Cell death - Apoptosis

Whether you pronounce it “AY-POP-TOE-SIS” or “AP-O-TOE-SIS,” scientists with a morbid interest in cell death will enjoy CellDeath.de, an initiative started and maintained by Ph.D. students. The site is clearly a work-in-progress, as evidenced by some blank pages and outdated conference dates/publications. However, the scaffolding is in place to make this site a hub for apoptosis research. Currently, there is an expansive encyclopedia (or rather, an “apoptopedia”) of apoptosis-related terms, as well as a collection of protocols. The links page features not only apoptosis-related sites, but also scientific glossaries and a very useful list of scientific databases. Additionally, there is an incomplete list of labs studying apoptosis, to which any cell death researcher can add him/herself. This site has great potential, but it is dependent on users contributing information—so get the word out!

http://www.celldeath.de/mainfram.htm

Bird quest

We’re going on an African safari! On this excursion, though, we’re not concerned with lions or giraffes. Instead, we’re going to take a gander at the avian biodiversity of the African continent. In order to promote conservation, the groups Bird Explorers, Birding Africa, and the African Bird Club created this database, which now includes 11,196 images. These images showcase 1,845 species. That is certainly impressive, but the true scope of African bird biodiversity is only realized after one looks at the long list of species not yet represented on the site. So, if you’re looking for an excuse to travel to Africa, pack up your camera, as anybody can submit photographs of birds they encounter. The database is easy to navigate, and one can either peruse the latest photos, browse by species, or search by the country in which the photographs were taken.

www.birdquest.net/afbid

ActionBioscience

A self-described education resource to promote bioscience literacy, ActionBioscience is a product of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. The site is well along it way to achieving its aim, with seven hyperlinked bioscience challenges – Biodiversity, Environment, Genomics, Biotechnology, Evolution, New Frontiers, and Education. Under each of those headings resides dozens of outstandingly written articles on the subject. I particularly enjoyed (and learned a lot) reading articles on speciation and biodiversity (interview with E.O. Wilson), separating “fundamentalist science” from “science” (by Tim Berra), and looking for life on Mars and beyond, by Abigail Salyers. This is not the kind of site where you come looking for a quick fix of information. Instead, the numerous, well-written articles make for excellent, informative reading. Give yourself an afternoon or an evening to enjoy this one.

http://www.actionbioscience.org