Lately I have been critical of an ultra-conservative political think tank-like foundation called the Witherspoon Institute. They have recently joined the federal lawsuit as friends of the plaintiffs suing to stop federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. The Witherspoon Council has just published a 100+ page report on stem cells in the very conservative, somewhat obscure …
When I make the argument as I have repeatedly on this blog and in other contexts that as a whole the Republican Party and its leadership are anti-science, one of the counter arguments fired back at me is that Obama is himself anti-science. My initial reaction to this “Obama is anti-science” argument is somewhat visceral, …
What’s the Witherspoon Institute? Most of you know about the 2 scientists who for their own reasons want to kill embryonic stem cell (ESC) research and with it the hopes for millions of people. Relatively new on most of our radar screens, however, is an extremist right-wing “think tank” called The Witherspoon Institute, which I …
Federal funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is hanging by a tenuous thread at the moment. While currently legal, such funding is at the mercy of a legal case making its way through the courts. The latest stop for this case is a review by a 3-judge panel of the DC Circuit Court. …
Just when I thought that the myths about stem cells, particularly embryonic stem cells, couldn’t get any more fantastic (as in based on fantasy), we have some bright folks out there thinking that soda (pop, coke, pepsi, whatever you call it) is made using embryonic stem cells. The headline goes: Pepsi is using embryonic stem cells …
Stem cells in my Pepsi? New crazy stem cell myths Read More »
Imagine my surprise as Republicans here in the U.S. have contributed mightily to stem cell research recently. Wait, what? There is a perception that when it comes to stem cell research and particularly embryonic stem cell research that there is a political divide with Republicans opposed to it and Democrats for it. Of course it …
Surprise! How Republicans are doing their part for stem cell research Read More »
Texas is holding up a Texas-sized magnet for stem cell super star researchers and it is working. The upper mid-West is reeling from the departure of two stem cell superstars in less than one year and both went South to Texas. First in May 2011, we had the departure of Sean Morrison from U. of …
Scientists are addicted to email. It’s difficult to dispute that statement, but is email good or bad for science? Superficially, it is easy to make the case that email is good for science. Email allows scientists all over the world to rapidly communicate with each other in ways that simply were not possible prior to …
There is a postdoc position available in the Knoepfler Lab at UC Davis School of Medicine in Stem Cell Research. This position is funded by a grant from CIRM. The applicant filling this position will study epigenetic and genomic events in stem cells including iPS and ES cells as well as cancer stem cells. Qualified …
Postdoc position in stem cell research funded by CIRM Read More »
Today after years of following the company Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), I finally bought stock (ACTC) in it. Why? As a stem cell researcher myself working on human ES cells, iPS cells, and many other types of stem cells, I have been following ACT for years, but have never pulled the trigger to buy their stock….until …
Why I finally bought stock in Advanced Cell Technology Read More »