The Barbara McClintock Papers - Hosted by the National Library of Medicine as part of its Profiles in Science(r) project, the Barbara McClintock Papers site provides public access to a selection of remarkable documents from the noted American geneticist Barbara McClintock. Consisting of everything from laboratory notes and private correspondence to unpublished manuscripts, lecture notes and photos - even down to copies of her CV - the site also provides a detailed biography of this pioneering lady. Recognised as one of the most distinguished scientists of the twentieth century, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992) received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discoveries in genetics, namely the discovery of the phenomenon of 'jumping genes' or transposition - the ability of genes to change position on a chromosome. Aged 81, she was the first women to receive an unshared Nobel Prize in this category. However, scientific recognition as to the importance of her work came relatively late in her career, and during the early years of her research she had to struggle to overcome many obstacles that would have discouraged a less persevering individual. The Barbara McClintock Papers themselves are held by the American Philosophical Society and have been made available online through collaboration with the National Library of Medicine. The site directs new visitors to start with the online Exhibit section, which includes a selection of documents and images organised by subject, in addition to various biographical information. Additional information can be accessed either alphabetically or chronologically, or via the site's search facility. An interesting resource, The Barbara McClintock Papers site provides a fascinating insight into the life and mind of this remarkable woman. Rating: 7 out of 10 (6 February 2003) LH
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/LL/
Your Genome - Beginner, intermediate and advanced versions of this site offer a simple choice for anyone hoping to learn about the human genome. Beginners learn that "Your body is made up of about one hundred, million, million cells (100,000,000,000,000). Each of these cells has a complete set of instructions about how to make you. This set of instructions is your genome." While, intermediate visitors are treated to a discussion that assumes at least some understanding of terms such as amino acid, protein and DNA. We are told, "The human genome therefore includes all of the genes that code for proteins, together with the control sequences for each gene, as well as the 'junk' DNA that occurs between and within genes." Hyperlinks take you to definitions of terms such as "code" and "gene", however. The third and advanced level, unfortunately, is still in production but will offer information at the undergraduate level. Anyone beyond that who cares to look will have to lump it. A succinct timeline starts in the 1950s and takes us through the history of the genome from early discoveries about DNA and the famous Watson-Crick-Frankland work to the analysis of the Human Genome reported in 2001. A small news section on the home page helps keep you up to date, although there are obviously many more new sites around the cover a broader spectrum of genomics news! The underlying theme of the site covers a lot of the ethical ground regarding who owns your genes/genome and as such there are a few banners and buttons related to the question with which you can adorn your own website or PC desktop should you so wish. It might be worth knowing that the site is the work of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, so one can assume the science is factual while the ethics are balanced. Rating: 7 out of 10 (6 December 2002) DB
http://www.yourgenome.org/
Genomics Glossary - A site that does pretty much what it says on the tin. The basic, almost graphics-free format provides a fairly clear in-road to the terms, words and definitions peculiar to the cutting- edge biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and generally not found in everyday dictionaries. The entries for everything from genetics to genomics are well hyperlinked so that almost every term in some explanatory paragraph carries a cross reference to an explanation. Click "genomics" and you get a quick tour of the subject with terms such as bioinformatics and chemoinformatics neatly explained, followed by sequencing, microarrays, mass spectrometry and structural genomics. Ironically, there's even an entry for "information overload" although it's not so much a definition as an example at the other end of the hyperlink as you have to scroll down several screens to see the first mention of the phrase and even then it's not a definition per se. The site was created by Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI), which was formerly a conference organiser but has since evolved into an information resource for life science professionals. The logic of the linking is not at first glance straightforward and would likely put off anyone simply looking for a quick lay definition of a term. Indeed, a service like xrefer might be more suited to the simpler search. But, like it says on the tin this is a Genomics Glossary and you're likely to find here definitions and information untouched by many other reference works. Rating: 8 out of 10 (23 November 2002) DB
http://genomicglossaries.com/
I can do that! - This is a great way to introduce your children to the timely scientific issues of cloning and genetic engineering. DNA and RNA come alive as a cast of friendly and entertaining characters at I Can Do That. The site covers the roles of DNA and RNA, as well as DNA polymerase, and also delves into photosynthesis and cellular respiration. There is a small shopping site, where readers can purchase DNA isolation kits, as well as other interactive science-based toys. Despite a somewhat sexist slant in the roles of the characters, this is still an educational site, and a good resource for tools to help children develop their scientific curiosity. (27 October 2001) SS
http://www.eurekascience.com/ICanDoThat/index.htm
DNA for Dinner? - Want to make up your own mind about the genetically modified food debate? Why not try DNA for Dinner? This site is aimed at classes and attempts to allow youngsters to come to their own conclusions about GMO's and more particularly, about the issue of labelling. There is a lot of very well presented information on this site, covering both sides of the debate in a non-emotive manner. The clever use of text, animations, video interviews and interactive problems presents often difficult to understand information in readily-accessible manner, and allows the student to work at their own pace. The information and links are targeted towards a wide range of ages, with simpler sites for younger children, although the overall level appears to be aimed at teenagers. This site can be used in the classroom and assessment guidelines for teachers are provided. The assessment requires that the student acknowledges both sides of the debate and produces proposed legislation on GM food labelling. It even suggests that the student may write to government and state officials with their views on the debate. This site has won 5 awards, and is a model of how the web can be used for education. Highly recommended, and not just for children. (4 June 2001)
http://www.gis.net/~peacewp/webquest.htm
DNAPatent.com - A crisp, professional-looking introduction into the world of DNA patents and genetic engineering. Divided into two relatively brief sections, 'Patent law for non-lawyers' and 'Genetic engineering for non-scientists,' this well-written site is a good starting point for beginners in either patent law or basic genetics. However, the site doesn't address the subjective nature of patent law. For example, the site would greatly benefit by discussing the controversies surrounding the patenting of DNA sequences. The 'discussion forum' section might possibly serve as a place for visitors to discuss such issues, but this link was broken. Unfortunately, the site also lacks an example of a patent application or of an actual patent. The section for non-scientists does a good job of introducing the key concepts necessary to understand genetic engineering. (25 May 2001) HME
http://www.dnapatent.com/home.html
Your Genes, Your Choices - This site provides the text of 'Your Genes, Your Choices', a book written as part of the Science & Literacy for Health project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It describes the human genome project and addresses the ethical, legal, and social issues raised by it. Each chapter focuses on an individual case such as, 'Priya Should Find Out if She Has Inherited a Fatal Disease (or should she?)', 'Dr. Lu's Patients Have the Right to Be Tall (or do they?)' which personalizes the subject and involves the reader by asking 'What would you do?'. This approach makes more accessible such issues as DNA typing, germ-line therapy, biotech applications and genetic testing, while also explaining the nuts and bolts of the science behind them (this is a crash course in genetics in its own right). There is also a bibliography and links to related publications and organizations, and a glossary of key terms (including 'genetic counselling', a service from the medical profession we'll undoubtedly be hearing more about soon). (4 April 2001) DD
http://ehrweb.aaas.org/ehr/books/index.html
