Alan Dove

An Antiviral Compound That Blocks Structural Transitions of Poliovirus Prevents Receptor Binding at Low Temperatures

ABSTRACT Drugs such as WIN51711 that inhibit picornavirus replication are thought to block poliovirus infectivity by binding to the capsid and preventing structural transitions required for uncoating. We examined the activity of WIN51711 at temperatures where capsid flexibility is thought to be decreased. Below 37°C, WIN51711 inhibits the binding of wild-type poliovirus to cells but does not affect the binding of a poliovirus mutant which is believed to undergo structural transitions more readily. These results suggest that the poliovirus capsid must undergo structural changes to bind to its cellular receptor.

Technology Feature | In vitro veritas: Biosensors and micro-arrays come to life

Advances in biosensors and microfluidic devices are driving a quiet revolution in biomedical research, which could lead to the reduction or elimination of animal use in many experiments. Read the Feature (Full-Text HTML) Read the Feature (PDF) Read New Products (PDF)

Neurophysiology charges ahead

At first glance, animal nervous systems seem to defy understanding. Even a simple animal such as a fly has over 100,000 neurons that can fire in billions of possible combinations, driving precise, nuanced responses to complex environmental stimuli. Nonetheless, evolution has given brains a few features that make them tantalizingly easy to study—at least in theory.

Careers in Virology: Science Writing and Journalism

ABSTRACT This article condenses some highlights from a presentation that I have now given at several universities about the bench-to-newsroom career path. For readers who simply want a short explanation of how to parlay their hard-earned critical-thinking skills from graduate school into a lucrative job in a growing industry, go to law school.

LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES: Brave New RNA World

The discovery of RNAi revealed an entire layer of previously unknown gene regulation; new tools are helping more scientists analyze and manipulate this system to probe the secret lives of cells. Read the Feature (Full-Text HTML) Read the Feature (PDF) Read New Products (PDF)

LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES: As Science Accelerates, Researchers Hire Help

For the general public, the word outsourcing conjures images of layoffs, overseas call centers, and politicians railing against the loss of local jobs. In biomedical research labs, though, outsourcing has become one of the hottest new trends. Both corporate and academic scientists have realized that hiring a contract research organization can help speed up routine tasks and give them easy access to techniques that are too expensive or complex to do in-house. Read the Feature (Full-Text HTML) Read the Feature (PDF) Read New Products (PDF)

LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES: Protein Chemistry: Getting Above The Fold

Fifty years ago, biochemist Christian Anfinsen denatured some pure globular proteins, and observed that they refolded into their proper three-dimensional shapes without assistance, demonstrating that the amino acid sequence alone provides all of the information necessary to direct the folding of at least certain proteins. All researchers had to do was figure out the rules for that process, and they would be able to predict any structure from the proteins sequence.