James D. Watson’s Dissertation

You can leaf through all 92 pages of The Biological Properties of X-ray Inactivated Bacteriophage at the Indiana University’s digital library.

iSpecies

This site provides as much information as any good Internet encyclopedia, yet it doesn’t contain a single Web page. Instead of housing static pages about different species, it compiles a profile of your selected organism by linking to molecular, taxonomic, and other sites. Enter “aardvark,” for example, and the engine tracks down images of the mammal, protein and DNA sequences, a list of abstracts from recent papers, and a classification synopsis from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

American Journal of Bioethics

Science stories with social impact get broad coverage and excellent explanations of issues at this site.

The Pacific Northwest Fungi Database

To check on fungal species that dwell north of California, visit this site from Washington State University in Pullman. The growing site catalogs more than 5000 types of fungi. Listings include the species’ classification, who first described it, and the original reference.

Membrane Protein Databank

Using this site, you can learn about more than 140 proteins embedded in membranes or positioned near them. The site’s profiles summarize information from other collections and from the literature. Pick a molecule to uncover structural details and whether it harbors any metals or other nonprotein components. The entries also summarize how researchers determined the molecule’s architecture.

Arrowsmith Linking Project

This Web site identifies papers written by scientists whose names you input. The site also offers other helpers for returning information from PubMed results to pinpoint common terms in two lists of search results.

Genomes OnLine Database (GOLD)

Scientists have completed sequencing no fewer than 319 genomes. The site lists information on genome sequencing efforts, such as who performed the sequencing, where the results are housed, and whether they are public or proprietary. GOLD also tracks more than 1300 ongoing projects.

MykoWeb

To learn about the habitats, structure, and reproduction of fungi use this site from computer consultant Michael Wood of San Leandro, California. The site reprints a classic mycology text and features articles from experts on topics such as the latest taxonomy and the biology of mycorrhizae. The centerpiece of the site is California Fungi, a guide to more than 400 of the state’s species.

Databases on Medicine and Molecular Biology

If you can’t find out about what you want to know about medicine and molecular biology at this site, you’re going to have a hard time finding it at all. The database describes diseases, genetic and molecular defects, and more. It is easy to spend an hour here or a few days!

The Panda’s Thumb

This Web log highlights evolution-related research, exposing and deposing antievolution pseudoscience such as “intelligent design” (ID). The news media is combed for follies to expose and errors to correct. The site gets its name from a Stephen Jay Gould essay about the giant panda’s adaptation for stripping bamboo leaves.