What topic should I write my first article for the University Science Magazine about?
Asked by
Taz0007 (
145
)
October 8th, 2012
I’m contemplating writing about quorum sensing among bacteria and the fact that antagonists of this phenomenon may well be the answer to our problems with regards to there being no new, useful antibiotic discoveries, and obviously their overuse and misuse.
As a biomedical scientist, I obviously find this interesting however I want to appeal to a wider audience and make non-scientists fall in love with science! I’m aware many people find bacteria boring though. It’s also my first article and haven’t written anything like in many years.
Any help on interesting topics to cover or what angle to go from with the above topic in order to make it seem more appealing to non-scientists would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
6 Answers
Hmmm….what about the newest work on the cure for West Nile virus using the egg yolks of surviving and now immune geese. You could also write about historical medical breakthroughs like Louie Pasteurs rabies and small pox vaccines or, who’s the guy….uh, uh, the scientist that named his son after a bacteria he discovered in toilets. lol
This is probably boring but could always be revived…
But what about reiterating the importance of vaccination and how it was discovered and virtually helped contain infection. I know I know really basic Anthropology-Biology history but it helped me totally understand the importance of vaccination as I was a skeptic.
You could write about how community organisms (like certain bacteria and fungi) communicate within a community, and what effect they have on other organisms, such as a host/symbiant relationship or in a ecosphere . This how a community of fungi provides trees in a forest a means to communicate, and even to share nutrients.
Oh also to add to my inquiry, I’ve been published quite a few times and the topic I’ve pitched to you just happens to be one that can be recycled over and over spread across the years, and to multiple publications.
This topic generalizes nicely. Quorum sensing also applies to social insects & possibly cancer cells. There are applications for robotics, too, to coordinate the behavior of swarms of nano-bots. This kind of emergent behavior is also seen when a school of fish, or a flock of birds, makes coordinated and collision-free moves without any central command. A key factor is signalling between near neighbors of the aggregation. Theorists are always searching for simple rules that might govern these phenomena.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
