The practice of academic research is unsustainable, as long as it remains trapped in a funding and hiring framework designed for rapid growth rather than for a steady state. In the long term, this calls for serious reform; in the short term, graduate students and postdocs must embrace careers beyond the heavily trodden academic path.
Read MoreSize Doesn't Matter
Bacteria and viruses generally bring unpleasant thoughts to mind: having the flu, maybe, or food poisoning. However, these little guys have a positive place in our lives, like the microbes in our gut that keep us healthy. Amazingly, they may also hold the key to the future of cancer therapy. While scientists generally study human diseases in mice, rats, or even monkeys, nature’s tiniest beings have special properties we can learn from and harness for cancer treatment. Let’s go on a journey through three such examples – showing that when it comes to biological capability, size doesn’t matter.
Read MoreEbola is a bad candidate for a global pandemic, and here's why
The ongoing outbreak of Ebola is a potentially global catastrophe, currently affecting multiple countries in West Africa. Concerns over the epidemic have been exacerbated by the emergence of travel-associated cases of the disease — a patient was diagnosed in the United States, and subsequently a healthcare worker who provided care to this patient also tested positive for Ebola. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and other national and international health agencies are all on high alert, and news organizations encourage the general public to exist in a state of fear over the potential of a global Ebola pandemic. But just how much of this concern is justified?
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