive: you can email, text the studio, or take part in our interactive web dis- cussion board!

We're always keen to get presenters, researchers, and reporters, as well as people to work behind the scenes. Whatever your To listen, interests – just send us a tune into 1350 MW or mail! listen live online at [email protected] www.cur1350.co.uk www.scienceshow.co.uk your letters and opinions via email, [email protected]. From The plan to produce BlueSci was ambitious, and its realisation has required Issue 1: Michaelmas 2004 BlueSci many months of hard work. In fact, it seems a miracle to see our first edition in print! Produced by CUSP & Cambridge is both internationally and historically It has, of course, only been Published by renowned for its scientific achievements. In an effort to made possible by the dedi- Varsity Publications Ltd. make science accessible to all, CUSP has created BlueSci,a cation, enthusiasm and hard popular science magazine for Cambridge. BlueSci will be work of everybody Editor: Helen Stimpson produced termly, and will be distributed free of charge to involved. We would like to the University’s scientific departments and colleges. thank Varsity, whose support Managing Editor: Rachel Mundy Science is endlessly fascinating and diverse, and we hope has made the magazine pos- Business Manager: Eve Williams that the range of content in BlueSci reflects this.We aim to sible, as well as the CUSP promote the understanding and awareness of science and its committee. A very special Submissions Editor: importance within society.We welcome submissions on all thank you must also go to Joanna Maldonado-Saldivia disciplines and related issues. So whether you’re a student at all those who have written the University or a post-doc, you can share your passion for articles for this first edition. Design and Production: science by writing for us. For details of how to submit an Katherine Borthwick,Tom Walters, David Wyatt, Jonathan Zwart article, and of the type of articles we would like to receive, Helen Stimpson & please visit our website, www.bluesci.org.You can also send us Rachel Mundy Section Editors: Cambridge News: Joanna Maldonado-Saldivia However, it isn’t our mis- Events: Louise Woodley sion to turn scientists into From Focus: career journalists, far from it Ewan Smith in fact! We believe that Features: communication should be Joanna Maldonado-Saldivia, CUSP part of any scientific train- Helen Stimpson ing. We want to give our On the Cover: members the skills to com- Jonathan Zwart CUSP,or Cambridge University Science Productions, is a municate science success- A Day in the Life: Cambridge University society dedicated to promoting fully, and to contribute to Nerissa Hannink Away from the Bench and Initiatives: science through the media. CUSP is open to anybody,and the public understanding of Louise Woodley has a large range of members, from first year undergradu- science. The skills learnt at History: ates to post-docs and junior fellows. CUSP are important Edwina Casebow So what does CUSP do? We provide training in science whether you’re intending Arts and Reviews: communication, produce science media, and collaborate to stay in academia, or plan- Owain Vaughan with other groups. In terms of media production we have ning to start out in an alter- Dr Hypothesis: The Science Show (a weekly radio show on CUR1350), native career. Rob Young science films, interviews, video lectures, and of course CUSP: don’t just sit Magazine PR: BlueSci.We offer hands-on workshops for science writing, there, get involved! Jasmine Leonard, Rob Young, Claire Slater audio and video recording and editing, as well as docu- CUSP Chairman: mentary making. Our exciting programme of activities Björn Haßler, Björn Haßler can be found on our website, www.cusp.ucam.org. CUSP Chairman The CUSP Committee

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Varsity Publications Ltd 11/12 Trumpington Street Cambridge, CB2 1QA Tel: 01223 353422 Fax: 01223 352913 www.varsity.co.uk [email protected] BlueSci is published by Varsity Publications Ltd and printed by Cambridge Printing Park. All copyright is the exclusive property of Varsity Publications Ltd. No part of this publication may be repro- Helen Stimpson Rachel Mundy Björn Haßler duced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the publisher. www.bluesci.org luesci 03 04 Cambridge News ete n wa es from vast distances. beetles andsweat bees, thoughttobecarrion attracts itspollinators, smell produced by suchahugestructure Thepowerful plant flower’. ‘the corpse sobadthattheIndonesianscall stench, spadix heatsupandemitsanatrocious the female flowers are ready forpollination, Whenthe acream bandabove. forming bandwith the maleflowerspale green femaleflowersspadix.The are clustered ina enclosing thousandsoftiny flowers onthe bell. shapedlike anupturned around it, spatheunfurled andfrilly-edged fluted, grew upto1.6metres andablood red, acream spike calledaspadix of August, Over thelasttwo weeks December 2003. a Titan since hadbeendormant Arum House forover specimenof 20years.This they have inthePalm beennurturing pushing throughpot thesoilofagigantic Garden shoot noticedamottledgreen Botanic Garden. ever University attheCambridge stench asitflowered time forthefirst enveloped initsrotten visitors world, oftheplant giant The Titan Arum, Comes to Town Titanic Stink heart of activeheart galaxies. andgetcloseto the around otherstars, ofplanets studytheformation dying stars, scientists towatch thefinalmomentsof enable time, forthefirst Telescope and, thantheHubble Space times sharper scope. ity thanisavailable from any singletele- size yieldsimageswithmuch clar- greater Itshuge 400metres indiameter. aperture’ linked a single together toform ‘synthetic andoptically larger thanafootballpitch, spread outover anarea several telescopes, scope array. world’s the mostambitiousopticaltele- Interferometer, Observatory build theMagdalenaRidge between theirtwo institutionsto thecollaboration formalised Professor Malcolm Longair, Cambridge, attheUniversityLaboratory of andtheheadofCavendish Lopez, DrDaniel (New Mexico Tech), Institute ofMiningand Technology The president oftheNew Mexico Ambitious Telescope Astrophysicists Plan At its base, the spathe forms achamber thespatheforms At itsbase, glasshousestaffattheBotanic In August, The array willproduceThe array images100 The Interferometer willbecomposedof Cambridge News lo.Smallquantitiescross theplacenta blood. Deaths. Study ofInfant from theFoundationgrant forthe was by supported a Gordon Smith, headedby Professor The research, Death Syndrome (SIDS)orcotdeath. ofababy dyingofSuddenInfant risk Protein (AFP)inpregnancy andthe bloodlevelsmaternal of Alpha Feto hasfoundalinkbetweenDepartment Glasgow HealthBoard’s PublicHealth Gynaecology withtheGreater and ofObstetrics Department Research undertaken by the Cot Death Link The Titan infullbloom Arum AFP isaprotein thatcirculates infoetal Sedgwick Museum. in there-development ofthe the latestevent inamajornew phase dinosaur tolife. the imen asateachingaidand bring closely.This should enhancethespec- fossilmore that represent theoriginal and repainted by handusingcolours lion year-old hasbeencleaned giant ofthis120mil- Eachpart bone casts. jigsawIguanodon isagiant puzzleof Museum. re-installation intheSedgwick dinosaur Iguanodonisready for the work by staffandvolunteers, After seven weeks ofpainstaking Dinosaur Brought toLife The restoration ofthedinosauris Standing more thanfive metres tall, lue sc i

Nerissa Hannink levels compared withthebottom20%. among women withthe top20%of AFP to dieasacotdeathwas three timeshigher ofhaving ababyThe risk thatwould goon between 1991and2001 were examined. women whogave inScotland birth link withSIDS. a andfound, that anyone haslooked for, time but thisisthefirst linked tostillbirths, Highlevels of AFP are forSIDS. tors inthemselves fac- ture birth.These are risk can leadtolow weight birth andprema- Poor placentafunction ble placentafailure. pregnant woman’s blood indicateapossi- Highlevels of AFP detectedina mother. and thelevels canbemeasured inthe out theworld. andMultipleSclerosis through- injuries, spinalcord Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, betes, of degenerative conditionssuchasdia- be usedtobenefitthemillionsofsufferers professorship.ing aprestigious andby endow- £10M ofitsown funding, mitment tostemcellresearch by providing University hasalready The demonstratedcom- biology andmedicine. genetics, teams toaddress thechallengesofstemcell coalitionofresearchan interdisciplinary StemCellInstitute,core oftheCambridge the Cell Biology andMedicinewillform centre ofexcellenceatCambridge. £1.5M towards astemcellresearch (MRC) announcedfundingof The MedicalResearch Council Stem CellCentre toOpen Blood testresults forover 200.000 Studies willfocusonhow stemcellscan Centre forStem The MRCCambridge Michaelmas 2004

Joanna Maldonado-Saldivia Articles courtesy of Cambridge University Press Ofiice Events or send a hard 2 till 5 pm ? One lucky reader (FAO Bluesci), (FAO . BlueSci Varsity Send your images to Send your Cambridge, CB2 1QA 11-12,Trumpington Street, 11-12,Trumpington copy to copy COVER COMPETITION [email protected], will have the chance to see their own the chance to see their will have cover scientific photograph on the front of Issue 2. to microscopy from Anything be considered. of the galaxy will views Would you like to see your work on the work to see your like you Would of cover front Millennium Maths Project Maths Millennium The Millennium Mathematics Project is Project Mathematics The Millennium running series mathematics lecture a for the general public.schools and Each talk is ages and abilities, for different suitable and welcome. are children range vary Topic widely, and this terminclude paper fold- ing, system, the solar catastrophies,more. The series begins October, on 5th and at more can find out and you www.mmp.maths.org and Sunday 12 December 2004 12 December Sunday Cavendish Labs,Cavendish Cambridge Admission Free - just turn up! Free Admission (East Anglia Branch) Branch) (East Anglia you can find online can find you For more info: more For www.outreach.phy.cam.ac.uk www.xScite.com At The Discovery talks are given fort- given are talks The Discovery nightly on Thursdays at 19.00 (doorsThursdays nightly on open 18.00). alternate between Venues and Museum of Zoology the University the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences. Admission is free, talks and open to all. are events Although most writtentalks are for adults and teenagers, children. for younger suitable some are visit find out more To www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/libmuseums the link to Cambridgefollow Discovery. Cambridge Discovery is a seriesCambridge of infor- Discovery highlighting talks and events mal public of various collections the renowned Cambridge Museums and University their research. What would it be? A beginner’s guide to A beginner’s it be? What would of the beholder? eye The geological time? Mathematics, magic, electric and guitars? life be looking for would you Or perhaps places? in unlikely movies (produced by or in association by (produced movies with CUSP), of online number as a as well lectures. Cambridge Discovery Saturday Night Science TV Night Science Saturday presents The Physics of Spin Physics The [email protected] www.topquarkproductions.org.uk. by Carl Djerassi and Roald by www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/mmg/openday/

,main the links to the and follow

Visit (Spinning Heads) Call my Bluff - in Physics my Call Panel Game: Panel and many more and many Spinning Buckets Hurricanes Spinning Bullets Spinning Cars (Scalextric)Spinning Cars Hands-on Demos: Sport in Sports Lecture: Thinking Outside the Box

Wings Work? Think You Know How How Know You Think

details see by co-author Carl Djerassi. co-author Carl by more For talks to accompany the play,includingtalks to accompany one There will be a seriesThere of pre-performance Theatre on 26th-30th October at 19.45. Theatre Oxygen Oxygen Hoffmann,ADC performed will be at the here, email please society, events to publicise like would If you, department, your your or Events virtual floor. ground on the theatre lecture Department’s Virtual Open Day. Department’s lecture available online at the Engineering available lecture challenges popular misconceptions in his challenges popular misconceptions in University EngineeringUniversity Department) Dr Holger Babinsky (Cambridge Bernoulli’s principle and all? Think again. principle and all? Bernoulli’s www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/seminars.html the University’s departmental seminars see the University’s Or rather, subject: outside your a list of For 06 Focus Katherine Borthwick The MotionFor one childand wanting anothershould flict ofinterest between saving thelife of asking why acon- challenged this view, some peoplehave ‘means toanend’, child ofthesicksibling shouldnotbea pose ismainlybasedontheidea thatthe allowing embryo selectionfor thispur- opinion. treatment andasecond has failed tant’s detailingwhy referral other bothaconsul- requiring case basis, considered case-by- onarigorous Applicationswillstillbe HFEA. scrutiny andregulation by the testing won’t besubjecttocareful But thisisnottosay thattissue standably onthechildwhoisill.” theemotionalfocusisunder- child, parents whowant tosave asick withpotential requests“faced from theHFEA’s chairwoman, Leather, According toSuzi the illinfant. vide abonemarrow transplantfor to selectanembryo thatcould pro- tially besaved ifcouplesare allowed The lifeofadyingchildcanpoten- Although theethicalargument against embryo with thepotentialtosave thelife widely condemned. intheHFEA’sparity decisionswas still theapparent dis- HFEA’s 2001ruling), inlinewiththe saemia withtissuetyping, combine screening embryos forthalas- theHashmiscould Charlie’s parents, unlike Zain’s condition(meaningthat, because agenetictestexistsfor granted was Althoughthispermission disease. anothertypeof rare geneticblood saemia, aboy withthalas- ents ofZainHashmi, typing andembryo selectiontothepar- fortissue permission HFEA hadgranted the earlierinthesameyear, However, genetictestexists. embryological aconditionforwhichno anaemia, Charlie suffered from DiamondBlackfan between thehandling of different cases. popular press forperceived discrepancies itcreated uproar inthe parents in2002, notably inthecaseofCharlie Whitaker’s most this hashappenedinthepast, When downbe turned forthisreason. that applicationsfortissuetestingwon’t willmean thenew ruling exist? Indeed, anaemia andFanconi anaemia. suchasDiamondBlackfan blood cells, genetic of disorders potentially fatal, ill siblinginorder totreat somerare, vide abonemarrow transplantforthe baby would beable topro- this ‘matched’ Afterbirth, brother orsister. ill select oneasamatchforseriously andconsequently up ofembryos, allows couplestotest thegenetic make Theirruling tissue typingofembryos. the sion on21stJuly 2004concerning Authority’s (theHFEA’s) policyexten- andEmbryologyHuman Fertilisation Thisfollows the been re-ignited. debate has The heated ‘designer babies’ discusses bothsidesofthedebate according totheirgenes? Should we beallowed toselectembryos Babies Designer codn oSz ete,selectingan According toSuzi Leather, lue sc i increased risk to thefuture foetus. increased risk available tocouplesundergoing IVFatno according totheirgeneticmake upis medical technology toselectembryos the Inotherwords, babies”. fertilisation) babies compared tootherIVF(invitro sy procedure disadvantages resulting “does notindicatethattheembryo biop- that itsreview oftheavailable evidence SuziLeatherreports toembryos. harm the invasive tissuetestcausedany physical to extenditspolicywas whetherornot each year. or unwanted inBritain children born much more sothanthemany unplanned very much wanted by his or herparents, and hisorherillsibling would clearlybe boththetissue-matchedchild contrary, Onthe thanany other. for hisorherself, orvalued child would beany lessloved, itisunlikely thata debatable: however, Thisis, assumed tobeanegative one. ithas usuallybeen been considered, on thechildcreated tosave itssibling has impact Whenthepsychological too. ily” of itssibling can “benefit thewholefam- the HFEA’s new ruling. present theargumentsforandagainst we examinethedebateand impartially same time. geneticdisorders atthe inherited serious where embryos were beingtestedfor selectiononlyincases which permitted the HFEA’s from 2001, legislation Itreplaces children andtheirfamilies. emotional implicationson ‘matched’ and andthepsychological cells insize), ing acellsamplefrom anembryo eight tissue test(aprocess whichinvolves tak- both thephysical effectsoftheembryo A crucial factor intheHFEA’s factor A crucial decision lyn ei’ doae inthisarticle Playing devil’s advocate, The decisioncomesafterareview of Edwina Casebow Michaelmas 2004 Focus

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arsity arsity V Edwina Casebow is a fifth year is a fifth Edwina Casebow medical student with an MPhil in History of Science. and Philosophy This therapeutic benefit is directly ‘right’ can be no There to answer The HFEA’s recent policy exten- recent The HFEA’s par- sion on tissue typing allows to in order ents to select embryos act as donors for sick siblings. As a result, a have couples can now the life of child specifically to save or sister. an ill brother adherers of the Kantian opposed by as a children argument against treating ‘means to an end’‘end’ rather than an in themselves,those objecting and by to the destruction of human embryos for theological or other reasons. this debate. Only one thing is sure: as in reprogenetic the scientific advances technologies continues, of the number ethical and moral dilemmas can only increase. In Summary trans- i sc lue plant? If such cases are subse- plant? If such cases are The Pro-Life Alliance opposes any The Pro-Life some concerns also remain There quently allowed, it only be a mat- would selected are children ter of time before ‘balance a family’, on the basis of sex to characteristics?or for particular physical formselection and IVF of embryo of fertilised because of the waste involve. that such procedures embryos loss of life”, method involves “Every a result,‘murder’ say.As they the of many potential – all considered embryos babies – cannot justify the birth of one child. Indeed, theological the ethical and arguments surrounding IVF and embryo selection warrant a separate debate in themselves. about the practicalities of the test itself. of current evi- review Although HFEA’s dence concluded that it does not physi- than the cally harm more any embryos of IVF itself,procedure some new scientific technologies and pharmaceutical agents initially thought to be safe in subse- the past were oth- quently proved erwise. Who knows dis- may what we about tis- cover sue testing techniques in the future?

Furthermore, to the Pro- according One of the main considerations that www.bluesci.org Against

Motion The first cousin, a parent, or even a requires take us in the future:take what happens if a HFEA’s increased permissibility increased will HFEA’s Other people also worry the where a “slippery slope to designer babies”. a Life Alliance,Life could be selection embryo own rightown as individuals. believe that they are not valued in their not valued are that they believe integrating within their families if they chological problems and difficulties chological problems tissue-matched children may have psy- have may tissue-matched children properly. major worries are There that is difficult to assess the long term effects ly”, that it so new are scientific advances treatment can “benefit the whole fami- can treatment that such tissue matching and transplant ling. conclusion Despite the authority’s effect of being a so-called saviour sib- effect of being a so-called saviour the potential negative psychological the potential negative the HFEA has reviewed since 2001 is the HFEA has reviewed equals of their parents. and viewed as a commodity,and viewed not as children are becoming objectified are children Life Alliance,Life concern express that as Human Genetics Alert and Pro- as Human Genetics Consequently, groups such pressure potential lifesaver for an ill sibling. potential lifesaver but only in the context of being a but for his or herself in their own right,for his or herself in their own future child would not be valued child would future change allows.change This is because a ner that the HFEA’s recent policy recent ner that the HFEA’s should not be selected in the man- applied to argue that embryos ical thinking today, and can be forms of our eth- the basis of much a ‘means to an end’.a theory His be treated as an ‘end’, as an be treated as not merely that every individual should individual that every Immanuel Kant proposed Immanuel ry, the philosopher In the eighteenth centu- Channelling the

Pain Ewan Smith explains how we feel pain

After cutting yourself shaving, it’s Special types of nerve fibre, called Broadly speaking, pain is caused by easy to curse, but have you ever nociceptors, detect noxious stimuli. three types of stimuli: thermal, chemical, wondered why it hurts? Pain is an Nociceptors are present throughout most and mechanical. These stimuli activate important survival mechanism that of the body, and when activated they proteins present on nociceptors called ion acts to prevent injury. Although a generate an electrical signal that travels to channels. Different stimuli activate differ- painless life may seem enviable, a life the brain via the spinal cord.A part of the ent ion channels, allowing us to differen- without pain would be disaster-rid- brain called the thalamus then interprets tiate between types of pain. Most noci- den. For example, if you pick up a the stimulus as painful, and signals to tell ceptors respond to more than one type of hot dish from an oven, without pro- the body how to react. It is this reaction pain, although with differing sensitivities tection, the pain will cause you to that would cause you to drop the hot depending upon the ion channels they release it before serious injury dish. contain. When activated, ion channels occurs. If it didn’t hurt when you open, and charged particles flow into the picked it up, you might not break nerve, much like water flows through a the dish, but you would certainly canal lock gate. These particles provide burn your the driving force for the electrical signal hand! that travels to the brain. Why is it that when we eat too much chilli, we wave a hand in front of our mouth and pant as though putting out a fire? This sensation of burning occurs because of a substance present in chilli peppers called cap- saicin. There are several ion channels that detect temperature, and interestingly, cap- saicin is sensed by the same one (called TRPV1) that is activated by a thermal stimulus of around 42ºC. This temperature is approximately the human threshold of pain, and thus chilli tastes uncomfortably hot. TRPV1 is not the only ion channel that is activat-

All photographs, Rebecca Eaton ed by painfully high temperatures, as was but skin tests on humans suggest that demonstrated by a study which used ASICs are more important in the mice in which TRPV1 had been response to acidic stimuli.Although acid removed.These mice display similar pain touching our skin causes pain, we can behaviour at 50ºC to normal mice, sug- also feel acidic pain in a less obvious gesting that a factor other than TRPV1 way.When an area of the body does not must be involved in sensing very high receive enough oxygen, high acidity can temperatures.This factor is probably the build up. This occurs during a heart related ion channel TRPV2. In general, attack, and the channel ASIC3 triggers hotter temperatures are more painful this pain. due to increased activation of TRPV1 as Catching your toe on a doorframe well as the likely activation of TRPV2. undoubtedly hurts, but the precise We are all aware that cold tempera- mechanism for the detection of this kind tures can be painful too, and this form of of mechanical stimuli remains unknown. pain is sensed by ion channels of the A possible candidate though is an ion same family that sense heat. In particu- channel called TRPV4. Recent studies lar, TRPM8 is activated at temperatures have shown that mice without this pro- causes below 25ºC.This channel is also activat- tein have decreased pain behaviour in modula- ed by menthol, explaining the cool sen- response to mechanical stimuli.This sug- tion of the sation of menthol sweets.The ion chan- gests that this ion channel could be ion channel TRPV1 resulting in a magnification of “A life without pain would be the response to heat. For other people, the feeling of pain disaster ridden” doesn’t exist at all. They suffer from a rare disease called congenital insensitivi- ty to pain, whereby their nociceptors nel most likely to be responsible for involved in the detection of noxious express a mutated form of a protein detection of more noxious cold, such as mechanical stimuli. required for proper growth, and conse- experienced when cycling without Pain is extremely helpful to us as a quently the nociceptors die. gloves in winter, is TRPA1. As discov- warning mechanism, but when tissue is Unfortunately sufferers of this disease ered recently, this ion channel is activat- damaged, as is the case in arthritis, usually die an early death. ed at around 17ºC, which closely corre- inflammation can occur causing the sur- So before you complain next time you lates to the human threshold of noxious rounding area to become tender. This hurt yourself don’t blame the razor and cold. can lead to hyperalgesia, where noxious remember that pain is there to help. It But what about other types of pain? stimuli hurt more than normal, as well as stops you damaging yourself further and Cutting your hand while cooking can allodynia, a condition in which stimuli can help in the healing process as an hurt, but if you are unfortunate enough that are usually innocuous, such as tick- injured, painful part of the body is often to splash lemon juice over the cut, it ling, become excruciatingly painful.This rested.

really stings! The trigger for this pain is process is called sensitisation, and For a recent review of the molecular aspects the acidity of the lemon juice. Within involves the release of inflammatory of nociception see Julius, D. and Basbaum,A. the last decade, a separate group of ion substances from damaged and inflamma- (2001). Molecular mechanisms of nociception. channels called acid sensing ion channels tory cells. These substances can lower Nature 413, 203-210. (ASICs), have been proposed to detect the activation threshold of nociceptive acidic stimuli. The heat sensing ion nerves, increasing their sensitivity. One Ewan Smith is a PhD student in the channel TRPV1 also responds to acid, of these substances is bradykinin, which Department of Pharmacology. lue www.bluesci.org sci 09 Jobs for Bacteria: Metal Miners

Nerissa Hannink explores the curious world of rock eating bacteria “Ewww yuck, gross!” is often our first the rocks to generate their own energy reaction when bacteria are mentioned. source, whereas most other organisms utilise The idea that we live with microscopic sunlight for this.The bacteria’s chemical reac- organisms on our skin, in our bodies, tions create acidic conditions that result in and in our homes is for many an the metals being leached out of the rock into unpleasant thought. water. This process occurs every day in the Whilst a small number of bacteria are Earth’s crust at a very slow rate. Scientists responsible for disease, microorganisms help have found that if they increase the activity of us humans in many ways.Without them, for the microbes, they can increase the rate of instance,we couldn’t digest a thing! Now sci- extraction of the metals that our society has the human body), bacteria can evolve rela- entists are identifying and selectively breeding come to depend on. tively quickly to take advantage of a particu- bacteria for a role in a rapidly growing new So how is biomining performed? For lar energy source or environmental condi- technology known as ‘biomining’. Twenty cheaper metals, such as copper, a technique tion.And the good news is that,unlike genet- years on from the miners’ strikes, 21st centu- called “bioleaching” is employed. Here, the ically modified bacteria (which contain ry mining has moved into biotechnology. ore (in which the bacteria live) is crushed and DNA from another organism), these Gone are the fears of flying pickets: the latest put into large heaps on an impermeable base. microbes are being selected by a kind of evo- recruits are bacteria and they’ll work for An acidic solution is then percolated through lution in fast-forward. So, if they were to food. Professor Doug Rawlings from the heap.The liquid that leaches out of these return to the soil, they would not be a prob- Stellenbosch University, South Africa, piles is collected and metals are recovered lem as they were originally living in the rocks explains: “Biomining uses the natural ability from it.Waste from traditional mining tech- that were mined. of bacteria to extract metals from mineral niques can also be treated in this way to Current biomining research involves find- deposits (ore)”.This technique dates back to extract the remaining metals. ing new types of bacteria that may be useful. Roman times when these early miners used The second form of biomining was devel- As a general rule, for every 10ºC rise in tem- microbes to remove copper from ore with- oped in the 1980s to treat more costly met- perature, reaction rates will double, and so out being aware that bacteria were involved. als like gold.The rocks containing gold and researchers are looking for new miners that will work at higher temperatures. Hot sulphur springs of 75ºC are the current job centre for biomining bacteria.The chosen bacteria will eventually be introduced to high temperature tanks for extraction of an increasing range of metals. Professor Rawlings is also interested in the genes that enable bacteria to survive amongst such toxic metals. By studying bacteria that could grow with and without metals, he was

All photographs, Katherine Borthwick able to look at which of their genes were dif- As we use up the highly concentrated bacteria are crushed and put into a stirred ferent. In one study with arsenic, his group mineral deposits in our earth, traditional tank at 40 to 50ºC, which is supplied with discovered that the genes giving resistance to mining techniques have become less eco- oxygen and nutrients for an extra energy arsenic toxicity were essentially ‘jumping nomical and methods to extract from the less supply for the microbes.The bacteria then go genes’ (transposons).These are genes that can concentrated (low grade) ores are needed. to work to decompose the rock structure. move from one part of the DNA to another This is the major force behind the develop- Next, cyanide is added to extract the gold. and even between bacteria. It seems that ment of biomining. The technique is also Without the microbes, the cyanide could not when bacteria were exposed to arsenic, they attractive because, unlike conventional min- come into contact with the gold.This tech- had to acquire the arsenic resistance genes ing, biomining does not use the high nique is now widely used and “the largest from other bacteria in order to survive. amounts of energy required for roasting and fermentation plant in the world, aside from So the next time you think of bacteria, smelting,and does not produce harmful gases sewage, is the gold Ashanti-Sansu reactor in remember that the ring on your finger and such as sulphur dioxide. Ghana” says Rawlings. the copper circuit boards in your computer The bacteria employed for biomining live Professor Rawlings adds “With the selec- could all come from microscopic miners. in the rocks from which the metals are tive pressures we are creating in the tanks we mined. These organisms are called are always selecting for the best metal- Nerissa Hannink is a postdoctoral chemolithotrophs which literally means rock extracting bacteria”. Because they are made researcher in the Department of Plant eating.This is because they use chemicals in up of only one cell (compared to billions in Sciences

10 luesci Michaelmas 2004 For He’s a Jolly Old Fellow Is the life of a Cambridge Fellow really a longer one? Rosie Clift investigates

The archetypal Oxbridge fellow is templative monks found increased longevi- and throughout our experiences in utero, male, chain-smokes a pipe, drinks ty among them, relative to the general pop- events occur that greatly influence our risk excessive amounts of port and over- ulation of the Netherlands. of heart disease and other ailments later in indulges in rich delicacies such as M.G. Marmot’s Whitehall study carried life. roast swan, caviar, and foie gras. A out in the 1980s found a distinct social gra- lifestyle perhaps not conducive to dient in mortality rates in all industrialised “the college-based longevity? nations.The gradient showed that those of A recent study by Dr Michael Brooke at higher social classes lived longer than those lifestyle may contribute the Department of Zoology in Cambridge from the lower classes. Further analysis pre- to a long and showed that Cambridge Fellows live signif- sented a correlation between a long life and stress-free life” icantly longer than the average UK man. In a high social status and income. fact they outlive British males by four years! Interestingly, the same longevity gradient The project involved recording the life has been observed in non-human primate Another avenue to be explored is a spans of fellows born between 1900 and societies where it is explicitly linked to potential link between intelligence and 1920, who died aged 60 or greater. Brooke social ranking. Although Cambridge fel- life-span, an idea that particularly interests had two control groups: undergraduates lows aren’t the fattest cats around, they cer- Brooke himself. Using data from the born 1900-1920 who also died at 60 or tainly hold a high status among their peers “Scottish Mental Survey” of 1932, based on greater, and a group of men born in 1911 nation-wide. Additionally, they have a IQ tests carried out on all children born in who were taken as representatives of the socially active lifestyle and a high degree of Scotland in 1921 who attended school that wider UK population. It was assumed that control over their work- day, Gottfredson and Deary found that the undergraduates had the same social ing lives, factors which ‘intelligence’ was a good predictor of adult background as the fellows. By using data Marmot states con- mortality,even when controlling for socio- only from individuals that died having tribute to longevity. economic variables. They propose that already reached 60 years of age, Brooke and In parallel, molecular intelligence enhances an individual’s care of his team hoped to reduce unwanted effects gerontologists explore their own health because it represents of any deaths due to random events. The the issue of longevity learning, reasoning and problem-solving idea behind this was that pensioners were from a genetic angle. skills useful in preventing chronic disease unlikely to have died on the front line, nor For example, the High and accidental injury, and in adhering to would they have been out drinking, getting Initial Damage Load complex treatment regimes. into fights, or careering around in stolen hypothesis states that as Social factors can have substantial conse- cars! early on as conception quences on an individual’s health and life- Statistical analysis showed that span. However, these factors are controver- the Fellows lived to an average of sial and often contested by molecular 79 years, while the undergradu- gerontologists. The issues concerning ates only made it to 76, a signif- longevity are complex and inter-connected icant difference of three years. and the race to find the secret of a long The undergraduates didn’t sig- life will no doubt be a long one. nificantly outlive the national Meanwhile, I shall don my smoking population, who lived to an gown, light my pipe, and wander over to average of 75.3. One possible hall for a swift glass of port… or two! reason for this difference in longevity is that the fellows Rosie Clift is experience a life of privilege. Is a third year Zoology student. this a valid suggestion? In his paper, Brooke proposes that certain features of the college-based lifestyle may contribute to a long and stress-free life, such as a secure job which includes a pension and accommodation, the presence of a supportive community, and the esteem of ones peers.This relaxed and comfortable lifestyle shares features with a monastic existence, and in fact a Katherine Borthwick study of Dutch con- Molecular Clocks: a Timely Perspective

John O’Neill looks into what makes our body clock tick

few hours after waking. Disturbingly, epi- demiologists report that those in occupa- tions with irregular working hours suffer adverse health effects. For example, in a study of 78,000 nurses carried out at Boston’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital, it was found that women who worked night shifts at least three times a month, for up to 29 years, were 8% more likely to develop breast cancer. The risk more than quadru- pled for women working night shifts for more than 30 years.This finding is supported by a further study which looked at the work histories of 763 women with breast cancer and 741 women without. Again, this study found that women who worked night shifts were more likely to have breast cancer than those who didn’t. The general explanation for this phe- All photographs, Rebecca Eaton nomenon is that the body orders its behav- Sun, sand, surf. We all appreciate the showed that teams travelling across time iour, metabolism, and physiology according benefits of holidays abroad, but no one zones were significantly more likely to lose to the time of day. So, as the body moves enjoys the miserable few days it takes when travelling from West to East than in through each 24-hour cycle, it experiences to adjust to the new local time. We the other direction. The away team players circadian fluctuations in temperature, wake- become jetlagged because of interfer- were handicapped relative to their oppo- fulness,gastric activity,heart rate,blood presence with the normal running of our nents because their bodies struggled to sure and hormone levels. For example, body’s internal 24-hour timer: the cir- adjust to the new time zone. levels of the hormone cortisol are high cadian clock (circa – about, diem – daily). In recent years, groundbreaking research by circadian biologists has led “Some describe the effect of long to a new understanding of the clock’s molecular mechanisms. term shift work on general health... Our biological timekeeper is robust and surprisingly accurate (only about 10 min- as the equivalent of smoking a utes drift each day under constant conditions). It is a system we share with most pack of cigarettes a day!” species on the planet. Indeed, experiments in the 1950s showed that bees and rats could be reproducibly jetlagged when they were Beyond sport and travel, disruption of the before we wake in the morning, whilst the flown from Paris to New York.Jetlag leaves clock has important health consequences. hormone melatonin peaks in the evening, us tired and impairs our physical and men- Some drug side effects vary depending on before we sleep. These rhythms are impor- tal abilities. Even top athletes are affected: a the time of day the medication is adminis- tant for optimal functioning of the many study of US baseball games over 3 years, tered, and we also see the major occurrence processes vital to our health. In fact, some published in the journal Nature in 1995, of strokes and heart attacks during the first describe the effect of long term shift work

12 luesci Michaelmas 2004 on general health and life expectancy as the patients have no temporal order to their day, mouse has an approximately 24-hour cycle of equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes a which means that they require 24-hour care behaviour, even in the dark, whereas mice day! and supervision. Indeed, this is one of the pri- lacking Period2 cannot sustain a regular cycle By the early seventies, the region of the mary reasons for the institutionalisation of without external time cues. Their clock has mammalian brain responsible for circadian those with advanced Parkinson’s disease. effectively stopped. patterns of behaviour had been localised to a More recently, a small number of core Recent work suggests that many other cells tiny structure, named the suprachiasmatic ‘clock genes’ have been discovered through in the body, in tissues besides the brain, can nucleus (SCN). The SCN comprises just the study of animals with faulty versions of self-sustain their own circadian patterns of 16,000 neurons, yet it appears to be both nec- these genes (resulting in a clock running too gene expression.The search is now on to dis- essary and sufficient to account for circadian fast, too slow,or not at all). Studies into a par- cover to what extent the SCN controls behaviour. Laboratory mice lacking the SCN ticular clock gene named Period2 have proved rhythms in other tissues. Ultimately, circadian have been shown to lose their circadian to be of particular interest. Mutations in this biologists hope to understand the clock well rhythms. In recent years, it has been shown gene can lead people to suffer from a rare dis- enough to allow us to better deal with the that even single isolated SCN neurons can sus- order in which patients have a 20-hour clock, ravages of our 24-hour culture, and to fully tain an approximately 24-hour pattern of fir- causing them to wake at odd times. unravel the health implications of our amazing activity when cultured in a petri dish. Interestingly, Period2 has also been identified ing, self-sustaining biological clocks. Certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as as a tumour suppressor in humans. Scientists Parkinson’s, can result in disruption of circadi- have deleted the Period2 gene from a mouse’s John O’Neill is a PhD student in the an rhythms through lesion of the SCN.These genome and observed its behaviour.A normal MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.

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Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are and actively avoids others of its kind, their numbers quickly increase on the hoping and praying that the locust being more active at night and not abundant food supply. swarms that have been darkening migrating great distances. It is only What causes the solitarious locust to the skies in recent months will not when, in response to an increase in pop- switch phase, changing its behaviour and destroy all of this year’s crops. In many cases it is already too late. Recent heavy rainfall in countries “Physical contact can change a locust's such as the Gambia and Mauritania has broken years of drought, thus behaviour from solitarious to gregarious providing ideal conditions for these insects to breed voraciously. Each in only four hours” swarm can contain billions of insects, and each insect can eat its body weight in food every day, ulation density, solitarious locusts switch ultimately its physiology to become a enough food to feed thousands of phase to become gregarious that prob- swarming, brightly coloured gregarious people. lems start.The most dramatic and imme- locust? Researchers in Cambridge and Locusts display a phenomenon called diately noticeable change is in behav- Oxford have been working on what phase polymorphism, which means that iour, as gregarious locusts actively seek causes the switch from solitarious to they can switch between two forms: a out others, quickly forming swarms. In gregarious, and have also compared their non-swarming (or solitarious) phase, and the wild, this gregarisation process starts behaviour and physiology in the labora- a swarming (or gregarious) phase. Most when drought forces solitarious locusts tory. of the time locusts are solitarious in the to group on the small amount of vegeta- It was found that the smell or sight of wild, existing at low densities that do tion that remains. Once rain has broken other locusts has a small effect on soli- not cause problems. As the name sug- the drought, locusts breed very quickly tarious locusts, making them behave in a gests, the solitarious locust is reclusive and gregarious behaviour is reinforced as slightly more gregarious way. This,

14 luesci Michaelmas 2004 && Mr Hyde

however, was nothing compared to the (gregarisation) spot. Overall, solitarious mals, on the other hand, walk with the striking effect of crowding solitarious locusts have more of these hairs on their body off the ground and take much big- locusts in a small group of five to ten legs, which helps to explain why it is ger steps. Also, the force that these gre- animals. Physical contact can change a easy to change their behaviour in this garious locusts produce in the largest locust’s behaviour from solitarious to way. Reversing the process requires gre- muscle of their hind leg is greater. gregarious in only four hours. The garious animals to be isolated, in a Understanding how locusts become researchers also found that certain parts process that can take one or two gener- gregarious, as well as all the differences of the body are more sensitive to ations to complete, although at present between the two phases, will lead to the physical contact than others. The hind no-one is quite sure why. development of specific insecticides that legs, which are covered in hair, are par- One of the easily observable behav- can switch off the gregarisation process ticularly sensitive. If a solitarious locust ioural differences between phases is their and prevent swarming.The gregarisation is tickled with a paintbrush on the hind mode of walking. Solitarious animals of the locust shows how the delicate leg at regular intervals, it will show gre- creep along the ground, holding the biological balance of nature can change, sometimes to the detriment of thousands of people across many parts of the “each insect can eat its body weight in world. food every day” Laura’s photographs show the solitarious locust on the left and the gregari- garious behaviour after four hours, just body close to the floor and moving the ous locust on the right. as if it had been crowded. There is an legs through small distances. It makes especially sensitive spot on the leg where sense for solitarious locusts to have a the hairs are particularly dense, which slow, creeping walk as it helps them to Laura Blackburn is a PhD student in was unfortunately christened the ‘G’ stay cryptic and hidden. Gregarious ani- the Department of Zoology.

luesci www.bluesci.org 15 cells, and thereby restrict their uses. However, the recent identification of multi- Stem Cell Research: potent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs) by Catherine Verfaille and co-workers at the University of Minnesota, has generated con- Getting to the Root of the Issue siderable interest.These cells, found in adult bone marrow, appear to be as versatile as embryonic stem cells. Since this may provide an alternative to the use of embryos, those- who oppose research on embryonic stem cells support this work. There have been several notable successes using adult stem cells for therapy: we are all familiar with the use of bone marrow trans- plants in the treatment of leukaemia. More recently, Alain Fischer and co-workers in Paris took bone marrow cells from two babies suffering from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease, a life-threaten- ing genetic disorder.The damaged gene was repaired and the functional cells returned to the babies and a full recovery ensued. Several problems are common to all stem cells:how to successfully direct specialisation; how to be sure that a stem cell has completely differentiated and will behave normally if

Joanna Maldonado-Saldivia Joanna transplanted; and how to prevent rejection of Carina Lobley transplanted cells. The approach to answer- discusses the ethical concerns of stem cell research ing these questions differs depending on the After fertilisation of a human egg, the embryo, the umbilical cord and adult tissues. type of stem cells used.As this research is still resulting cell divides and eventually While stem cells derived from embryos are in its infancy, it seems premature to reject gives rise to an array of specialised cells considered to be the most adaptable, obtain- either embryonic or adult stem cells. that form a whole individual. Cells of ing them raises a host of ethical issues. Cells In light of the undoubted potential of the early embryo are also capable of derived from the umbilical cord or from stem cells, failure to undertake the basic forming stem cells, which divide indef- adult tissue are believed to be less adaptable, initely and can generate all the tissues but have the advantage of being genetically “to undertake this research found in an adult, from blood to brain identical to the individual they are taken without due caution would to muscle. By the time of birth, all that from, and therefore, subsequent transplanta- remains are specialised stem cells, tion does not give rise to tissue rejection. be unmindful” whose capability is restricted to a par- Whilst embryonic stem cells can be made ticular tissue type. The potential to to form any cell type and, therefore, have the research necessary to fully understand them generate cells of any type makes stem greatest therapeutic potential, their use pre- would be remiss. However, to undertake this cell research both scientifically exciting cludes the development of the embryo.This research without due caution would be and ethically daunting. is an extremely controversial issue.There are unmindful. Past experience shows us that The excitement surrounding stem cells is different opinions about the point in devel- advances in science often come with less due to their potential use in the treatment of opment at which a life has begun, and many desirable consequences.The invention of the illness. With the ability to specialise, stem question whether it is morally sound to cre- motor car brought fast transport but also cells could provide solutions to diseases rang- ate an embryo solely for the purpose of pollution, the development of nuclear fission ing from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease research. Current research is carried out as an energy source came with the threat of to spinal cord damage. Transplanting stem using the unwanted embryos from in vitro nuclear war. It would be imprudent to cells which have been specialised in a labo- fertilisation treatment, but it is the use of ignore the possibility of far-reaching nega- cloning techniques to generate embryonic tive consequences, no matter how great the “embryonic stem cells ... stem cells that is the most contentious. desired outcome. In the face of compelling have the greatest So why not simply use adult stem cells? arguments both for and against this research, First, in some tissues such as the brain or the job of regulatory bodies to temper the therapeutic potential” pancreas, these cells are very rare and their desire for knowledge with the requirement isolation is both invasive and technically to consider the merits of the proposed ratory can potentially treat any disease result- challenging. Secondly, there are many types research is daunting. ing from cellular malfunction. These are of adult stem cell, and each is responsible for laudable goals, and on the basis of prelimi- a specific tissue type. For example, The title photograph shows an early embryo nary results appear to be attainable.However, hematopoetic stem cells,obtained from bone in culture.The cluster of green cells will give due to the complex ethical issues surround- marrow, give rise to cells of the blood (red rise to embryonic stem cells. ing the use of stem cells in research, much of blood cells, leukocytes, lymphocytes and their potential remains largely hypothetical. platelets). This specificity is considered by Carina Lobley is a PhD student in the Stem cells can be generated from the early many to limit the versatility of adult stem Department of Biochemistry.

16 luesci Michaelmas 2004 Help throw light on Medical problems

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For details, including a searchable research project list and information on how to apply or visit our website: http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/gradschool/ or contact us by email at [email protected] structures. At present, limits in microchip technology mean that wires are at least two- millimetres (0.002 metres) in width, but imagine using a row of Nanoputians with a molecular diameter of one-nanometre to reduce the size of the wire by 100 times! A wide variety of clinical and engineering applications might be possible using these Nanoputians to trans- fer signals. Dr Jim Tour has already demonstrated that these nanocells can be used as non-volatile memory for computer chips. Nanoputians They offer the potential to reduce the size and, therefore, the fabrication costs of electrical components: the two factors critical to electronics in the 21st century. Set to Invade This is not the first attempt to create art from chemistry: Professor Kawata’s research group at Osaka University, Japan has used a Davina E. Stevenson ventures into Nanoput resin to make a bull-shaped structure that is 0.00001 metres long. Not bad, but this is still In the land of the Nanoputians, science and ‘west’, and for the Nanoputian this is 5000 times longer and 200000000000 times meets art. A research group at Rice extended to include body parts such as ‘head’, the volume of a Nanokid! University in Texas has achieved the ulti- ‘neck’ and ‘legs’. When represented on paper mate in designed miniaturisation by according to the standard methods used by making a family of molecules which chemists, certain molecules actually look like resemble humans but are only parts of cartoon people. Following the rules of 0.000000002 metres tall! The family chemistry, the angle of the line depends on name is derived from the Lilliputians how many and what other types of atoms are that lived in Jonathan Swift’s classic attached to the carbon atom. So rather than story Gulliver’s Travels. The name also just being a cartoon, the molecular structure describes their size, as nano means of the Nanokid (seen below and right) actual- 1x10-9 (or 0.000000001 metres). ly represents a precisely defined molecule. Synthetic chemists are fascinated by the Generally chemists aim to use the least molecular building blocks of life, but these are number of reactions to make a compound.To invisible to the naked eye and can be daunting create a Nanoputian, this entails joining the when described by complex structures, top and bottom of the ‘bodies’ at the ‘waist’. abstract theories and formulae. From the first Nanokid a whole family of Nanoputians was born, and all that was needed was a kitchen microwave to give the system energy and swap the heads. The population now includes characters such as the Joining head and body NanoAthlete, NanoJester and the NanoBaker. How do we know what these structures Although comical and mocked by many Structures represented by lines really look like? Chemists use techniques such chemists, these structures are not only poten- as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (which uses a tially useful, but are an invaluable way to give Since the age of the caveman, drawings and powerful magnet) to determine structure. We non-scientists of all ages a new appreciation structures have been simplified into lines: the can also detect the mass of a compound, and of chemical design and synthesis in a friend- ultimate chemical formula uses lines to repre- use computer programs to add colour to ly and entertaining way. As a bonus, they sent a carbon framework, where each line has depictions of atoms and predict structures. show that not all chemists are boring! a carbon atom at the end. Are these just the fantasies of a mad To simplify research, chemists often chemist? No, these molecules have very useful Davina E. Stevenson is a PhD student in describe molecules with terms such as ‘east’ applications when combined to form larger the Department of Chemistry. All figures: Rice University; Montage:TCW The Nano-population

18 luesci Michaelmas 2004 Cubic Jellyfish: Looking Out of the Box

Matthew Wilkinson explains why we shouldn’t underestimate the humble jellyfish Dan-Eric Nilsson Jellyfish are not normally considered often associated with vertebrates and It is tempting to conclude that the com- to be the epitome of evolutionary cephalopods (such as octopus and squid), is plex vision of box jellyfish has evolved in advancement. They are more often surprising to say the least. Why should such response to the need to accurately navigate regarded as little more than jelly-filled a basic animal that lacks a brain have such within the animals’ cluttered habitat. There sacks with a mouth and tentacles.This complex visual equipment? are, however, other possibilities. It has been opinion is unfounded: jellyfish belong Melissa Coates, of the Hopkins Marine suggested that a fine sensitivity to light, cou- to one of the most ancient animal Station in California, has come up with a pled with high speed and agility,may enable groups, and the fact that they are still possible explanation for this enigma. She cubozoans to hunt bioluminescent prey. with us is a testament to the success has noted that cubozoans, uniquely among They are, indeed, voracious predators and of their biological design. They are the jellyfish, tend to live in complex near- are active during the night. Cubozoans are also, in many surprising ways, shore marine habitats such as mangroves, also unique amongst the jellyfish in extremely specialised, a fact illustrated coral reefs and kelp forests.These environ- indulging in copulation. Instead of the usual most clearly by the remarkable box ments are cluttered with submerged obsta- haphazard release of eggs and sperm into the jellyfish, or cubozoans, shown above. cles that are very dangerous for delicate water, a male box jellyfish actively chases a animals like jellyfish. It is then easy to female, grabs her, and deposits sperm onto “The sting of one species, understand why the cubozoans should her tentacles. When they separate, the need good eyesight. For their visual acuity female then internally fertilises herself by Chironex fleckeri, can kill a to be of any use to them, the box jellyfish eating the sperm. Again, this behaviour grown man in minutes.” also need to be good enough swimmers to seems to require advanced visual capabilities. avoid collisions with any mangrove root or Box jellyfish are notorious for including kelp frond that comes into view. “Cubozoans are also among their number some of the most poi- Unfortunately,jellyfish are not known for sonous animals in the world. For example, their swimming prowess: most do little unique amongst the the sting of one species, Chironex fleckeri, more than drift aimlessly at the mercy of the jellyfish in indulging in can kill a grown man in minutes. They are currents. However, cubozoans once again found only in tropical seas and, as their defy our preconceptions. For jellyfish, they copulation.” name suggests, are somewhat cubic in are remarkably fast and agile: they reach shape: the opening of the swimming bell is speeds of up to six metres per minute (an Of course, it is possible that all these fac- four-sided, with a tentacle or cluster of ten- Olympian performance for such flimsy ani- tors, or others we have yet to consider, have tacles at each corner, and a stalked sensory mals!) and can completely turn around with contributed to evolution of the remarkable structure called a rhopalium on each side. just a few pulses of their swimming bell. eyes of box jellyfish, and more research is It is these rhopalia that set the box jellyfish They manoeuvre using a muscular skirt of needed to solve the mystery. Regardless,the apart, because they support extraordinarily tissue that extends inward from the margin amazing vision of these seemingly simple complex eyes, two on each rhopalium, each of the bell, called the velarium.This acts as a creatures shows us that even the lowliest with a lens, retina and cornea, that seem to nozzle through which the jet of water animals are not to be underestimated. be capable of forming an image, like our expelled by each contraction of the swim- eyes. ming bell passes. By tensing muscles in one Matthew Wilkinson is a Fellow of Clare The presence in a simple jellyfish of part of the velarium, the jet is directed side- College and works in the Department of image-forming eyes of this kind, more ways, causing the jellyfish to turn rapidly. Zoology. sci www.bluesci.org lue 19 How Does Your Garden Grow? Jonathan Zwart speaks to Ghim Wei Ho, a PhD student at the Nanoscience Centre, who is On the Cover responsible for our stunning front cover image

Cambridge’s Nanoscience Centre is Size is not the only issue however. are the sole factors in determining whether an interdisciplinary group of around Individual devices of atomic scale can be the structures formed are one-, two- or 120 biologists, physicists, chemists fashioned into quantum computers, each three-dimensional. She synthesised square and engineers led by Prof. Mark capable of carrying out thousands of calcula- blocks, triangular films, cones, nanowires Welland of the Department of tions simultaneously. With these quantum and the nanoflower. For this last structure, Engineering. These scientists work in machines, computer power will reach new Ghim Wei Ho won this year’s Department the rapidly expanding field of nan- heights, using algorithms never before seen, of Engineering photography competition. otechnology. They are seeking to including those needed to crack, in a flash, develop and exploit materials and the world’s bank security systems. Quantum construct devices (transistors, resis- computing is currently something of a holy tors and capacitors, to name but a grail for physicists.The experimental physics few) at the atomic scale of one involved is by no means straightforward, but nanometre, or a billionth of a metre. there is no doubt that the future of this field Ghim Wei Ho explained the advantages utterly depends on the successful manipula- of nanomaterials to me. Today’s micron- tion of nanomaterials. scale silicon devices are in widespread use This is why Ho devotes more than half in computers, mobile phones and even her time to the synthesis of nanomaterials washing machines. These devices are a in a dust-free assembly laboratory.To cre- thousand times bulkier than the nanoscale ate a nanostructure, a layer of catalyst par- silicon carbide counterparts that Ho ticles is deposited on a two-centimetre expects to replace them in the decades long piece of silicon substrate, which is ahead. Silicon carbide’s present role is as an then coated with a layer of photosensitive Ghim Wei Ho abrasive, but its use in the world of plastic (PMMA). This coated block is Ghim Wei Ho, Nanoscientist nanotechnology will allow the building of exposed to a source of patterned light or Many tools are available to the nanoscien- electrons, which corrodes selected regions tist to study these structures, including Nanotechnology: The branch of the PMMA.A catalytic material (usual- mechanical, optical and electrical transport of technology that deals with ly gold, or a transition metal such as iron measurements.Too small to be seen under a or nickel) is then sprayed onto the silicon conventional microscope, a Scanning dimensions and tolerances of through the gaps in the plastic. Finally, the Electron Microscope is needed to observe 0.1 to 100 nanometres, or, plastic is lifted off, leaving behind a pat- the nanostructures (as seen in the photo- generally, with the manipula- terned film of catalyst. graph below).The nanoflower on the cover tion of individual atoms and Next, she makes use of a technique is actually part of an entire molecules. known as Chemical Vapour Deposition. nanogarden of other beautiful flowers. Each The coated silicon is roasted in a three- petal is just 200 nanometres in diameter, (OED) centimetre oven for 15-20 minutes, at gas making the nanoflower an extravagant one mark 5 (sorry, er, 1000°C!). This is essen- micron, or one millionth of a metre, across! smaller and more efficient devices with tially a fan oven: methane is passed over These tiny nanoflowers in particular possess novel optical and electrical properties. the substrate at a high flow rate and at a a number of interesting properties.They are Another significant compound is zinc pressure one hundredth that of atmos- superhydrophobic, meaning that their sur- oxide, the war paint worn by cricketers, pheric pressure. The gas is ionised only faces repel water; they are crystalline at their which is a piezoelectric material. A tiny where the catalyst is present, causing sili- centres, but disordered at their surfaces; and voltage is generated inside it when pressure con carbide nanostructures to grow there. they fluoresce under UV light. is exerted, making it especially suitable in Ho conducted a series of experiments, sub- Ghim Wei Ho spent the second year of sensing applications. What all this means jecting the silicon substrates to different tem- her PhD growing and characterising for you and me is cheaper, smaller and peratures, gas flow rates and pressures. These nanostructures, and now the task before her more powerful computers, biomedical sen- is to develop their applications.Although the sors, intelligent vaccination vehicles and future of the nanoflower is uncertain, its path the next generation of lasers.The develop- probably lies in the direction of electronics ment of nanomaterials is essential for a the- and optoelectronics, for example in display ory known as Moore’s law, which drives technology. But just to be on the safe side, I the computing industry forward, to con- thought it best to place my order for a nano- tinue to hold. This states that computing lava lamp now. power, or the number of transistors in a www.nanoscience.cam.ac.uk given volume of computer chip, must www.eng.cam.ac.uk roughly double every 18 months: the evo-

lution of ever smaller components is, there- Welland Ho & Mark Wei Ghim Jonathan Zwart is a PhD student at the fore, of vital importance. Another part of the nanogarden Cavendish Laboratory.

20 luesci Michaelmas 2004 A Day in the Life 21 . student at the University of Bristolstudent at the University Emma Brennand is a ChemistryEmma Brennand PhD tival organisers invited science groups to run organisers invited tival demonstrations, so all of the stalls I worked the group to help the on had someone from runners. Generally,the runners chose stalls in of interest,their areas some- was and there thing for everyone, molecular biology from to a theatrical which re-enacted production experiments.famous physics a chance have to listen to the talks? Did you to attend a particular talk we wanted If we could go. organise our jobs so we would depending on activities swap would People their interests. could also help with the We at the talks.One microphones roaming of my a session called Mutants?,favourites was dis- the cussing genetically unique groups like ostrich-footed people of the Zambezi. the job to others? recommend you Would taught me a lot about commu- week Yes,the nicating science to non-scientists. Maybe next time I try PhD to my to explain my so baffled. look quite won’t they parents Still, after such a mad week, glad to really I was peaceful lab... back to my finally retreat until anyway! next year A visitor enjoys an exhibit A visitor enjoys i A Runner at the the at Runner A sc lue depending on the festival programme.depending on the festival Most pro- I spent time in the discovery days gramme, and run helping set up activities ning demonstrations with the visiting scientists. stages,to building ranged from Jobs arranging stocking the competition and war the robot VIP scientists and press.The staff were bar for enthusiastic for runnersreally to experience all aspects of the festival, meeting and from greeting to manning the phones. the speakers the runners’ were How jobs organised? morningEvery the doors opened to before the public, the runners met with the festival first team to sort out the jobs for the day.The the allocation of the sta- task to be sorted was a greatopportunity was to tion pick-ups.This to ask them with a speaker ten minutes have burningany questions. The other jobs were up to as signed ourselves called out and we wished (whilst trying not to as we many book ourselves,double which sounds easier going on!). with so much than it actually was part favourite of a day. Describe your the same. were days No two I enjoyed and the in the school workshops working programme.discovery I spent a morning making windmills, an afternoon extracting peas, the DNA from and abseiled with the team.Theoutdoor activities of the days rest talks and spent helping out in different were debates, ranging the antics of Dr from Bunhead to discussing scientific ethics with King. Sir David the audience’s to answer manage did you How questions? at all of the present Visiting scientists were in case of trickyactivities questions.The fes- The hall at Cheltenham is questioned by Nerissais questioned by festival about her time as a science Hannink helper Cheltenham Science Festival Science Cheltenham

www.bluesci.org

Dr Bunhead at work events too.events varied The structure of our days finish about 10 p.m., evening were as there festival by 8:30 a.m., by festival usually would and we Our days started early as we had to get to the startedearly as we Our days What did you do in a typical day? did you What some experience in organising events. promoting science and others wanted to gain and others science wanted promoting students. in interested Some people were PhD, students and science communication

turned out to be a mixture of working folk, turned of working out to be a mixture backgrounds, just the sciences.The not team all over the country,all over all sorts of and from ning the festival. came from The volunteers each year to help with constructingand run- each year The festival takes on about 20 volunteers takes The festival Who were your fellow runners? fellow your Who were look bad on my CV either! look bad on my in something to do with science. It wouldn’t escape the lab for a week, whilst participating I thought it would be a great chance to I thought it would tion of runner? What made you decide to apply for the posi- for decide to apply made you What events selling out. events with 27 000 visitors of the and many It was the festival’s most successful year the festival’s It was computers and digging for dinosaurs. scientists in activities such as racing scientists in activities where the public could interact with the public could where well as a free discovery programme discovery a free as well research (including ethical aspects),research as included talks and discussions on new included talks and sciousness to body language.sciousness to body Activities and topics ranged from animal con- from and topics ranged ence.This year’s theme was perception, theme was ence.This year’s ing the public understanding sci- of prominent scientists and those promot- prominent every year in June and attracts many and attracts June in year every The Cheltenham Science Festival runs Festival The Cheltenham Science

Emma Brennand A Day in the Life of.... Life in the A Day All photographs, Rob Lacey Rob photographs, All 22 Away from the Bench cent of andsilvercoat hangers foilmay bereminis- Durham University. chose three very intensive days at and to pay foraGRADschoolcourse, Society ofChemistry’s (RSC’s) offer IseizedtheRoyal of acareer crisis, Inthemiddle our research problems. assess ourselves andstepbackfrom but we lacktheability to critically inourowntrained experts discipline, We PhDresearchers may bewell- Muslimdress-code for the hijab(strict where Iwould beforced towear dangerous, seeminglyso goingtoacountry was mad, thoughtI Alotofmy friends Iran. Zanjan, matter attheInstituteforBasicSciences, for asummerschoolonsoftandbiological something abitdifferent whenIsignedup Iknew Iwas lettingmyself infor schools,but mer goingtoconferences andsummer oftheirsum- PhD studentswillspendapart A mosqueinZanjan Bush’s ‘axis ofevil’. number two onGeorge W.are inIran, ones andwithoutheadscarves andwe withoutchaper- there there, are girls Why? Because isactuallyillegal. party Now thatthisinnocuous imagine floor. onthedance jerking arrhythmically tape player andafew geeky boys are Cheesy music blares outofacheap ofphysicistsgroup are having aparty. it’sImagine aSaturday nightanda traits are vitaltocompleteeven tasks: trivial inreality thefollowing words on a CV, Althoughthey are buzz- and weaknesses. Lucy Heady osrcigtepret‘igt from theperfect Constructing ‘widget’ Blue Peter, Physics onthe ‘Axis ofEvil’ but itidentifiedourskills Lucy Heady Three Days To FindMyFuture describes her experiences atasummerschoolinIran herexperiences describes Most the most interesting trip Ihavethe mostinteresting trip ever taken. outtobe itturned drop ofalcohol!Infact, notbeallowed a worst ofall, women) and, rn they are proud oftheirculture andits Iran, Educationisvery highlyvalued in ness’. beyond goesfar this country their ‘useful- but therespect forphysicists in knowingly, nuclear weapons programme andare smiling thinking backtorecent aboutIran’s reports Iknow now you’re Iranians love physics. they foundoutmy reason forvisiting: poor economy andtradesanctions. where research needn’t behindered by a place I metseetheUSaslandofliberty,a mostpeople USadministration, the current Although noteveryone with agrees Europe. sentimentof with theanti-American I walked past. shouted outahearty as “Welcome toIran!” the gun-totingcustomsofficialswaved and I have Even ever hadthepleasure ofvisiting. countries comed intooneofthefriendliest Iwas wel- being treated asaforeign infidel, Farfrom Ineedn’t have worried. westerner. keen onbeingdenouncedasadecadent but Isuddenlywasn’t too an exaggeration, was sure thatthiswas fairly western feeling.I a populationbrainwashed intorabidanti- oppressing dictatorship fanatical religiously media tendstopaintapicture ofanevil and The impression we getofIranfrom our outsidethedevelopedexperience world. andIsteeledmyself formy first scarves, thewomen putontheirhead- whisky, fellow tooktheirlastswigs passengers of the motivation andselfbeliefI returned nottomention of my future employers, of eightGRADschool colleaguesinstead that Imademy mistakes interview infront of mywith therewriting CVandthefact Personally Ithinkithasmore todo job. content intheknowledge Ihave secured a of thenot-for-profit sector. process ofacademiaandthebusiness aspects thepromotion public andprivate sectors, targeted the whileother ‘games’ views, suchasCVsandinter- career progression, on.We alsocovered aspectsof thetangible enthusiasm… thelistgoes flexibility, ment, timemanage- negotiation, commitment, What was the outcome? I write this What was theoutcome?Iwrite As my planetoucheddo The welcome becameeven when warmer The attitudeswere ashockafterliving lue sc i ni Tehran mywn in conference in North Korea…conference inNorth where I’ve tonext? heard abouta Well, So, thepeoplewholiveand understand there. wayalso afantastic tovisitanew country They are topicsare. whatthe learning ‘hot’ meeting otherpeopleinyour fieldand supporters. out allshotsofimmodestfemaleEngland how theskilledproducers managetoedit when itcomestofootball)andmarvelling at the Englishlookpositively half-hearted watching theEuropean Cup(Iraniansmake Evenings were spent formation. plex pattern from protein membrane modellingtocom- latest research inarangeoffieldsvarying across Europe andtheUStalked abouttheir Well known lecturersfrom time totime. forget aboutmy sweltering headscarffrom Ieven managed to worthwhile experience. walls oftheirelegantmosques. thatcover patterns the dizzying geometric ofscienceisreflected inthe the importance and ofIranianculture, part uing thisintegral Scientistsare responsible forcontin- Greeks. here even before thetimeofancient andsciencewas practised of mathematics, from).This oftheworld part isthebirthplace (something ourgovernment couldlearn reliance oneducationistothemself-evident ( website istheplacetobrowse theUKGRAD yourmanaging research, home with. tantly thatI’mauniqueindividual. mostimpor- I foundoutlotsaboutmyself, and amuch neededegoboost. itcanprovide reassurance soul-searching, but inmoments ofdespairand essentials, www.grad.ac.uk Summer schoolsare anexcellentway of thesummerschoolwas a Unsurprisingly, If you’re lookingforadviceoncareersor So thankyou UKGRADandtheRSC: commissioned to write this article by thisarticle the commissioned to write aiaE Stevenson isaPhDstudentin Davina E. h eateto hmsr,andwas ofChemistry, the Department “Iranians love“Iranians physics” Lucy HeadyisaPhDstudentinthe .Notonlydoesitcover the ). Michaelmas 2004 UK GRADprogramme Department ofPhysics.Department Initiatives 23 for more Science (CHaOS) www.chaosscience.org.uk Sophie Candfield is a third year Medic, year Sophie Candfield is a third and the Publicity Officer for Cambridgethe Publicity Hands on The tour started on the 10th of July, in had forgotten noth- that we It transpired involved in getting interested are If you keen to show diverse things, diverse to show keen we such as how ‘semi-circular a using by rotation detect head canal’ made out of plastic tubing. we’d We x-rays, over also went anatomical models, how to show lung model used an oversized breathe,we tried and the to demonstrate on the heartbeat.The high- effects of exercise light, minds,“really people’s to many the was cool show” does about what liquid nitrogen to molecules (primarily those in washing-up flowers). and gloves Not to be forgotten, rocket,which the water seemed however,was to enthral the kids! Hawick,and to Jedburgh,Irvine, then moved Cumnock, Dumfries, Science Glasgow the Centre, Market, Downham Thetford, Ipswich, Norwich, and ended in Felixstowe setting involved on the 25th of July.Each day up experiments in the morning, being enthusiastic about them for the afternoon, packing away, a communal and then having most- were meal in the evening.The venues halls,ly town the Glasgow also visited we but for) as guests of (and workers Science Centre holding The Biochemical Society,which was “BioScience Kids”. called event a two-day The Biochemical thankful to CHaOS is very Society,other sponsors: as our as well Cambridge University, The Institute of Physics, Research, Microsoft Arthur D Little. and universi- Many PPARC COPUS, to our generous ty departments very are cause, too, materials for the exper- providing iments, advice, a lot of trust in and investing us to bring back unharmed! things ing. best scientific of Cambridge’s Some minds inspired, built, and had fun. drove Our suggest that 99% of our visitors found surveys the “enjoyable”events or “very enjoyable”. Kids’ comments in our comment book great fun,“It was included learn you a lot here!”,“Brilinty” [sic], the gooey “I liked and stuff!”. I might reservations back any I take held,have to helping out and look forward again next year. with CHaOS, for the tour, our schools out- teaching,orreach “Crash Bang Squelch”,any also looking to are We help is appreciated! expand our committee. Please check out our website, information. recalls their summer tour summer recalls their i sc lue kids!” Sophie Canfield Sophie “the water rocket ... “the water rocket seemed to enthral the The experiments on tour were took we aimed to be hands-on, interesting, and above all fun for children. included: They a tank’,toTriangle demonstrate the- ‘Bermuda been sunk ories ships might have about how rising bubbles in by Triangle in the Bermuda the sea; of bridgevast-array a mate- building rials; and a kiwi fruit-DNA plat- extraction form.A had experiments portable dark room the effect of sunscreen,to show a sunset why is red, lenses and cameras focus light and how (camera obscura).Medics were such as myself painstaking process,painstaking grandlyin the based sheds,seemed bike eter- an Cavendish to take nity to finish. heart My sank: it going wasn’t hours to complete the loading for us to take we Hadn’t venue? different at every process com- forgotten half of the minute probably experiments,whichponents needed for these included rubber gloves, bags of corn flour, locusts, and x-rays? The CHaOS Effect CHaOS The CHaOS is a science outreach group. is a science outreach CHaOS

Being a newcomer to the student-run to Being a newcomer The ‘Crash Bang Squelch’The kids’ science www.bluesci.org Thomas Williams Thomas lor made experiments CHaOS has. This hired van with some of the hundreds of tai- with some of the hundreds van hired before the startbefore of the tour, loaded the we members, territory. unknown On the day this year going to what was,this year its for most of weeks, plenty of camping, involves and was signing up to a summer tour which lasts two society, had been slightly hesitant about I ates. volunteers, both graduates and undergradu- risen.This the tour had a total of thirty year ber of demonstrators and experiments has and science museums. the num- year Every nate enough to live near university towns near university nate enough to live way of contacting young people not fortu- of contacting young way CHaOS tour was born ago as a years CHaOS tour was three enthuse Cambridge kids about science.The University’s Zoology department Zoology to try to University’s ciplines of science gather in Cambridgeciplines of science years.Nearly all dis- students from a hundred end of Lent term every year for the last seven for the end of Lent term year every CHaOS, place at the and has famouslytaken event is run the Cambridge by Society event Science (CHaOS) summer tour. Science (CHaOS) the third Cambridgethe third Hands On around the country were impressed by impressed the countryaround were Children and parents alike from alike parents and Children 3...2...1...the water rocket blasts off! blasts 3...2...1...the water rocket 24 History agnostic Crick, partially becausemany peo- partially agnostic Crick, the Thesesubjects fascinated the brain. theworkings of living andthenonliving,and theborderline between the interested him: his advantage and picked two fieldsthat lished noacademicpapers. to studynext–hewas andhadpub- thirty hewasFollowing atalossastowhat thewar, designing magneticandacousticmines. workedwhich Crick fortheadmiralty during work by thewar, was interrupted This cosity ofwater athightemperatures. in1937. ond-class degree obtainingasec- College London(UCL), HestudiedPhysics atUniversity London. toaboy’sscholarship public schoolin schoolbefore winninga local grammar went tohis ComptonCrick Francis Harry on8thJune nearNorthampton 1916, Born A bitofbackground… whichwas published on25 1953! paper, April order oftheirnamesontheseminal The tossofacoindecidedtheall-important Why ‘Watson andCrick’? Physiology. forMedicineand 1962 NobelPrize many ultimateofthesewas awards.The the won together withMaurice Wilkins, pair, the For thisgroundbreaking work, problem. dealoftheirsparegreat timediscussingthe andthe two ofthemhadspenta Watson, the23year old had befriended American, In1951he ofDNA. deducing thestructure hewas by fascinated theproblem of proteins, work of focussedonsolvingthestructure Crick’s day-to-day academic life”.Although “we’ve discovered thesecret of statement, inCambridge’sery The Eaglepubwiththe announcingtheirdiscov- reportedly DNA, proposed thedouble of helixstructure In 1953James Watson andFrancisCrick Why ishefamous? on28thJuly died 2004. century, scientistsofthetwentieth asoneofthemostimportant widely heralded Crick, C. H. Francis Crick turned thislackofspecialisationto turned Crick He stayed onatUCLtoresearch thevis- “we’ve discovered the secret oflife” of ‘The SecretofLife’ rc:Co-Discoverer Crick: Nature Katherine Borthwick evolved from micro-organisms sent by a that lifeonEarth of life(hehad a theory from weapon designtotheorigins of topics, sively inthefieldofneurobiology. and spenthislastdecadespublishing exten- the secondofhistwo pettopics–thebrain, decideditwas timetostudy Crick was 60, Following amove whenhe toCalifornia His later life research recent discovery of calledprions. ‘rogue’proteins hypothesis untilthe thathasremained true to RNAprotein andnever backagain–a goesfromly thattheflow DNA ofinformation name- ofmolecularbiology, the ‘central dogma’ protein’s aminoacidsequence.They alsolaidout that aDNAsequencecontainsthecodefor Sydney Brenner andtogether they proposed went ontowork Crick with tion ofDNA. provided anelegantmechanismforthereplica- Nature Watson quicklypublished asecond andCrick After thehelix… tion ofpolypeptidesandproteins. took hisPhDstudyintotheX-ray diffrac- under- of Gonville andCaiusCollege,Crick asamember Here, direction ofMaxPerutz. underthe forMolecularBiology, Laboratory Medical Research Council(MRC) Cavendish andthentothenewly established before moving tothe first Cambridge, few years attheStrangeways in laboratory worked Crick fora attention totheformer, Turning his power ofsciencetoexplain. ple thoughtthatthey were beyond the During his life,Crick studiedawiderange hislife,Crick During ae,suggestingthatthedouble helix paper, lue sc i looks backathiscareer.

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology www.nature.com/nature/dna50 Nature, Nucleic forDeoxyribose Structure Acid’ ofNucleic ‘Molecular Structure Acids –a ography. Weidenfield andNicolson)–Crick’s autobi- What MadPursuit reading:Further Kendrow (Chemistry). Medicine) andMaxPerutz andJohn in 1962– Watson (Physiology andCrick and fourofwhomreceived theirprize Laureates, Biology has produced NobelPrize thirteen ofMolecular The MRCLaboratory Did you know? lar biology. ment ofDNAfoundedthefieldmolecu- unravelling ofthedouble helicalarrange- many would say thatthe Indeed, structure. ofthatobject’sfrom thedetermination biology hasarisen fundamental tomodern Asignificantamountofwork scientists”. notthe the moleculethathasglamour, ered ofDNAitself[…]itis –thestructure way itwas discovered but theobjectdiscov- was was important notthe monplace.What com- fairly scientificallyspeaking, to itwas, discovery ofthedouble helixisthatthepath “what needstobeemphasizedaboutthe wrote inhisautobiographyCrick that, His legacy day hepassedaway. was stillworking onthelastofthese itissaidthathe Indeed, andbooks. papers published over onehundred academic he Intotal, higher civilisation elsewhere). helical arrangement ofDNA helical arrangement researcher at the Cambridge Institutefor researcher attheCambridge “many would say thatthe Katherine Borthwick isapostdoctoral Borthwick Katherine unravelling ofthedouble founded thefield of April 25 1953. Reprint available Reprint at 251953. April molecular biology” Michaelmas 2004 . Francis Crick (1988, FrancisCrick . Medical Research.

History All photos by Katherine Borthwick Katherine by photos All 25 Department Genetics, of Medical Professor Martin Bobrow,Head of the and History & Philosophy of Science. and History & Philosophy Cambridge Institute for Medical Research. of Newnham College, lectures in Philosophy Baroness Professor Onora O’Neill,Baroness Professor Onora Principal “Philosophers are not into prediction – not into prediction “Philosophers are energy efficiency and population stabilisa- tion, with non-carbon energy technologies).” “We will have fairly under- mechanistic clear will have “We normalstanding of human biochemistry, and diseases.function in many disordered Some truly novel, will treatments effective reasonably emerge,including some for currently complete- inheritedly untreatable conditions. com- Most because they around mon diseases will still be causation, environmental strongly have whose of human greed and control requires control irrationality half a century.” in only - unlikely and I have no more prospect of getting it prospect no more and I have right – let alone of than the next woman accu- scientific developments predicting than a range from rately! I can see no more global warming) (run away the disastrous to 'things stabilising' (a mix of greater i sc lue History and Philosophy of Science. History and Philosophy Professor John Forrester, Department of us in the next 50 years? us in the next human race (who, it should be said, would not exist without these achieve- probably ments) and a disaster for the planet and the other biological species inhabiting of direc- a significant change it.Without tion, discoveries, or unforeseen the best bet make to be that science will continue must advances, such more which will bring to a close the history of the human definitive race." "The last one hundred and fifty years of sci- and fifty years "The last one hundred been a remark- have ence and technology storyable of unimaginable successes, of of selected elites, great benefits to the lives for the majority blessing of the a mixed Where will science take Where will Condensed Matter. Department of Pharmacology. Experimental Physics, working in Soft ve seams.Whatve those seams likely are Professor Athene Donald,Professor FRS, Professor of Professor Peter A.Professor Peter Lawrence, Division of Cell Some eminent CambridgeSome eminent Professor Peter A.Professor Peter McNaughton, Head of the Biology, of Molecular Biology. MRC Laboratory “Boundaries between current well defined “Boundaries current well between scientific disciplines will get increasingly blurred, being made in advances with key interdisciplinary research. A good example interface of this is at the ever-growing and the life sciences, physics between with expected in exciting developments for example,bionanotechnology learn as we the ability of to understand and control assemble.” to self nature “Science today seems so exciting,“Science today and the vistas ahead of us so vast, that the possibil- might be finite,ity that knowledge and we as endeavour the scientific that one day it will be over,know appears ridiculous. possibility that in 50 years a real But there's mined out most of the pro- will have we ducti brain’‘The to be? - answer is one obvious to understand the big ques- still have we consciousness,tions like and perception the neural basis of intelligence and of the genetic and cultural determinants of it. This seems to me one of the major questions in science.” unsolved “As did Francis Crick, I hope science will religion, from us away take other and from for our world need to care crazed ideas.We being on it and the living and (almost) every of reason.” is the road only way academics and researchers share academics and researchers with us. their view Just over 50 years ago,Watson 50 years over when Just and Crick determined the structure of DNA, to been hard have it would imagine of countless number the their to which advances scientific has contributed.revelation Nearing the end of 2004, the have even we to clone human embryos! ability the scientific So what is left for to discover:community will where us in the next 50 years? science take www.bluesci.org 26 Arts & Reviews using puppetsof thescientistscontrolled by production theplayGerman was performed Inarecent for thediscovery ofoxygen. theirclaims tosupport ofexperiments series andScheeleconducta Priestley, Lavoisier, scientists the18thcentury Hoffmann, Oxygen In to losetheinterest ofanaudience. soasnot ising sciencetosomethingfamiliar but ploy anunderstandable forgeneral- ing, glassware.This stereotypical view ismislead- bubbling liquidsinaselection ofintricate intentlyatamicroscope or coats staring entists are oftenportrayed aspeopleinlab ence onthestage?Infilmandtelevision sci- found withlittleeffort. morality–allthesecanbe war, passion, Insanity, againsthisfellow Jews. his death, after Haber’s ZyklonBpesticidebeingused, Oreven irony thecruel of heretical beliefs. tion suffered by Galileoforhissupposedly persecu- thereligious imagine Furthermore, and Leibnizover theinvention ofcalculus. which provoked thefeudbetween Newton Just thinkofthejealousyandrivalry turies. tokeep busy forcen- theplaywrights rial involvedacters would provide enoughmate- ofscienceandthechar- through thehistory A trawl which couldbedepictedonstage. but why is thisthecase? between; about sciencehave beenfew andfar Untilrecently plays ofart. other forms tomakehas failed theimpactithasin science inthefieldofdrama, However, produced by theHubble telescope. andthe stunningimages fractal art the the machiavellian scientistvillainsof from combined inamultitude ofways, have Scienceandthearts audience. convey toanunfamiliar understanding cepts inanon-scientificmediumand how torepresent scientificcon- lem: heputhisfinger ontheprob- ing this, Insay- and ammoniamust besilent?” immense spinningsphere ofmethane but ifheisan were like aman, poets whocanspeakofJupiter ifhe Feynman oncesaid “What menare The eminentphysicist Richard Is ittheproblem ofhaving todepictsci- It canhardly beduetoalackofideas Spider-Man by CarlDjerassiandRoald , films tothebeautyof Kate Miller Science intheSpotlight takes a look at the portrayal ofscienceonthestage takes alookattheportrayal netit rnil,where themove- Principle, Uncertainty theplay takes the However, Heisenberg. between NielsBohrand Werner revolves around themeetingin1941 Michael Frayn’s In using itasametaphorfortheplay itself. avoid thescienceby thisistointegrate A way to for thebenefitofaudience. ascientificprinciple exposition todescribe be reluctant toincludehugechunksof wouldunscientific audience?Playwrights toalargely complex scientificprinciples to describe? vance didithave tothescienceitwas trying but whatrele- Eye-catching was, itcertainly worecast members yellow gloves. rubber whilethesupporting actors the counterpart Is itthenthedifficultyofdescribing history ofscience…would history provide enoughmaterial to keep theplaywrights the award-winning free maths andscience magazine maths aboutfascinatingandunusualareasof accessible articles ofCambridge.the University Project Mathematics tions produced at by theMillennium Plus matical sciences magazinearound. “A trawl throughthe “A trawl busy for centuries” is afreeonlinemagazine aboutmathsanditsapplica- , Plus • How do you take the perfect penalty kick? • kick? penalty • How doyou theperfect take lue Copenhagen is themostexciting andenlightening mathe- Find out in • aboomerangfly?• What makes sc • Why dovolcanoes erupt?• i theplot , www.plus.maths.org Packed withinteresting and out itschallenges. audienceisnotwith- ing awideandvaried but alsoremember thatreach- maticians”, no plays willever aboutmathe- bewritten mathematics isrequired foraplaywright, Djerassi’s plays that “If competencein ofacharacter inoneof heed thewarning inspired toproduce should scientificart Perhaps those covery andexperimentation. but alsothebeautyofscientificdis- science, of andtriumph anguish, only thehumanity, excellent works oftheatre thatportray not haveplaywrights succeededinproducing translation ofsciencetothestageafew placed undertheextreme pressures ofwar. ofhumanactionswhen the understanding relates ittothewiderconceptof dicted,and cannotbeentirely pre-ment ofparticles Coordinator of Top QuarkProductions and In spiteofthedifficultiesapparent inthe See page 5 for current See page5forcurrent Top Quarkevents. directed Top Quark’s 2003production of Kate MillerisaPhDstudentworking in niern.SheisPublicity andEvents Engineering. Plus! the Cambridge UnitforBioscience the Cambridge Michael Frayn’s Michaelmas 2004 Copenhagen Copenhagen . Sarah Martin Arts & Reviews Sonia G. Schirmera postdoctoral is research Fellow in the Department of Fellow research Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics. Theoretical Applied Maths and Elegantly written and illustrated, and chapter.Theconcludes with a chap- book ter about the technologies the elements of to the central of iron the discovery from element silicon for of the humble role applica- to novel devices microelectronic gases such as argon in state- tions for noble of-the-art double-glazing. spiced with anecdotes about philosophers, in the alchemists and scientists involved quest for the elements, this book is both and easy to read. enjoyable Closing Date: 25 February 2005 committed to equality of opportunity diversity and Valuing These courses are designed to help science and engineering graduates develop the necessary skills and knowledge to switch to media careers. The Science Communication Course is a general prepara- tion while the Science Media Production programme is designed for those who specifically want to go into televsion or radio. Both courses are available full-time over 12 months, and Science Communication can be undertaken part-time over 24 months. Abbott, Science For more information contact Paul Wynn Room, 313C, Mech. Administrator, Communication Group Eng. Building, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ. 020 7594 8753 Fax: 020 7594 8763, Tel: email: [email protected] web: www.imperial.ac.uk/sciencecommunication MSc in Science Communication MSc in Science Media Production (Oxford University(Oxford Press, 2004) Sonia G. Schirmer

Philip Ball

In addition to providing an excellent In addition to providing figures), that preoccu- the questions pied them,methods, their important discoveries. and of the mod- account of the development ern periodic table, with a focus on the and of the elements oxygen crucial role gold, of the creation Ball also addresses plutonium in the elements such as new laboratory. of radioactivity The discovery of elements by and the transmutation describedfission are nuclear along with an the first account of the race to make bomb.The nuclear importance chemi- of cal isotopes for applications such as carbon dating is explained in the penultimate The Elements: The Very A ShortIntroduction by by Reviewed Oxford University Press University Oxford

Mendeleyev (and some lesser known Mendeleyev players from Aristotle to Lavoisier to Aristotle to Lavoisier from players periodic table, the key introducing approach to the development of the to the development approach Ball takes a mainly historicalBall takes tions between them.tions between Rather, Philip elements, their properties, and rela- ic table, and does not describe the Elements is not a tour of the period- Kingdom by P.Kingdom by W. Atkins, The similar titles,The Periodic such as modern periodic table. other Unlike four elements of antiquity to the four elements of read, the detailing the journey from is informative and an interesting is informative Philip Ball’s book about the elements about book Philip Ball’s Dear Dr Hypothesis, I am about to Dr Hypothesis make a long distance trip, and, despite many worries that have recently been highlighted by the

Dr Hypothesis Dear Dr Hypothesis, I am anxious then the resulting pressure difference press, I am actually more concerned about all the recent attention given between space and the inside of the can about the direction water will drain to the complete sequencing of the will cause the can to explode. Certain down my plughole when I cross the human genome. I have never given cans have been developed to be opened equator. Is it true that it flows in a a sample of my DNA and do not inside the pressurised cabin of a space- different direction in the southern wish to, yet we are told that some- ship but care needs to be taken here. hemisphere, and if so, why? how this code represents us all. The gas that escapes from the can when Plughole Paul When they sequenced the human you open it would then propel it for- genome, exactly whose genome did wards (or you backwards), so it is they sequence? important to hold the can against a sur- Genome Jean face so as to absorb the pressure. Even then, it’s still not plain sailing as the DR HYPOTHESIS SAYS: Well, Jean, I drink may escape from the can due to don’t think there’s any need for you to the lack of gravity keeping it forced into be overly concerned at this point. The the bottom of the can.You would need simple fact is that nobody knows exact- to make sure that you swallowed any ly whose genomes have been sequenced. escaping juice before it damaged the As I’m sure you’re aware, all humans delicate electrical equipment in the have much of their genetic code in craft. Perhaps it would be simpler if you common (well over 90%) and that is just got a job nearer the ground, Fred. what has been sequenced through the www.galactic-guide.com random sampling of a number of different volunteers. The rest of the DNA in our cells is what makes up the enormous Dear Dr Hypothesis, there have variation seen in humans. been rumours for a while that an DR HYPOTHESIS SAYS: This is a www.doegenomes.org underground car park will be built widely held misconception, Paul, but it under Midsummer Common like does have some basis in scientific theory. the one under Hyde Park. I live The Coriolis force, which is driven by Dear Dr Hypothesis, I have been near Midsummer Common and the rotation of the Earth, can drive flu- offered a job by NASA to become make use of it for a number of ids to flow anticlockwise in the north- their next astronaut, but I am activities such as jogging and walk- ern hemisphere and clockwise in the unsure whether or not to take the ing my dog, Scraps. Could you tell southern hemisphere. However, this job. The problem is, I have a real me, when they build such things force is very weak and so, on the scale of love of fizzy drinks and suffer with- how do they do it? Do they tunnel a sink or a bath, is almost always over- drawal symptoms without them. underneath or do they dig down come by more important factors such as How do canned carbonated drinks and replace the top layer after- the temperature of the water or previous behave in zero gravity? wards? currents in the water. It should, in prin- Fizzy Fred the Anxious Astronaut Strolling Steve and Scraps ciple, be possible by to make water flow clockwise, anticlockwise and even DR HYPOTHESIS SAYS: If you take a DR HYPOTHESIS SAYS:The construc- straight down the same plughole by sim- can of fizzy juice directly into space, tion of an underground car park is a mas- ply altering other variables such as those sive engineering project which requires a mentioned above. lot of planning, and the details can often www.guardian.co.uk differ between projects. The majority of underground structures are created by Dr Hypothesis needs excavation and then replacement of the your problems! upper layers of soil, but of course there are a few exceptions to this rule, such as the If you have any worries (purely of a Channel Tunnel. Tunnelling underneath scientific nature, obviously) that you Cambridge would cause major disruption would like Dr Hypothesis to answer, to many of the protected buildings, so I then please email him at think that an excavation approach is more [email protected]. likely to be favoured. If the work goes He will award the author of the most ahead, whichever approach is eventually intriguing question a £10 book vouch- decided upon, I would think it unlikely er. Unfortunately Dr Hypothesis can- that you or Scraps would be able to con- not promise to publish an answer to tinue using Midsummer Common as you every question, but he will do his very currently do. best to see that the most fascinating are http://fbe.uwe.ac.uk/public/geocal/ucp/default discussed in the next edition of .htm BlueSci.

28 luesci Michaelmas 2004 Supporting Biotech in Cambridge With over 300 members from major pharma, big bio, small bio and specialist service providers, ERBI is Europe’s leading biotech industry group.

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