BioTechniquesVol. 50, No. 2 WebWatchOpen AccessWebWatchKevin AhernKevin AhernSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:28 Jun 2018https://doi.org/10.2144/000113607AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Super ScooperPart blog, part cutting-edge science news, SciScoop Science is an interesting amalgam of information. Described as a forum for news and views, SciScoop Science serves up an actively refreshed collection of pages and lives up to its billing. The site relies and seems to thrive on an engaged, informed set of science bloggers. And becoming a contributor is relatively easy—a simple login request is all that is needed. A featured article at press time discussed the newly discovered arsenic-based bacteria and included considerable discussion. An advantage of SciScoop's design is that the bloggers provide informed, online commentary when stories break, adding new dimensions to the news.[www.sciscoop.com]Infinitely ImprovedThere was a time, not that long ago, when performing molecular biological sequence analyses on a personal computer required software that set users back a significant chunk of change. Fast forward to 2011 when virtually everything is available on the Web for free. Gene Infinity's Web Bench might be one of the best of this lot, with analyses modules spanning DNA, R NA, and proteins. Unlike the PC applications of yore, Web Bench includes an extraordinary collection of tools for determining protein structure, function, interactions, and it even assists in drawing. If you're still mired in the muck of the last millennium's computing tools, run—don't walk—to Web Bench.[www.geneinfinity.org/sp/sp_proteininteraction.html]Altered StatesIs it a wave of the future, a sign of the times, or just a fact of modern life? The Stem Cell States web site tracks an important statistic—funding for stem cell research by states eclipses that of the federal government. From December 2005 to December 2009, state-supported stem cell research in six states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York) totaled over $1.25 billion and was divvied up into about 750 grants. Assembled by Aaron D. Levine at Georgia Tech, the Stem Cell States site hosts the Stem Cell Grants Database, where visitors can survey research efforts and learn more about how the states are providing leadership on this weighty topic.[www.stemcellstates.net]Sham SpamThe last thing a spammer wants you to think is that their story is a fake. After all, having the recipient buy into an unbelievable story is their plan. Consider, then, what happens when a provider of legitimate news flips this logic on its head and advertises his content as junk. That's the surprisingly successful strategy of Bob's Junkmail, a self-characterized “purveyor of fine tripe since 1999.” The brainchild of Bob Webster, Bob's Junkmail proves that you can't believe everything you read on the Web. The difference here is that Bob's Junkmail isn't the junk it's advertised to be. Instead, the site contains an eclectic mix of well-researched (and documented) articles that are fun to read and are also informative. From tech tales (“Botnet Battles”) to nature photography (see above), Bob's Junkmail isn't anything it claims to be and that's why it's so good.[http://xpda.com/junkmail]A butterfly tasting a ladybug.© 2010 Bob Webster, http://xpda.com/junkmail.Spruced UpServing researchers since 1997 with taxonomic information on over 1000 species, the Gymnosperm Database describes itself as the “Web's premier source of information on conifers and their allies.” Conifers include spruce, cedars, firs, and pine trees, and the site does a nice job of cataloging information on these varied species. The organizers provide desired information only three mouse clicks away from any of the entries. Content contained on the site includes pictures, geographic range, ethnobotany, size, and other miscellaneous info. Desired species can be retrieved from hierarchical taxonomic lists or an alphabetized species list. All in all, the Gymnosperm Database makes information access a breeze for all concerned.[www.conifers.org/index.html]Bio Why-O Why-OIf your appetite for biology and technology news is insatiable—or your need for biology or programming tools is unusual— consider the Bio-Web site. With news updates on the hour, it's a hard-to-beat free online resource for the bio-tech crowd. News items are sorted into separate biology and technology columns, but that's not all. Bio-Web provides miscellaneous tools and scripts for DNA/RNA sequence manipulation. There are also goodies for programmers, including Python CGI scripts for bioinformatics. An extensive collection of links to other molecular biology and bioinformatics sites helps to round out the offerings. Lastly, tipping the hand of the true interests of the site's designers is a collection of online games called “While the Gels Run,” which is sure to delight anyone playing the lab waiting game.[http://cellbiol.com]FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited BySafety Technologies for EscalatorsThe Journal of The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan, Vol. 140, No. 10Biodiesel Production Systems: Reactor Technologies3 November 2018 Vol. 50, No. 2 Follow us on social media for the latest updates Metrics History Published online 28 June 2018 Published in print February 2011 Information© 2011 Author(s)PDF download