It wasn’t that long ago that I blogged about how some wacky folks were boycotting Pepsi because allegedly stem cells were involved in the production of Pepsi and its testing of sugars. You’ve heard of Diet Coke? Coke Zero & Pepsi Free? Maybe there has to be a Stem Free Pepsi? Really? Now the Washington […]
Stem cell myths: from Pepsi to Obama & snowflake babies Read More »
Are stem cells a drug? Should the FDA regulate them? Technically, the FDA calls stem cells “biologics”, but the FDA regulates stem cell products with the goal of ensuring safety and efficacy much the same as traditionally define chemical “drugs”. You can learn more about the FDA’s view of and concerns about stem cells here and here.
Are stem cells drugs? Read More »
How many hours a week should science trainees (postdocs and graduate students) work per week? I raised this question in a poll recently (you can still vote here) and a big turnout. The results are above. The results are interesting. Nobody thought trainees should work less than 40 hours a week. Only 11% felt that
Surprising results of our hours per week poll for science trainees Read More »
What is St. Baldrick’s? Thousands of kids in America get cancer each year and need our help. One of the best organizations in the world, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, is dedicated to helping these kids. This is a wonderful foundation! St. Baldrick’s describes itself as “a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find
Make a difference for kids through St. Baldrick’s Read More »
A recent article in Nature News about a stem cell transplant company called Celltex got me thinking again about safety. The safety of stem cell-based therapies is kind of an obsession of mine. A question comes to mind. Are people realistic about what stem cells can do for them and the risks involved? The answer
Celltex, RNL and phony worst case stem cell scenario comment Read More »
Grants take too much time. They waste scientists’ lives. Biomedical science is all about data, discoveries, brainstorming, and ultimately making a difference in patients’ lives, right? Isn’t it true? I wish that were true and maybe at some point in the past it was true. Nowadays there is a different reality. The black hole at
The black hole: grants eat up most of scientists’ lives Read More »
We have another Vatican stem cell meeting coming up this spring. This meeting raises some extremely important questions and complex issues at the interface of science, religion, philosophy and ethics. From the perspective of scientists, an important issue is whether (assuming one is invited) to attend such a meeting and if one does attend, is
Vatican Stem Cell Meeting 2.0: from stem cells to prison cells to hell? Read More »
There is a bill being considered here in the U.S. called the “Research Works Act”. This is without a doubt one of the dumbest bills I have ever heard of in my life. The bill is bad for science and bad for America. If passed it would be an epic fail for America. Why? This
The Research Works Act Would Be An Epic Fail Read More »
Can science be a 9-5 job? Some colleagues of mine (not all faculty) around the country have been having a heated email debate on which I have been an eavesdropper of sorts. The topic? How many hours should trainees in science (grad students and postdocs) work in the lab per week? Or as they put
Can science be a 9-5, Mon-Fri job for trainees? Read More »
I confess: I have stem cells on the brain. Yeah, I probably have a few stem cells left in this old brain of mine, but that’s not what I mean….rather, I mean that I am really curious and excited about how stem cells do their jobs in our brains. More specifically, I wonder about things such
Stem cells on the brain Read More »