Insights

Halloween is fast approaching and we know exactly what’s on your mind – which is the best apple for apple bobbing?Turns out scientists – and a few supermarket chains –...

Happy Birthday Prospero

October 17, 2011

In today’s hi-tech world, where new technology is out of date almost as soon as it hits the shelf, isn’t it wonderful that scientists are attempting to make contact with...

Happy 40th!

October 3, 2011

Hello and welcome to the 40th anniversary edition of Laboratory News! I am pleased and indeed very proud to bring you this special birthday edition.Starting on p15 you’ll find a...

Burrito birthday!

October 3, 2011

As you will no doubt have noticed it is the 40th anniversary of Laboratory News, and this issue is something of a ‘birthday party’ issue.The Editor has been rattling his...

Going social

September 26, 2011

After the Arab spring, and the recent English riots it is now clear to anyone who doubted it that web based social networking is having an enormous impact on the...

Pathogenic microbes earn Dr Edward Feil a scientific Medal

September 26, 2011

How do new pathogenic microbial strains evolve and spread? It is a question that occupies Dr Edward Feil, and it has just won him a Scientific Medal.Dr Edward Feil spends...

Interviews

The butterfly effect

September 26, 2011

What do the English riots and the Sulzberger ice shelf in Antarctica have in common?

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You’re having a laugh?

September 1, 2011

Roller coasters - just like inhalers, only less easily misplaced

Laughter, they say, is the best medicine. Strange then, that the world’s pharmaceutical companies have yet to...

Science on the Beeb

August 26, 2011

As News International continues to self destruct in the midst of editorial practices that would make Dr Evil blush, all eyes are once again on the media – and for...

Phone hacking – how easy is it?

August 26, 2011

How difficult is it to hack into someone's voicemail? Do you need to be a specialist programmer or have a PhD in computer science? Leila Sattary takes a look at...

Edward Lemke opens doors for molecular biologists

August 26, 2011

Introducing a single reactive artificial amino acid into a protein opens up a whole new world for molecular biologists – we speak to one of the scientists who made this...

Interviews

What is fracking and is it safe?

August 22, 2011

Fracking has been thrust – unwillingly – into the limelight as the safety and environmental impacts of drilling deep into the ground to release shale gas have been questioned. The...