And what, you wonder, does The Son do there?

Ahhh yes, what is The Son doing at MBL. It really has nothing to do with Marine life, but everything to do with biology. He's in a lab studying ants. Not ants exactly, but some bacteria which live inside of the cells of ants. And not really the bacteria so much as the DNA of those bacteria.

As I understand it - and I don't really - living inside the other cells makes the DNA of these bacteria interesting.Because it's inside the cell, there are certain ways it changes. For one thing, it is protected by the cell. Not because the cell is helping it, the cell is only protecting itself, but that inadvertently protects the bacteria. So the part of the DNA that would affect protection, isn't there. And there are other ways in which living in the cell makes the bacteria's DNA different, but I forget what they are. I seem to remember (though I could be wrong here) that the DNA chain is short. Or something.

But the point is, this is really basic science research, not with a specific goal in mind other than the accumulation of knowledge about DNA. And even though I don't understand it, I can see that it is quite interesting.

Marine Biological Laboratory, More on Woods Hole.

Woods Hole, though mostly a lovely little village, is also home to three big, important scientific organizations. There's WHOI (pronounced Who - eee), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; there's NOAA (pronounced like Noah), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration - a federal agency focused on, um, the oceans and atmosphere - lots of weather related stuff. And MBL, Marine Biological Laboratory where The Son of works. I hope you can read the text on the picture taken in the front of the building Son Of works in. It tells you lots about MBL.

But just in case, here is the transcription: Marine Biological Laboratory, "The uniquely national center for biology in this country" - Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell. Founded in 1888, the Marine Biological Laboratory is the oldest private marine laboratory inthe western hemisphere. The MBL's mission is to improve the human condition through basic research and education in biology, biomedicine, and environmental science.

Resident and visiting scientists from around the world conduct research in a variety of areas including developmental biology and infertility, neurobiology and neurodegenerative disorders, learning and memory, cell and molecular biology and evolution, genomics and global infections diseases, and nutrient cycling and climate change. In addition, the MBLs advanced, graduate level education probram is know through the life sciences for kick-starting the research careers of the world's best and brightest biologists.

Learn more about the MBL a the Pierce Visitors Center across the street or by visiting our website at www.mbl.edu.