Removing Finalism from Developmental Biology

From Developmental Biology to Cardiac Regeneration

Cardiomyocyte death is associated with diverse forms of heart disease, which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Myocardial infarctions are a major public health problem and affect >1 million Americans yearly. A tremendous loss of cardiomyocytes through apoptosis and necrosis underlies both acute and chronic myocardial infarction. To compensate for the d...

Adapted from Developmental Biology, in press

Developmental Biology

Developmental Biology's excellent reputation in Freiburg goes back to the days of the Hans Spemann who received the Nobel prize for his groundbreaking discovery of an "organizer center" in early amphibian embryos that controls the behavior and fate of surrounding cells. Today the University of Freiburg is one of the few universities in Germany that offers a full curriculum in Developmental Biol...

Developmental Biology

At the core of biology is the study of development. How do organisms from all modes of life grow from one single cell to a complete and functional body? How do we know to establish “right” from “left,” or know to form a certain number of fingers and toes? Why can some organisms regenerate organs, while others must do without if they are lost? What processes occur as a tadpole becomes a frog? As...

Developmental Biology

Although the idea of furthering one’s career has universal appeal, it can be quite difficult to determine the best way to fulfill our professional aspirations. In Becoming a Successful Scientist, Dr. Craig Loehle attempts to describe the mental tools required for an aspiring scientist. The bulk of the book is dedicated to problem-solving strategies and guidelines for scientific discovery, but b...