An interview with an investigative science journalist Doing unbiased science is somewhat of a given in the world of research, but how do you ensure that reporting of this science is unbiased, free of sensationalism and yet interesting and understandable to the general public? In this podcast, I spoke to Jop de Vrieze (1), a freelance investigative science journalist, and asked him how he ensures what he reports is unwaveringly true to fact. Jop gives a thorough picture of his incredibly interesting job, where he reads literature, talks to scientists, and then writes a story about the topic, which sometimes…
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Bacteria build citadels that inspire architects and save the environment. In nature, bacteria live in complex community structures known as biofilms. Living in biofilms provide significant benefits to bacteria. For example, biofilms protect their residents from environmental assaults, and improve their attachment to many different surfaces. However, biofilms play an important role in resistance to antibiotics (1, 2). The resident bacteria in a biofilm can be up to 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than free-living bacteria (1). The mechanisms behind this resistance are still poorly understood. Bacterial biofilms can have deadly effects, such as those which are associated with…
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How do cell biologists visualize cells? Visualization has always been an important component of cell and molecular biology. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek marveled at the diversity of “animalcules”, using a single lens microscope that he designed himself. Since then, microscopy has come a long way, but had still depended on the visible spectrum of light to illuminate cells and structures. That is, until the discovery of Green Fluorescent Protein, or GFP. GFP was discovered in the Aequorea victoria jellyfish, a small 238 amino acid protein, which glowed green when excited by light in the blue to ultraviolet range. The most exciting…
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Our first podcast with Annelies and Sheba One of the things that has always concerned me about how and where people get their information these days is the assumed accuracy of said information. A lot of what we eat and do and how we behave is based on scientific information that is meticulously investigated everyday by scientists all over the world. The question has always been how to get this information out in a way that is easily understood, but also has supporting evidence that is accurate at that moment. That was when the idea of a community blog, science…