links for 2011-02-06

Finding the mechanism through clever sleuthing.

How do you isolate new cellulolytic genes from microbes in a cow rumen? Easy, poke a hole in the side of the cow (a fistula), throw in some bags of grass, pull out grass later and isolate bugs breaking down the grass. A great example of old-time microbiology and new-fangled metagenomic.

Educators, hobbyists, entrepreneurs, investigators – which are you? [Meant to bookmark this long ago.]