No stories for this week. However, I leave you with Christmas Botany – fun plant facts related to the Christmas season. This very amusing site is part of Dr. Stephen Saupe’s Plants and Human Affairs class. Of particular note: evidence (?) that the inspiration for Santa Claus comes from...

Algae Sex Determination – A recent breakthrough in understanding how sperm and egg cells arose comes from work in Algae. A paper published in Current Biology reports that a male specific gene expressed in sperm cells may have its origins in an isogamous ancestor, that is, a species that has no...

An apple a day – The gene that turns some apples red has been discovered by group at CSIRO, an Australian research facility. In response to light, the gene controls the formation of anthocyanins, or red pigments, in the skin of apples. Anthocyanins are rich in antioxidants, so scientists hope...

Lunar Colony Planned – NASA announced plans on Monday for the development of a lunar colony on the south pole of the Moon. The colony, to begin construction around 2020, would be a base of operations for future space exploration and a permanent base for research. As part of a Global Exploration Strategy,...