Archive by date | November 2007

University researchers and patent infringements

Academic researchers have regularly ignored patents on key technologies as a strategy to maneuver around patent thickets and freedom-to-operate issues, but they may be more at risk than they realize, write Amy Yancey and C Neal Stewart, Jr of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in the current issue of Nature Biotechnology (25, 1225-1228; 2007). From their article:  … Read more

Tribulations of women in academic research

Frank Gannon, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and senior scientist at the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) highlights the women issue in his editorial in the current issue of EMBO Reports ( 8, 11, 975; 2007) about two studies published in the same issue of the journal that, “like many others preceding them—show once again that there are great inequalities in the career prospects of men and women in science.” Gannon highlights “the blatant unfairness of the fact that, although an identical number of men and women get a PhD in the life sciences, only 15–20% of tenured positions are secured by women. Put another way, it means that men are almost three times more ‘successful’ than their erstwhile female colleagues.”  … Read more

Scientific engagement and harvest

Is there an inherent conflict between public debate and free scientific inquiry? Patrick L. Taylor of Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School argues in this week’s Commentary in Nature (450, 163-164; 2007) that earning public trust is essential to defending scientific freedoms. He writes:  … Read more

Perceptions of author listings

In an article neatly titled the write position, Jonathan D. Wren et al. in the current issue of EMBO Reports ( 8, 11, 998-991; 2007 ) survey perceived contributions to papers in biomedical fields based on byline position and number of authors. They undertook the study because publications in peer-reviewed journals are a major criterion for assessing scientists for promotion, tenure or funding, yet not all authors are viewed as equal contributors. Qualitatively, those listed first or last in the byline are generally apportioned more credit for the work than middle authors, but it is not known exactly how much authors are perceived to contribute from their byline position.  Read more

Online tour of the Darwin centre, 16 November

Via Nature Network: On Friday 16 November at 1230 GMT, there is a virtual online tour of the Darwin Centre, the newest addition to London’s Natural History Museum. Opened in 2002, the Darwin Centre contains more than 22 million specimens and is home to more than 70 scientists. From a giant squid and a Komodo dragon to sharks, worms, corals and snails, the tour will allow you to take a closer look at the museum’s specimens as well as to see the work of some of the scientists.  Read more