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Media coverage of genetics research, and scientists' responses to it, tend to have a short-term perspective. But enough is now foreseeable for longer-term thinking about the impact on society to be more developed, and to have a higher profile.
The origins of experimental psychology can be traced back to 1796, when the then Astronomer Royal dismissed his assistant for making some seemingly inaccurate measurements. But there is more to the story than meets the eye.
It is not often that evolution by natural selection is actually witnessed in plants or animals. A study of little weeds on Canadian islands now provides a striking example of the phenomenon.
In social insect colonies, workers perform a variety of tasks, such as foraging, brood care and nest construction. As the needs of the colony change, and as resources become available, colonies adjust the numbers of workers engaged in each task. Task allocation is the process that results in specific workers being engaged in specific tasks, in numbers appropriate to the current situation.
One-stop shopping for the genetics laboratory —Drosophila and mouse modelling systems, a new in situ hybridization sealing system, chromosome painting probes and a new family of cell markers for the study of tumour biology.
