Science-Fair Misery

Suburban Chicago, December 1971. My project for the science fair did well, but I was not very happy preparing it. Dad did his best to guide me.

I'm working here at the old kitchen table; I am in the basement. The freezer stands behind me.

Related by Marriage: The Summer Class

Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Summer 1981. Mr. Irene, students, and faculty gather for the physiology class picture. Mr. Irene, wearing the shades, sits fifth from right in the front row. You might recognize the instructor sitting next to Mr. Irene, on his right.

In the Spotlight

The Wisconsin State Journal reports on work by a Middleton company, Lucigen Corporation, to create a diagnostic test for Ebola.

A Resting Place for Vlad

Estonian scholars uncover Dracula's tomb in Naples, Italy.

Training dogs to detect ovarian cancer.

This story isn't new, but I just saw it today:

Variations on the Lice Pattern

"[P]ullovers with themes from the world of particle physics."

RIP Andrea Sloan

Andrea Sloan died yesterday.

"Cats recognise their owners' voices but never evolved to care."

Study confirms "that although pet cats are more thank capable of recognizing their owner's voices they choose to ignore them."

Biology inspires knitting.

Knitted and crocheted gloves imitate the bacteria that cover arms and hands.

Clinical Trials and Treatments Out of Reach

Here's an article about drug trials and "compassionate use" of study drugs for terminal patients.

The BRCA gene mutations are in the news a lot these days, but the treatments for people with certain inherited cancers are still a few years away. 

Thanks to my friend Kris for pointing me to the article about Andrea Sloan.

Related by Marriage: Summer School

Mr. Irene spent the summer of 1981 enrolled in the Physiology Course offered by the Marine Biological Laboratories ("MBL") in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Since its founding exactly 125 years ago, the MBL has offered summer courses for advanced biology students. It champions observation of the physiology and behavior of the local sea creatures—such as the giant squid, the ancient horseshoe crab, and surf clams—to understand and probe basic biological processes.

Nobel laureates were both students and instructors in the MBL summer courses. James Watson, one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, was an instructor in 1954. Two future Nobel laureates in cell and molecular biology, Tim Hunt and Sidney Altman, were instructors the year Mr. Irene was a student. 

Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Summer 1981. A skiff returns to the lab after a collection trip in the Great Harbor. The main laboratory building is on the right. A more recent photo shows how much development has built up around the main complex.

*     *     *     *     *

Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Summer 1981. Mr. Irene's Physiology Class lines up for a sample collection trip of their own.

Another Loss

Pierce Bronsan's daughter has died of ovarian cancer. The disease caused her mother's death.
 
If someone in your family has ovarian cancer or breast cancer, get tested for the BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 gene mutations.

UPDATE: I should have noted that Charlotte Bronsan's grandmother also died from ovarian cancer. There's much more here.

It's not just about the tatas.

"Wearing a long, black Saint Laurent gown that criss-crossed at the chest and featured a sheer panel across her midriff, [Angelina Jolie] smiled and waved to fans."

"She said her decision was informed by her mother's long fight and eventual death from breast cancer at 56."

Jolie's mother died of ovarian cancer.

People with the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 gene mutation are at risk for several cancers:

A woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Such a woman has an increased risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer at an early age (before menopause) and often has multiple, close family members who have been diagnosed with these diseases. Harmful BRCA1 mutations may also increase a woman’s risk of developing cervical, uterine, pancreatic, and colon cancer [ ]. Harmful BRCA2 mutations may additionally increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, gallbladder and bile duct cancer, and melanoma [ ].

Men with harmful BRCA1 mutations also have an increased risk of breast cancer and, possibly, of pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, and early-onset prostate cancer. However, male breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer appear to be more strongly associated with BRCA2 gene mutations [ ].

National Treasures

Lithuania has plans for saving native breeds.

Related by Marriage: "Note: These duties do not bind under sin."

When Mr. Irene was a boy, his Mom taped many of Mr. Irene's childhood mementos in a scrapbook. The scrapbook contains Mr. Irene's first accordian composition, photos of his parakeets, newspapers clippings of Mr. Irene's many science awards, and the autobiographies Mr. Irene wrote for grade-school assignments.

Most of the scrapbook pieces correctly foreshadowed Mr. Irene's adult strengths: music, a love of animals, a knack for biology, and sharp writing skills. One scrapbook item did not:



 

Suburban Chicago, 1966 or 1967. Mr. Irene found a different vocation.