Reviews

Reviews and Resources

Cells Alive
Reviewed by Kelly P. Kearse, East Carolina University School of Medicine

Cells Alive was initiated in May 1995 and currently serves approximately 1,000 visitors per day. This site has received numerous awards for excellence in graphics as well as educational value. Cells Alive should prove useful to anyone with an interest in microbiology and immunology, including the general public, students, teachers, and health science professionals. This Web site is well organized and easy to navigate, and information is provided in easy-to-understand language with little use of specialized jargon. The viewer may choose from a list of 15 major categories covering a wide range of topics, including HIV infection, cytotoxic T cells, antibody formation, bacterial motility and division, inflammation, and apoptosis. Each topic contains a series of powerful images (line drawings and gray or colorized electron micrographs) that feature the major players in each subject along with a short synopsis about each biological process. Basic but sufficiently detailed information is provided to explain what is being shown in an instructional and exciting manner. Most notably, many topics feature dynamic animations and mini-movies which truly make cells come alive to the viewer. The information is current and updated frequently and many useful links to related Web sites are also provided. This site is excellent and well worth a look.

Saccharomyces Genome Database
Reviewd by Glenn A. Bauer, Saint Michael's College

The Saccharomyces Genome Database is a project funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This is a well-designed site that no one who works with this yeast can be without. This site is also an excellent model for how other organismal databases should be presented on the Internet.

The opening page is neatly organized, and every page on the site contains navigation bars so you can quickly move around the site. An indexed help page and a "hot tips" or tutorial section provide quick answers on how to use many of the features of the site. The pages appear to be updated every few days.

Through the use of a Java-based viewer, you can explore the yeast genome via a features, genetic, or physical map. In a matter of minutes I had found a gene of interest and was looking at its DNA sequence. Another page designs primers for you to use in either PCR or sequencing of a specific region of the yeast genome. Available analysis tools include BLAST, FASTA, and Sacch3D. Other site features include links to the yeast virtual library, a compendium of upcoming yeast meetings, and a way to search the Saccharomyces Genome Database by author name.

For more information, send email to Asmnews@asmusa.org