Recently, Paulo Nuin and Vincent Racaniello wrote about why they blog as scientists.  Both of their stories make good reading.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm blogging as a scientist, an ex-pharma person or a management consultant, but the reality is I'm fascinated by science and biology.  I still remember and feel the excitement at school of peering down a microscopic with a sense of awe and wonder at the detail and kaleidoscope of colours in minute detail.

Every two weeks, a new issue of Blood magazine or a cancer journal lands in my mailbox, using with a gorgeous colour photograph on the front like this one from Molecular Cancer Reseach:

Mcr2009

What's happening here you might well wonder?  Here's what the inscription said:

“Lysophospholipids activate multiple signaling pathways in microvascular endothelial cells leading to proliferation, migration, and cytoskeletal reorganization. Anastellin, an angiostatic fibronectin peptide, interferes with endothelial cell proliferation by blocking G1S phase transition. Using immunofluorescence, it was found that LPA stimulation of confluent monolayers of endothelial cells enhanced phosphorylation of myosin light chain2, which predominantly co-localized to newly organized cortical stress fibers. While anastellin prevented LPA-mediated endothelial cell proliferation, no effect was observed on stress fiber formation or MLC2 phosphorylation.”

And so I find myself blogging about science and biology because it still gives me that sense of awe and wonder, as well as learning about exciting new things. Oncology gives me that very same thrill too.  In order to blog about something, you first have to digest and understand it, otherwise you will get pounced on by the commenters far more knowledgeable than the poster.  But sometimes you learn faster and become smarter that way anyway, certainly I make enough boo-boos and enjoy learning from others perspectives too.

Why do you blog?

ResearchBlogging.orgA. Ambesi, P. J. McKeown-Longo (2009). Anastellin, the Angiostatic Fibronectin Peptide, Is a Selective Inhibitor of Lysophospholipid Signaling Molecular Cancer Research, 7 (2), 255-265 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-08-0195

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]