US EPA

1351588 

Journal Article 

Newsmaker interview: Felisa Wolfe-Simon. Discoverer asks for time, patience over arsenic bacteria controversy 

Pennisi, E; Wolfe-Simon, F 

2010 

1 

Science
ISSN: 0036-8075
EISSN: 1095-9203 

330 

6012 

1734-1735 

English 

21205645 

10.1126/science.330.6012.1734 

WOS:000285603700005 

Three weeks ago, NASA astrobiology fellow Felisa Wolfe-Simon published a paper in Science about bacteria that can use arsenic instead of phosphorus in DNA and other biomolecules. Four days before the publication, NASA sent out a media advisory that it would hold a press briefing to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Then came a torrent of criticism by scientists. Wolfe-Simon and her co-author Ronald Oremland then came under attack by journalists when they declined to respond to media calls for a response to these comments. On 16 December, the authors posted responses to some of the issues on http://scim.ag/arsenicresponse, and Science will publish technical comments and responses in early 2011. In the meantime, Wolfe-Simon agreed to share some of her thoughts in an interview with Science's news department last week. A longer version is available online at http://scim.ag/arsenicqa.