Blog posts

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2022

A visit up north

1 minute read

Published:

My wife and I went up north for a couple of days, first to attend a concert last night at Interlochen, and then today to hang around Traverse City. We didn't know it was the Cherry Festival, so the town itself was too busy. But we were really more interested in going up the Old Mission Peninsula, which was much quieter, and which is where we have a lot of good memories of the area. Read more

Re-learning to be a botanist

1 minute read

Published:

I started out my career in science as a botanist. My early interests were in systematics and ecology, which meant that I needed to have a good knowledge of plant species and communities. My career and interests led me to more molecular aspects of plant biology, and then away from the lab into policy and regulations. Now that I will be retired at the end of the month, I can revive some of my early interests. Read more

2021

Today the Masks Can Come Off

1 minute read

Published:

CoV2
So the long-awaited day has arrived. This afternoon, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC, proclaimed that “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing.” This is obviously welcome news to everyone, and should be celebrated. I’ll be doing so with a glass of Maker’s Mark this evening. Read more

Why Gene Drives?

less than 1 minute read

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One of the first applications of gene drive technology is likely to be in the field of controlling the mosquito vectors of malaria. Malaria is still a significant cause of mortality and sickness in many parts of the world, especially Africa. The video in this post explains why new tools such as gene drive approaches are needed to eradicate this disease. Read more