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*2003 World Summit Award recognition
*2003 Winner of the Highway Africa New Media award
* 2002 Winner of the
NSTF Award for Science
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Health, conservation, biotechnology, engineering
and more in this month's edition. Visit Jobs
for science jobs and research posts from the continent. Over 7 million hits is good reason to Subscribe
for free monthly newsletters to keep up to date on science from
Africa. Guidelines for authors here.
This Month's Features
Vaccines that fight the virus not the
wallet!
 Scientists
at UCT are using genetically altered tobacco plants to create vaccines
against cervical cancer.
A gut feeling about abalone
 South
African marine biotechnologists have found a way to harness mother
nature to improve the artificial existence of farmed abalone.
Getting tough on allergens
 As
SA refines laws on food labelling, a local laboratory develops
technology that can verify allergen
claims on consumer goods.
Sauropods
unearthed
 Dinosaurs: The ancient giants unearthed in Southern Africa
start to fill in some vital missing pieces in our knowledge.
How "toxic" are we?
 A
WWF study in which 155 volunteers had their blood analyzed for over 70
man-made chemicals produced disturbing results. How "toxic"
are you?
Opinion
 Patenting
DNA
A bioethics expert addresses the
threats posed by patenting DNA in developing countries and how recent
malaria research can show the way forward.
Skin
lightening agents
The practise of skin lightening has some unfair and unhealthy results.
A researcher argues that it is a public health issue as well as a
social and psychological problem.
Engineering aspects of the WTC
A scientists explores the engineering aspects of the World Trade Centre twin
towers, and what went wrong on 9/11.
Insight
True Complexity
A mathematician provides insight into how truly complex systems such as
animal and human brains, and individual human behaviour can be
described mathematically.
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In this Issue
Take your mind for a walk - a quick one. Try out our weekly brain
teasers and check your answers.
Scientists identify a hormone that can
“wake up” dormant tubers and accelerate growth.
Nigeria: Muslim suspicion of polio vaccine lingers as the disease makes
a comeback.
South Africa: Should small-scale cotton farmers opt for genetically
modified seeds? The debate continues.
Antarctica: scientists uncover the fossilized remains of two species of
dinosaurs previously unknown to science.
Health
Free mosquito nets in exchange for full vaccinations does the
trick in Mali.
Zimbabwe plans to start providing free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs
next month
Liberia: Yellow Fever deaths raise fears of epidemic.
Conservation
Invasive plant species can be controlled in a safe and sustainable way. No
pesticides, no manual labour, just weevils.
No help yet for a third of the world's
threatened birds - but a quarter show benefits of conservation action.
Food/Agriculture
Uganda: early screening for pest
resistance in bananas
Agricultural centers to work in common on
the big issues for the small farmers of the world
Education/Funding/
Competition
International Brain Awareness week
competition for schools and events
Call
for applications: Awards for black South African scientists
The third Research on Knowledge
Systems (RoKS) Competition (2003-2004)
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