The later half of the twentieth century witnessed rapid advances in our understanding of the nervous system, in health and disease, as a result of developments in diverse fields. Beginning in the 1950’s, neurochemical and neuropharmacological investigations resulted in the identification of a host of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, neurohormones, the mechanisms of their storage, release, re...

to work with non-pathogens may be tempted by the availability of funds to focus on pathogens and submit grant proposals to a biodefence programme. But this too has financial implications, because dangerous organisms can be investigated only within expensive, high containment facilities. Moreover, there is considerably less existing knowledge to build upon in the case of most pathogens than exis...