[Coral-List] New book on glowing coral!

[Vincent Pieribone]

Dear Coral List:

David Gruber and myself would like to announce the January release of  
our book, "Aglow in the Dark," (Harvard University Press) that  
provides a popular science portrayal of discoveries from the marine  
environment that are changing the face of science --and unlocking the  
secrets of the brain. The book includes a thoughtful foreword by  
Sylvia Nasar, author of "A Beautiful Mind" and places a spotlight on  
coral reef science. "Aglow in the Dark" just became available on most  
on-line bookstores.

Synopsis from Harvard Press
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/PIEAGL.html

In the early 1960s, in a small shack on the Washington coast, a  
young, self-educated Japanese scientist performed an experiment to  
determine what made a certain jellyfish glow. The substance he  
discovered, green fluorescent protein, would revolutionize molecular  
biology, transforming our study of everything from the AIDS virus to  
the workings of the brain. Aglow in the Dark follows the path that  
took this glowing compound from its inauspicious arrival on the  
scientific scene to its present-day eminence as one of the most  
groundbreaking discoveries of the twentieth century.

The story unfolds in far-flung places, from the coral reefs of the  
Pacific Ocean, to the medical schools and marine stations of our  
leading universities, to a cold war-era research laboratory in  
Moscow. Traversing the globe and the decades, Aglow in the Dark  
conveys the human fascination with bioluminescence, or "living  
light," its little-known application in war, forensic science, and  
molecular biology, and how it led to the finding of green fluorescent  
protein. The book reveals a hidden world where light is manipulated  
by animals and humans and put to remarkable uses--unlocking the  
secrets of the human brain, conquering dreaded diseases, and perhaps  
someday linking minds and machines. The authors deftly lead the  
reader through a complex story at the interface of biology and  
physics--and into the realm of wonder on the frontiers of scientific  
endeavor.

To anyone in the NYC-area, we extend an invitation join us at the  
release party:
7 pm,  Thurs, Jan 19, 2006
McNally Robinson Booksellers
52 Prince Street (between Lafayette and Mulberry)
New York City.
Wine & Cheese provided

Sincerely,
Vincent Pieribone


Vincent A. Pieribone, Ph.D.
Associate Fellow
The John B. Pierce Laboratory
Associate Professor
Yale University School of Medicine
290 Congress Avenue
New Haven, CT 06519