J an 201 2CCaattaa llyysstt

The Computersof the Future

Physics

Building Nests:Birds and Butts

Ecology

Major Advance Made inDNA Sequencing

Genetics

Mystère en

médecine

Sciences de la santé

NOUVEAU:

contenu

français!

CCaattaa llyyssttJanuary Contents

Science HumourComics and quips for thel ight-hearted scientist.

3 Risking Your SanityThe right combination ofcannabis and genes cantrigger psychosis.

4

Major Advance Madein DNA SequencingNew genetic technique iseffective and error-free.

5 Birds and ButtsForget twigs and straw -the latest nest-bui ldingrecipe exempl ifies animalinnovation.

7

Mystère en médecinePouvez-vous résoudre lesindices pour diagnostiquerle patient? Faites le test!

8 The Computers ofthe FutureQuantum computing iscoming up, and it couldchange the world.

1 0

Ensnaring the SensesA scientific look at thesensational phenomenoncal led synesthesia.

1 2

2 Catalyst

How to WriteScienceAward-winning sciencewriter David Quammenshares his secret.

1 4

Sources 1 5

Contenu de janvier

Visit us at ~ Visitez-nous auuocatalyst.com

L'équipeEditor-in-Chief

Katie Woolner

ProductionManager

Kelsey Huus

Authors ~ Auteurs Editors ~ Editeurs

Nicolas BentSophie FisetKelsey Huus

Heather McDonald

Stéphanie Ouel letPinar Özmizrak

AleksandraShalakhova

Anik BrazeauLauren Chesher

Nasim Haghandish

El izabeth O'Rei l lyPinar ÖzmizrakEkaterina Slavko

I llustrations El izabeth O'Rei l ly

Jan 201 2 3

Directeurdu production

Anik Brazeau

Rédacteur-en-chef

StéphanieOuel let

The Team

Special thanks to the SSARemerciement spécial à l'AES

Sc i ence HumourElizabeth O'Reil ly, 3rd Year BIO

"I like to think ofmyself as evolution's

greatest accomplishment"

Q: Why do chemists call helium, curiumand barium the medical elements?

A: Because ifyou can't helium orcurium, you barium!

Q: How can you tell the different sciences apart?A: If it moves, it's Biology. If it stinks, it's Chemistry.

If it doesn't work, it's Physics.

Q: What do you get ifyou divide thecircumference ofa jack-o-lantern by itsdiameter?

A: Pumpkin Pi!

4 Catalyst

With the recent legalization of cannabis possession inthe state ofWashington, the issue of cannabis-induced psychosis should be of concern. Cannabis isnot only used recreationally, but increasedprescription ofmedical marijuana also serves toexpose more people who could be at risk forcannabis-induced psychosis to the drug. The abilityof cannabis to induce psychosis is not a newdiscovery; however, the mechanism by which thisoccurs has yet to be understood. If a test could bedeveloped that would assess a patient’s risk fordeveloping cannabis-induced psychosis, then manywho either use cannabis recreationally or who areconsidering the use ofmedical marijuana could beadvised otherwise.

Data supporting the theory that cannabisexposure during adolescence may increase the risk ofdeveloping schizophrenia is abundant. Schizophreniais a severe psychotic disorder characterized by theslow onset of irritability, difficulty concentrating, andtrouble sleeping, culminating in bizarre behaviours,hallucinations, lack of emotion, and delusions. It is amental disorder that, like many others, is not wellunderstood in its origin; however, it is believed thatgenetics play a role. Recent research published inBiological Psychiatry suggests that a variation in thegene (AKT1) that codes for a protein called RAC-

alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase may beinvolved in the risk for cannabis psychosis.

The study was led by Dr. Marta Di Forti atKing’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry. DiForti and her team focused on the AKT1 gene becauseit is involved in dopamine signaling, and abnormaldopamine signaling has been shown to be associatedwith psychosis. The genetic researchers performed acase control study to look at the relationship betweenrisk of psychosis for cannabis users and variation inthe AKT1 gene. In her research, Di Forti reported,“our sample comprised 489 patients with their firstepisode of psychosis and 278 healthy controls.”

In order to collect results, the researchersdocumented the use of cannabis in their volunteersand studied this in relation to their respectivegenotyping results. A clear conclusion could bedrawn from their evidence; the AKT1 genotype doesinfluence the incidence of psychosis in those who usecannabis. The connection found between a particularvariant in the AKT1 gene and psychosis was by nomeans negligible. Di Forti found that those cannabisusers who carried this variant in the AKT1 gene “hada two-fold increased probability of a psychoticdisorder, and this increased up to seven-fold if theyused cannabis daily.” These results are notgroundbreaking in their conclusion of the influenceof cannabis on psychosis risk, but are significant forthe association seen between the presence of the

Heather McDonald, 2rd Year BIM

Ri gniks

Your

San yt .. .i

Jan 201 2 5

variant AKT1 gene, cannabis use, and the risk for apsychotic disorder. Narrowing the association downto one specific variant in one specific gene helps toexplain why some but not all perpetual users ofmarijuana develop schizophrenia.

Unfortunately, the tests used in this study arenot clinically applicable to test for this gene variant inthe general population. However, now that AKT1 hasbeen implicated in cannabis-induced psychosis,

further scientific research into the cellular signalingmechanisms mediated by AKT1 can be pursued so asto develop new therapeutic methods for themanagement of cannabis-induced psychosis. Havingconcrete evidence of the presence of a marker variantgene for cannabis-induced psychosis will providegreater support for clinical testing and for educationalinitiatives to help inform those at risk of thiscondition.

Throughout its history,genome sequencing has beendependent on technologicalimprovements. With rapidadvances in technology,researchers have been able tosequence genomes of a widevariety of organisms- frombacteria to more complexorganisms such as highereukaryotes, and, mostimportantly, humans. Newermethods of sequencing,referred to as next-generationsequencing (NGS), producelarge-volume and high-qualitybases per run. These NGStechnologies have enabledresearchers to resequencehuman genomes to better ourunderstanding of how geneticvariations affect health anddisease.

However, mosttechnologies require a largenumber of cells to get enoughDNA for sequencing. It poses

a challenge for sequencing genomes of lowfrequency cells, such as circulating tumor

cells for patients with canceror circulating fetal cells inpregnant women. Newlydeveloped methods for

genomic analysis at a single-cell resolution are able tosolve this problem. Single

cell analysis (SCA) not onlysolves the initial DNAquantity issue, but alsoallows for cell-to-cell

comparison of the genomesof cells in a heterogeneouspopulation. The ability to

distinguish geneticdifferences of individual cellsin a population is crucial for

detecting mutations when themutations are in only a few

cells. Even minor cell-to-cellvariations can help to explaintumor initiation, progression,

and therapeutic responses.Cancer genomics

requires high-qualitysequence data from a single

cell genome. However,sequence assembly can be

Aleksandra Shalakhova,3rd Year BIM

Major Advance Made inDNA Sequencing

6 Catalyst

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difficult due to errors that are likely to occurduring early steps of sequencing. Most errorscome from the amplification ofDNA, aprocess of generating multiple copies ofDNAneeded for most imaging systems to detect thesequence. These errors occur when somesequences either have mutations in theamplified template generated during PCRamplification or show amplification bias whensome parts of the genome are copied muchmore extensively than other portions.Underrepresentation of the least-copiedportions ofDNA make the sequencesundetectable for analysis, giving a low percentof genome coverage- 40% accuracy onaverage and 70% accuracy at best.

A paper published in Science providesa new sequencing technique for SCA thatwould solve the amplification bias problem.This technique, called multiple annealing andlooping-based amplification cycles(MALBAC), was developed by a researchteam led by Sunney Xie, a chemical biologistat Harvard University. Three closely relatedcells and 99 sperm cells from the same maleindividual were sequenced using MALBACamplification achieving 93% coverage of thegenome with no false positive errors. Thistechnique provided the researchers with high-quality data due to special features of primersused for replication ofDNA. The primershave two parts- a short variable "sticky"

portion that binds to the DNA, and a longercommon sequence that forces newly replicatedstrands to loop back on themselves preventingover-copying of the DNA. This method hasbeen shown to massively reduce amplificationbias and to improve sequence coverage.

"I think people are going to start usingit right away", states James Eberwine, aprofessor of pharmacology working withsingle-cell genetics techniques at theUniversity of Pennsylvania. The professor alsoadds that there are possibilities of improvingthe experiment by changing amplificationconditions, such as the ratio of primers togenomic DNA.

The new technique is a bigadvancement in single cell genomesequencing, but it is not perfect as it stillmisses some variations in single nucleotides.MALBAC does not solve occasional copyingerrors and it is not cost effective, as it requiresthe comparison of individually sequencedgenomes from three closely related cells.

Despite the remaining challenges, thetechnique could prove useful in cancer andother research as it uniquely allows for cell-to-cell comparison. It could also help inunderstanding the regulation andcharacteristics of embryonic stem cells, adultstem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cellsthat exist in heterogeneous populations.

Jan 201 2 7

Want to see your name inprint?

Submit articles or illustrations toeditor@uocatalyst.com by Februrary 1 4

to make the next issue!

According to a new study published inBiology Letters, birds in urban environments areincorporating smoked cigarette butts into their nests,perhaps in attempts to make use of the repellentnature of nicotine to deter parasitic mites from thenest while keeping it warm and insulated. The studyfound that the amount of cellulose acetate fromcigarette butts in the nest was negatively correlatedwith the amount of parasites present, suggesting thatthis is an adaptation of the birds to the availability ofdifferent materials in urban environments.

The study examined the behaviours of housesparrows and house finches, two bird speciescommonly found in cities, both ofwhich are knownto incorporate cigarette butts in their nests. Theexperimental design consisted of a thermal trap,composed of two heating resistors situated atopposite sides of a nest, set up to attract mites. Eachresistor was fitted with a cigarette butt and adhesivetape, used to trap the parasites as they were drawn tothe heat source. The mites trapped were then

counted. As a control group, some resistors werefitted with non-smoked cigarettes, which contain lessnicotine. The results showed that the nests fitted withsmoked cigarette butts had significantly fewerparasites present.

These results correspond with another knowntrend in bird behaviour, referred to as self-medication. Birds in the wild have been known toincorporate plants producing volatile secondarycompounds into nests in order to reap some of thebenefits of the plant’s ability to deter parasites. Inaddition, alkaloid nicotine, a compound produced bynicotine plants that is present in cigarettes, is anatural defense used by the plants to ward offparasitic predators.

However, it is noted that in order for thisbehaviour to be proven to be an example of self-medication, it would need to be verified that the

birds were actively seeking out the smoked butts,rather than simply using what was available nearby,or merely using the butts for insulation of the nest.Nonetheless, this behaviour is a prime example ofanimal adaptations to ever-changing urbanenvironments.

Sophie Fiset, 4th Year BIO

Birds andButts

Cigarette butts may help deter parasites frombird nests.

8 Catalyst

Mystèreen

médicine

Stéphanie Ouellet, 2e Année BIM

Figure 1 : Les sites importants.

Le fonctionnement du corps humain est undomaine qui intéresse plusieurs étudiants de la facultédes sciences à l’université qui ambitionnentpoursuivre une carrière en médecine. La médecinen’est, par contre, pas un domaine noir sur blanc. Il y asouvent des cas qui ne suivent pas les normes etforcent les chercheurs à penser hors de leur routinehabituelle afin de trouver un diagnostique valable. Jevous présente donc un défi, une étude d’un vrai cas,afin de démontrer à quel point chaque étape dudiagnostic est importante :

1 .        Un jeune homme athlétique âgé de 17 ans seprésente à l’hôpital avec de la douleur à l’épauledroite qu’il ressent depuis un mois. De quoi pourrait-t-il s’agir et que suggéreriez-vous à ce patient?

2.        Le patient retourne à l’hôpital avec la mêmedouleur à l’épaule, de la douleur dans ses côtes etdans son dos. Ils font une prise de sang qui révèle des

taux d’enzymes élevés dans le sang. Qu'est-ce qu'uncompte enzymatique élevé signifie? Est-ce que votrediagnostique précédent change?

2 - RéponseUn compte élevé d’enzymes indiquesouvent que le foie a des cellules

endommagées. Étant endommagé, lefoie ne retient pas les enzymes qui

finissent par se retrouver dans le sang.

Jan 201 2 9

3 - RéponseLa douleur à l’épaule aurait été causéepar la douleur projetée. La tumeur,

accotée contre le diaphragme, poussaitcontre le nerfphrénique du plexuscervical pour causer la douleur à

l’épaule.

5- RéponseDes cellules cancéreuses du foie,hautement vascularisées, peuventpénétrer le système circulatoire etcauser des caillots (avec cellules

cancéreuses).

6 - RéponseLes cancers succombant la métastase,c’est-à-dire se répandant à plus d’un

site, se déplacent souvent vers le haut enpassant par le foie car ils suivent la

circulation sanguine (Figure 3). Il n’estdonc pas possible que l’origine soit lefoie car cela impliquerait que les

cellules se sont répandueshorizontalement vers le flanc gauche.De plus, à cause de son âge, il est

important de considérer quels cancerssont les plus fréquents. Il s’agitréellement du cancer testiculaire,

7 - RéponseSur le scan, il était possible de voir une

petite calcification qui aurait puprojeter les cellules cancéreuses vers lefoie sans toutefois rester dans les

testicules.

Figure 3: Une céllule canceureuse suivant lacirculation sanguine.

3.        À l’aide de radiographie, vous découvrez unegrosse tumeur sur le foie et une plus petite sur leflanc gauche du patient (Figure 1 ). Quel serait le lienentre la douleur à l’épaule et la tumeur?

4.        Basé sur la radiographie, le patient esthospitalisé immédiatement en urgence. Quelle est uneraison possible pour son hospitalisation?

5.        La radiographie, en fait, montre des emboliespulmonaires multiples (Figure 2). Comment est-ceque les caillots sanguins pourraient être causés par latumeur sur le foie?

6.        Les cancers sont nommés par rapport à leursource originale. En vous basant sur ce qui a étéprésenté ci-haut, de quel cancer s’agit-t-il?

7.        La radiographie n’a pas démontré de massedans les testicules donc comment est-il possible quece soit le cancer testiculaire?

Figure 2: Embolies pulmonaires multiples.

1 0 Catalyst

Quantum mechanics might just be theweirdest and wackiest branch of physics known toman. It is incredibly counterintuitive, so much so thatit was even disregarded by Einstein. But even a greatmind like Einstein's couldn't stop what is now knownto be the most accurate physical model. Quantummechanics specifically deals with the very small, asin molecules and subatomic particles. And thesubatomic world behaves very differently from the

normal world that you and I experience. For starters,a single particle like an electron, when it is not beingobserved, is in more than one place at a given time; aphenomenon commonly referred to as a superpositionstate. Once you measure or "look" at the electrondirectly, it "chooses" a position to be in. One of thecentral tenets of quantum mechanics is that there isno possible way to know where the electron will"choose" to be. I could go on and on about thestrange world of quantum mechanics but this articleinstead focuses on a recent development in the world

Nicolas Bent, 3rd Year PHY

TThheeCCoommppuutteerrssooff tthheeFFuuttuurree

8 - RéponseCeci est un concept débattu. Il pourraity avoir deux ou trois sites selon si ledocteur accepte ou non les emboliespulmonaires contenant des cellules

cancéreuses comme un site. Puisque lescellules cancéreuses ne se sont pas

réellement attachées à un organe ou unestructure, la majorité des docteurs

diront qu’il n’y a que deux sites, le foieet le flanc gauche, en dépit du fait queles cellules cancéreuses formant les

8.        Avec tout pris en considération, combien desites y a-t-il avec ce cancer métastasique?

caillots ne sont pas mortes. L’absencede tumeur et de cellules cancéreusesdans les testicules fait en sorte que lesite primaire n’est, en fait, pas

considéré un site.

L'affaire

est

classée

Jan 201 2 1 1

of quantum mechanics: the quantum computer.As the quest for faster, smaller, better

computers rages on there is one Holy Grail thateveryone is trying to reach; the quantum computer.But what is it that makes the quantum computer sospecial? The alphabet of a regular computer consistsof two bits, 0 and 1 . With one bit, there are twodifferent options: 0 or 1 . This becomes much moreinteresting in the quantum realm. Instead of having abit we have what we call a qubit, with two possibleoptions. There is of course 0 and 1 but there is thesuperposition of both 0 and 1 at the same time. Andjust adding this third option drastically increases thecomputing power of a computer. This is due to aphenomenon called quantum parallelism where onequantum computer can perform multiplecomputations on its own at the same time. To put itanother way, a 250 qubit array contains more bits ofdata than there are atoms in the universe! But wehave to be careful here as this does not mean that aquantum computer will be faster in every way than aregular computer; there are just some certaincalculations that take advantage of how the quantumcomputer works.

One of these calculations is encryption, whichis how we keep technology safe. Encryption worksby taking a very large prime number and multiplyingit by another very large prime number to obtain athird very large number. This number now acts as alock and the key consists of the two original primenumbers, which were multiplied. If a hacker wants totry and break into your information, he must findthese, which takes normal computers a lot of time.Essentially they just have to guess and check throughmillions and billions of numbers one at a time.

A quantum computer takes advantage of itsquantum parallelism and instead of guessing eachnumber one at a time, it guesses all numbers at thesame time, cracking the encryption extremely easily.Once a quantum computer is successfully made, itwill make encryption obsolete. This would give theowner access to all digital data in the world… a scarythought. Some scientists also theorize that quantumcomputing could unlock the keys to artificialintelligence. The logistics of this theory are still intheir infancy.

Some of you might be wondering why aquantum computer has not yet been created. Theproblem lies in something called quantumdecoherence. At the beginning of the article, Imentioned that a particle is in a superposition stateuntil something looks at it or measures it. Ameasurement can be thought of as any interactionwith the particle being measured. This implies thatwe have to build a computer that is completelyisolated from the outside world, in a place wherenothing else can touch it and disturb its superpositionstate. This has been giving scientists headaches foryears.

There has been much progress in quantumcomputers lately and what previously seemed to be50 years on the horizon now appears to be attainablewithin 10 to 15 years. There is no way of knowingexactly how quantum computers will change ourlives; back when the first computer was created, Idoubt that anyone would have predicted in theirwildest dreams the extent to which computers wouldrun the world nowadays.

"Once a quantum computer issuccessful ly made, it wil l make

encryption obsolete. This would givethe owner access to all digital data in the

world ."

0 1 01In quantum computers, qubits may exist as a 0or 1 , or as a superposition of the two.

01 0 1

00

0 001

01 1

01

1 2 Catalyst

t h eSynesthesia, meaning literally “a union of the

senses” results in cross-sensory experiences definedby five qualities: being involuntary, projected,consistent, memorable, and emotional. Although mildsynesthetic experiences are common, and make up akey component of language through metaphors,synesthesia itself is genetically caused and can besupported by fMRI scans.

Sensation is defined as “the awareness andlocalization of a stimulus.” Sensations are interpretedas perceptions within a cortex of the brain, such asthe visual, auditory, or gustatory cortex. Our reactionto a stimulus usually occurs within a single modalityor sense, that is, touch, taste, hearing, vision, orsmell. The body has adapted to interpreting specificaspects of a stimulus as seen from our manyspecialized receptors for heat, movement, light, andpain. Synesthesia results in associating multiplesenses to a single stimulus.

The types of synesthesia are represented as“primary sense” “secondary sense”. The primarysense is that which a non-synesthete (someonewithout synesthesia) would also experience, forexample, hearing the telephone ring. The secondarysense is unique to the synesthete, for example, thering of the telephone emitting orange spirals. Thiswould be an example of Sound Coloursynesthesia, the third most common type ofsynesthesia.

Second most common is Time Space, thatis, the spatial representation of time, much like apersonally designed calendar. Instead of a straight

line, decades may be stacked upon each other, or ayear may be in the shape of a circle, continuous. Theclarity and consistency of this depiction labels it as asynesthetic experience.

The most common form of synesthesia isGrapheme Colour synesthesia, found in nearlytwo-thirds of synesthetes. This is when numbers andletters have their own colours. Although the text maybe black, there is a strong association with a specificcolour, which appears to project itself. This colouredassociation can be very helpful for memorizing datesand spellings. In this area, non-synesthetes also showmild synesthetic tendencies when their memory isaided by writing down the word, or correcting it if it“looks” wrong, using kinesthetic and spatialassociations.

There are many other less common types ofsynesthesia. For example, Sound Taste, where onewill have a taste in their mouth when they hear a

Non-synesthetes will perceive the image as it ison the left, while some synesthetes may be ableto distinguish between the 2's and 5's due to adifference in colour.

Pinar Özmizrak, 4th Year BIM

Ensnaring Senses

Jan 201 2 1 3

certain sound. Having this type of synesthesia doesnot mean the synesthete will also have TasteSound, where certain tastes give off sounds. It isinteresting to note that though senses may flow in onedirection, they may not in the other. The other formsof synesthesia can be named through combinations ofthe classic five senses, as well as sense oftemperature, sense ofmovement, sense of time, senseof space, and personification.

Synesthesia is a heritable and lifelongcondition arising from genetic mutations affectingtwo areas of sense perception. Even non-synesthetesmay experience mild synesthetic perception,especially as young children, as explained byMaurer’s Neonatal Synesthesia Hypothesis. Thisoccurs before neural pruning, that is, when what areconsidered superfluous connections between thesensory association areas of the brain are cut. Foroptimum efficiency, the brain will clear itself ofconnections that are not being utilized. In this case, itallows for a single sensation to be perceived.

In synesthetes, this pruning is inhibited. Itdoes not create a mental disorder, but does allow forcross-sensory perception. These abundant neuralconnections are combined with another component toproduce synesthesia. This is the tight regulation offeedback through processing levels of the brain. It isthis area that is affected by hallucinogenic drugs,notably mescaline, which produces synestheticperceptions. Mescaline-induced synesthesia is

described as “a genuine experience of cosensing” bya self-tested group of physicians led by Erwin Straus.As the effect of the drug increased, they were unableto draw away from the “reality of the impressions”that they saw. Unlike those intoxicated by mescaline,synesthetes are not hallucinating. Moreover, thesynesthete’s experiences will not “wear off”, thoughsynesthesia does tend to decline with age. Rather, astimulus will result in a consistent doubled sensationeach time it is provoked.

Although trying to imagine a synestheticperception may seem nonsensical or confusing, it ismore common in our day-to-day lives than werealize. Metaphors are the synesthetic statements oflanguage; imagine a “loud” shirt, or a “bitter” cold.Entire careers can be made from constructing thesemetaphors, as seen in the writing of a wine andcheese critic. “Foxy, flabby, insipid, noble, pillow,unctuous, sweaty, voluptuous” are all key descriptorsfor food critics. “We have to borrow words fromother areas to describe the food and the effect it hason us,” culinary website World Food and Wineexplains. The same mechanism can apply tosynesthesia. “Synesthetic expression provides one ofthe simplest kinds ofmetaphoric language, in whichone mode of sensory or perceptual experiencetransfers to another,” says Lawrence E. Marks, aleading synesthesia researcher. And so it is that“bright,” a word originally descriptive of vision, nowcommonly is used to describe sound or emotion.Similarly, “soft” has connotations for so many sensesthat it takes one a moment to remember it wasoriginally used only for touch.

The Bouba-Kiki Effect

Which of these shapes would you name "bouba" and"kiki"?

Over 95% of people answered "left: kiki; right:bouba", i l lustrating the link between shape andsound that is present in non-synesthetes and

synesthetes alike.

Take the Test

A standardized test for synesthesia can befound at the Synesthesia Battery

(www.synesthete.org), a tool compiled byneuroscientist David Eagleman to aidsynesthetes and researchers alike.

1 4 Catalyst

As production manager and columnist for TheCatalyst last summer, I often found myself searchingfor a story. Something bright, snappy, attention-grabbing – and yet informative enough to interest ourreaders. How do you find the perfect balance? At aloss for words, I turned to the professionals, and letaward-winning science writer David Quammen shedsome light on the subject.

On a sunny Friday evening in July, I attendeda lecture given by Mr. Quammen at the First JointCongress on Evolutionary Biology. The OttawaConvention Centre was packed for the event; brightyoung students and accomplished scientists fromaround the world filtered into the lecture hall, sippingwine and chatting lightly. As the lights dimmed, Mr.Quammen stepped to the podium to accept theStephen J. Gould Award for exceptional sciencewriting – the latest in a long list of literaryachievements – and to give a brief talk about hiswork. He was there to answer the pressing question:what makes a science story good?

Quammen, a slim,soft-spoken man with a neatmoustache and a gentlesense of humour, answeredthe question in one word:people.

“People like to readabout people”, he statedoften and with emphasis. Nomatter their profession, theirinterests or their intellect,readers are drawn to humanstories. It doesn't matter howintriguing the facts are,Quammen softly insisted; it

is the side notes about the scientists themselves thatspice up an article. Quammen demonstrated hismastery of this basic principle during his talk, whichwas peppered with lively anecdotes about researchershe has worked with. In thirty short minutes, heintroduced the audience to a quirky virologist with afondness for Homer Simpson, a tenacious ecologistwho crossed the Congo in shorts and sandals, and aBantu villager whose community had been decimatedby an Ebola-carrying chimpanzee.

By the end of his lecture, it was easy tounderstand Quammen's insistence. Science may be

the subject thatdelights and diverts usas students, butwhether we becomemedical researchers orenvironmentalconservationists, weare all people.Learning, reading andwriting are all humanactivities - and peoplelove to read aboutpeople.

How toWriteScience

Kelsey Huus, 2nd Year BIO

Elizabeth O'Reil ly, 3rd Year BIO

"The Scientist"

David Quammen, the recipient of the Stephen J.Gould Award for exceptional science writing, haspublished mainy critically acclaimed books.

Jan 201 2 1 5

Major Advance Made in DNA Sequencing, p 4

Baker, Monya. "Method Offers DNA Blueprint of a SingleHuman Cell ." Nature.com. Nature PublishingGroup, 20 Dec. 201 2. Web. 21 Dec. 201 2.

Edwards, Lin. "New Method for Sequencing Genome in a SingleCell ." Phys.org. Phys.Org, 21 Dec. 201 2. Web. 22 Dec.201 2.

Wang, Daojing, and Steven Bodovitz. "Single Cell Analysis: TheNew Frontier in ‘omics’." Trends in

Biotechnology 28.6 (201 0): 281 -90. Print.Zong, Chenghang, Sij ia Lu, Alec R. Chapman, and X. Sunney

Xie. "Genome-Wide Detection of Single-Nucleotide and Copy-Number Variations of a SingleHuman Cell ." Science 338.61 1 4 (201 2): 1 622-626. Print.

 Risking Your Sanity, p 5

"A risk gene for cannabis psychosis." ScienceDaily (201 2):n.pag.Web. 1 6 Dec. 201 2.

Myers, Laura L. "Marijuana Goes Legal in Washington Stateamid Mixed Messages." Reuters (201 2): n.pag. Web. 1 6Dec 201 2.

“Schizophrenia”. U.S. National Library of Medicine (201 2): n.pag. Web. 1 6 Dec. 201 2.

 Birds and Butts, p 7

Suárez-Rodríguez, Monserrat, Isabel López-Rull , andConstantino Macías Garcia. "Incorporation of cigarettebutts into nests reduces nest ectoparasite load inurban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?."Biology Letters 9.1 (201 3).

 Mystère en medicine, p 8

Cancer Research UK. «How a cancer spreads.»Cancerresearchuk.org. Cancer Research UK. 3 Nov.201 1 . Web. 27 Nov. 201 2.

MARIEB, Élaine et HOEHN, Katia. Anatomie et physiologiehumaine  : 4e édition. Québec  : ERPI , 201 0. Print.

Mayo clinic staff. «Elevated liver enzymes.» Mayoclinic.com.Mayo clinic, 5 May 201 1 . Web. 27 Nov. 201 2.

National Cancer Institute. «Metastatic cancer.» Cancer.gov.National Cancer Institute, 23 Mai 201 1 . Web. 27 Nov.201 2.

 The Computers of the Future, p 1 0

Green, Brian. Fabric of The Cosmos. Vintage, 2005. Print.Griffiths, David. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. 2 ed.

Addison Wesley, 2004. Print.Lea, Susan. Mathematics for Physicists. 1 ed. Chicago: Cole,

2003. Print. Ensnaring the Senses, p 1 2

Berman, Greta and Carol Steen. Synesthesia: Art and the Mind.Hamilton: McMaster Museum of Art, 2008. Print.

Cytowic, Richard E. Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses.Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology,2002. Print.

Eagleman, David. The Synesthesia Battery. 2005. Web. March 1 0

201 0. <http://synesthete.org/>.

Emerson, Lisa J . Nexus Synesthesia Online Community. 2002. Web.

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