Adrian Woolfson

2 months ago | wsj.com | Adrian Woolfson

The mating rituals of many bird species involve elaborate dances and displays by the males. The evolutionary reasons for the behavior are not fully understood. Once described by the New York Times as a “flamboyant restaurant and singles bar” famous for “sex and food,” Maxwell’s Plum on New York City’s Upper East Side was as celebrated for its Iranian caviar, cold half lobster and chateaubriand as it was for its stained-glass ceilings, Toulouse-Lautrec paintings and Art Nouveau furniture.

Oct 11, 2024 | wsj.com | Adrian Woolfson

On the evening of Jan. 27, 1922, Franz Kafka arrived by horse-drawn sleigh at the mountain resort of Spindlermühle, in present-day Czech Republic, and immediately began working on what would be his final novel, “Das Schloss” (“The Castle”). Almost two-and-a-half years later, on June 3, 1924, Kafka would die of complications related to tuberculosis before his book could be completed; it ends midsentence on page 275.

Aug 30, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Simeon D. Castle |Adrian Woolfson |Blake T. Riley |Gregory Linshiz

AbstractDNA polymerases are complex molecular machines able to replicate genetic material using a template-driven process. While the copying function of these enzymes is well established, their ability to perform untemplated DNA synthesis is less well characterized. Here, we explore the ability of DNA polymerases to synthesize DNA fragments in the absence of template.

Jun 6, 2024 | science.org | Adrian Woolfson

Books et al. BioengineeringA futurist probes the potential of engineered organisms and biologically inspired devicesAdrian Woolfson [email protected] Info & AffiliationsGet full access to this articleView all available purchase options and get full access to this article. Books1Superconvergence: How the Genetics, Biotech, and AI Revolutions Will Transform Our Lives, Work, and World Jamie Metzl Timber Press, 2024. 432 pp.

Jun 5, 2024 | wsj.com | Adrian Woolfson

Once dismissed as a molecule of minor importance, RNA now appears to be the apotheosis of everything essential to life. Initially dismissed as a wealthy and frivolous socialite, Charles Swann in Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time” eventually transforms from a minor figure to an important one. Were biology a novel, ribonucleic acid (RNA) would be the Charles Swann of living systems.