Category Archives: Experimental Evolution

CANCER’S NEXT TOP MODEL?

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

As a scientist, I want to find a treatment for cancer. To do this I need to perform many experiments testing my new therapy on cancer. I can’t just use human patients, they’re too annoying. How about cancer cells from … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental Evolution | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Finding Sequels

Posted on September 27, 2018 by

I’ve always, always, always loved animals. As a kid, I wanted to be a vet (“also an actor,” thought this 30-something genetics student, “kids are weird”). My Mum worked at a Safari Park in the UK, which didn’t help, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental Evolution, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The case of accidental evolution in HeLa

Posted on September 13, 2017 by

How does one accidentally evolve a population of cells? Quite easily it seems.  This story begins in 1951, when Henrietta Lacks went to see her doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She had cervical cancer. A biopsy of her tumor was … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental Evolution | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The life of a pea aphid, and why you don’t want to be him

Posted on September 8, 2017 by

Aphids live pretty simple lives, suck up some plant juices, find a mate, and make some babies…sounds quite chilled, right? Wrong. In fact, the life of a pea aphid or Acyrthosiphon pisum, is a constant battle against predators and parasites. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimental Evolution | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments