Tales from the Microbial Laboratory

~the dolphin is flying once again~

~~~~~

The flying dolphin moved to the new lab, although for months now it's been sitting on top of boxes, looking rather dejected.  Today (my last day at the lab for a few months) I decided that the last thing I would do was to get help (aka a tall person) to help me hang up the dolphin.  Of course I haven't filed everything away yet, there is much I haven't done - but the dolphin is flying, and that feels good.

I also packed up file folders with some articles that I would need in order to work on a few manuscripts, and I transferred files onto an external hard drive.

(And yes, this is the dolphin that starred in the lab's first film short... definitely a must see!)

...another Microbial Lab PhD is roaming the streets... run!

 
Another doctoral student has successfully defended her dissertation in the Microbial Lab. 

This is Maria, yesterday - 30 minutes or so after her committee gave her the thumbs up (gotta love the smile), referred to her as 'Dr', after she drank a bit of champagne - and after she signed the ceremonial bottle with her name and the date.  Ahhh... tradition.  She did a great job - and there was a great turnout for her defense seminar.  She had some of her extended family attend - including an incredibly cute 4th grader (Maria's nephew) who I gave a question to (on a piece of paper) - and who at the end of her talk, raised his hand and asked the question:  "How many antibiotics do Doctors use that came from the marine environment?"  There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your student give a solid seminar that gets lots of interesting questions afterwards - and to hear the compliments fly during the defense itself.

This is the third doctoral student that I've graduated (in 18 months) since my non-renewal of contract from the University I was affiliated with for 16 years.  First there was Ben, then Nikole, and now Maria.  There was no thank you from anyone affiliated with the University regarding my commitment to mentoring these students (without any financial compensation from the University) for the past 18 months.  I didn't expect it.  I haven't expected decency from them in years.   

Truthfully, yesterday was bittersweet for me.  I awoke this morning, realizing that it is the first time in 16 years that I haven't had a graduate student in my laboratory.  And because of the uncertainty in my own work life right now, I'm also not in communication with prospective students.  I'm definitely burned out, but it isn't the science or the lab that has caused it - but instead it's the result of keeping the lab together despite the hostile environment created by a few key individuals.  Individuals that are now in my past.   It is now time for reconstruction, time to move forward - I've honored my commitments, seen them through to a successful conclusion.  I wouldn't have done it any other way, and I'm proud of what we all have accomplished despite the obstacles.  This week The List will be updated, a proposal for developing a distance-ed course on marine infectious diseases will be written, grant due-dates will be reviewed - and possibly, quite possibly, microbial community DNA from deep sub-sea samples from the Gulf of Mexico will be sent off by the Microbial Lab's postdoctoral fellow for sequencing (please send positive vibes to the Gods of DNA Extraction).  And perhaps I'll even finish unpacking my new office.  I still need a salary, but we have a small, equipped lab, and offices - and we're affiliated with a new place that is supportive.

So... the Microbial Lab lives!  And another one of it's PhDs is roaming the streets... with a big smile on her face. 

 

       

~for the love of bacteria~

 
The Microbial Lab has moved.

Not this blog...it's staying put (although it's a bit neglected and suffering from a serious case of attention deficit disorder).  But the lab's physical presence is moving - from this space, to a spot about 70 miles north.  Yeah, it's a long story (that's not meant for these pages) - and it's why I've been so preoccupied for months (well, it's one reason why I've been so preoccupied for months).  Bottomline:  as of today, all of the Microbial Lab's microorganisms were relocated to the new space - which involved a large amount of dry ice, numerous large coolers, and cold fingers.  But I am happy (and relieved) to report that all of our microbial subjects are safely stowed in their new -80C freezer.

So, I suppose I've told this story by spilling the end first.  Oh, it's not the end end - and I suppose I'll eventually tell the story, in pieces, snapshots, soundbytes.  At the end of the day, at the end of this day - what it represents is change.  Inevitable (and not asked for but perhaps much needed) change.

"Everything changes, nothing remains without change."

Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta (founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

Hilarious!

a satsuma cake!

 
~ice, falling off the live oaks~

~~~~~

 It's a cold and dreary day - I woke up twice last night to the sound of sleet on the Airstream:  brief bursts of frozen precipitation.  This morning while outside with the dogs, I first thought glass had broken and scattered in the wind - until I realized it was ice that had formed on the live oak branches, that was falling with each wind gust.  There were many closings, including the major bridges for most of the morning.  I'm sitting in my slowly warming Airstream, editing the 4th chapter of my doctoral student, Maria's, dissertation.  It's the first draft of this chapter, so I'm slowly making my way through it.  She has set a defense date of 11 March 2011 - so her dissertation must be 'defensible' and in to her committee by the end of February.  There's still much to be done - but we will get there.  She's working hard.

~~~~~

  ~my satsuma, kept warm by a mound of wheat straw~

~~~~~

 I've struggled with ways to keep my satsuma tree warm over the past few winters - when it was just tiny (only a foot tall) I covered it with blankets.  I then tried leaves kept in place by a ring of plastic.  That worked well - except the leaves got wet and become heavy - so I'd remove them, add them back - it was kind of a hassle. 

I'm determined though to keep this satsuma alive and kickin' - and most importantly, producing.  I've bragged about my satsuma crop before - I harvested five fruit two years ago, and didn't have a crop at all last year (I blamed it on the unusually cold winter - that we seem to be repeating this year).  This year I have it hidden on cold days and nights under a rather unattractive mound of wheat straw - two bales of straw surround it, and then I sprinkle (loosely) more straw over the top of it.  So far so good - and even after an unusually cold December and now this icy day.

You see, I've got to keep my satsuma thriving - because I can't wait to make these clementine (satsuma) cake from satsumas from my own garden.  Does this recipe look delicious?  The clementine cake is a Nigella Lawson recipe - but over at Greg's Food he substituted satsumas for the clementines to make this cake -  almond flour and satsumas?  Yum.   

~~~~~   

 

 Clementine Cake by Nigella Lawson (recipe and above image found over at Greg's Food)

4-5 clementines(about 1 lb)
6 eggs
1 c plus 2 tbs sugar
2 and 1/3 c. ground almond meal/flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder

Put the clementines in a pot of water and bring to a boil for about 2 hrs. (We did 1.5 hrs and it turned out great!) Take out the little green stem parts and put into a blender or food processor. Pulse to liquify. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse to blend, or like we did, pour liquified orange pulp into a mixing bowl and whisk in the rest of the ingerdients.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Butter (or margarine) a 8in springform pan and line with parchment or wax paper (and butter that as well). Pour in batter and bake for 1hr. Like in the original recipe, we put an aluminum foil hat on the cake for the last 20 minutes - it was getting pretty dark.

~~~~~

...another champagne bottle signed!

 ~Nikole, The Microbial Lab's newly minted Ph.D.~

~~~~~

 Last Friday, a doctoral student in my lab defended her dissertation - always an exciting day - except that the morning of the defense I came down with the illness from hell.

Yep, sick as a dog.

(With nothing bad intended towards dogs, I mean, as you all know - I like dogs alot).

The defense wasn't until the afternoon (3 pm) - so in the morning, I was in denial that I wasn't up to standing for any length of time (much less was I up to getting dressed, looking acceptable for public viewing, driving, or sitting upright during an hour long seminar).  So during this period of denial, another committee member (who was conferencing in from Maryland) contacted me that she was unable to do so - and so I was a bit stressed, wondering if I should postpone the defense.

[But...I knew that postponing the defense would have been cruel.  Unusual and cruel.  And in my feverish state I kept thinking (rather hilariously) to myself:  "I can't postpone.  Nikole is a Virgo."]

Now, we all know that astrological signs don't generally come into play during defenses, but it had become something that Nikole often used to explain her pathological need to get things done not only on time, but early.  And she was into lists, and checking things off her lists.

So her list for Friday:

(1)  defend dissertation

How could I postpone that?

 I was in denial until early afternoon.

I also couldn't keep down water, couldn't sit upright for more than a few minutes, and was thinking an awful lot about astrology, which was a bit out of character for me.

So - I did what I didn't want to do (and had never done before):  I participated in the defense from the comfort of my 1973 Airstream home.  Fortunately we had already set up a web meeting program, and had a call-in number - one committee member was already conferencing in from Australia.  I got approval to have the Maryland committee member talk with Nikole the following Monday... and at a few minutes before 3 pm I called in - and introduced my graduate student to an audience of about 40 folks over the phone.  Now, I will say it was weird introducing her over the phone - but I also had to laugh at myself, because I think I did a better job than I normally do.  When I am present, I tend to downplay introductions - because I think 'they want to hear him/her, not me' - so I end up doing a lame job.  But because I felt a little strange doing it over the phone via distance, I put a bit more thought into it... and had to laugh when my student Maria said it was the better than most of my introductions.

So for a hour-long seminar, and a two-hour defense afterwards, I sat in the Airstream at my computer with phone in hand.  The end result:  I didn't have to rush out of the auditorium to vomit during her talk (I could do it in the privacy of my own Airstream) and Nikole got to check off the one thing that was on her list for last Friday.

The next evening I was feeling a bit better - and went to her home where she and a small gathering of friends toasted to her accomplishment.  Then, in a Microbial Lab ritual, she signed the ceremonial bottle of champagne with her name and the date of her defense.  The bottle will join the others in my office - a symbol of a successful day that represented years of hard work and dedication.

I always get teary eyed during my students' defenses.  Even in the Airstream, as I listened to her seminar - tears welled up.  Maria and Nikole have behaved with such integrity over the past year, during this wartime year, and the respect that I have for them is beyond words.  They are both good scientists, but they are even better human beings.

Gifts for that Special Microbiologist on your List, The 2010 Edition

 
~Carbon (top image) and phosphorus (bottom image) associated with a single cell of Burkholderia vietnamiensis PR1₃₀₁, obtained at the Advanced Photon Source by the Microbial Lab~

~~~~~ 
 
  Yes, it's that time again that you've all been looking forward to - the annual release of the 'Gifts for that Special Microbiologist on your List, The 2010 Edition'!  If you're catching up, please take a look a prior years to see what all of the fuss is about... I try not to overlap (or at least much) from previous years - so check out lists from the years below to get some additional ideas.

• 2009
• 2008
• 2007
• 2006

And before I go on - please remember that all microbiologists, well, at least most microbiologists, have been very good this year.  So now... let's jump right in!

~~~~~

 
~Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas by F. Rohwer with Merry Youle (2010)~

From their website:

For millennia, coral reefs have flourished as not only one of the planet's most magnificent ecosystems, but also as its most biodiverse. However, since the 1980s the corals have been struggling. Both coral bleaching and disease have spread globally. During recent research expeditions to the remote Line Islands, microbial ecologist Forest Rohwer and his colleagues found that the large-scale changes to the reefs in recent decades are the work of the microbes as they respond to various human impacts. Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas is the first book to recount this story, complete with introductions to the coral reef ecosystem, 21st century metagenomic research tools, and the coral's microbial and viral partners. An engaging book, its science is liberally spiced with artistic illustrations and playful stories from the research expeditions.

The perfect book for that adventuresome marine microbiologist in your life! 

 ~~~~~

 
~The Fatal Menace of MRSA Superbug by Maryn McKenna~

Is there someone on your list looking for a little microbial reading that will keep them up at night?  Then this book is just the thing.

~~~~~

What special man in your life doesn't dream of having a 'I love Microbiology' necktie?  (And if he doesn't dream of having one, then you might want to reconsider your relationship...).

 ~~~~~

What about a 'Trust me, I'm a Microbiologist' button?  The perfect stocking stuffer I'd say, or perhaps a festive addition to your holiday package wrapping paper and ribbon?

~~~~~

 
Who doesn't want a Gift Box of Mini Plush Microbes?  Now, the big decision is whether your Microbiologist would want the collection that includes Spermatozoon, Human Ovum, Epstein-Barr Virus, Amoeba proteus, and Penicillium chrysogenum (Set 1) or Herpes Simplex Virus 2, Treponema pallidum, Human papillomavirus, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Pennicillium chrysogenum (Set 2).  Or perhaps they want both?  The perfect microbial stocking stuffer I'd say.

~~~~~

 
~Cyanobacteria asymmetric necklace in green agate~

I've mentioned Arctida's work on Etsy before (her rabies virus garnet pendant necklace) - but this year I came across this lovely necklace.  Here is Arctida's description of the piece:

The pendant in this necklace is totally made from scratch using various gauges of sterling silver wire. The frames were meticulously coiled with micro-faceted Emerald Green Agate rondelles. The necklace fastens with a lobster clasp and extension chain, which I've finished off with a single Green Agate rondelle.

Also - go and take a look at Arctida's Streptococcus pneumoniae asymmetric necklace.  [And don't forget to check out her 'science talk' that accompanies it's description (charming, don't you think?)]:

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a normal inhabitant of the human upper respiratory tract. S. pneumoniae can cause pneumonia, as well as infections in other parts of the body such as in the bloodstream (bacteremia), lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), bones (osteomyelitis), joints (arthritis), ears (otitis media) and sinuses (sinusitis). Usually, they are seen as pairs of cocci (spherical or spheroid shape), but they may also occur singly and in short chains. The primary virulence factor (or in other words the ability of a microbe to cause disease) of pneumococci is their polysaccharide capsule (which can be seen as a "halo" around the cells on the last pic). It is non-toxic but helps bacteria to evade the host immune cells.

~~~~~

 
~green and orange amoeba necklace~

What about this lovely amoeba necklace?  There's this one - and other lovely options - over at starvingartistbazaar's Etsy webpage.  Go check them out.

~~~~~

 
~microbial coin purse or gift card holder~

  Check out FruteJuce's coin purse over at Etsy.

~~~~~

 
~Louis Pasteur linocut~

Is there a Louis Pasteur fan on your gift list (and how could there not be)?  Check out Minouette's Etsy webpage - and this Louis Pasteur linocut.

And don't forget to take a look at these wonderful fused glass Louis Pasteur cufflinks by minijean3 or this original ink and watercolor drawing of Louis Pasteur by davidrcollier.

~~~~~

 
 ~Tuberculosis virus from Vintage French Medical book cufflinks~

What microbiologist doesn't need a pair of tuberculosis or tetanus cufflinks?  Or this incredible vintage microscope pendant?  spiffycool has a fascinating collection of cufflinks, pendants on etsy - all Scrabble tile creations.  Spiffy indeed...

~~~~~

 
~swine flu scarf~

Infectious Awareables has always been a favorite of mine.  So what about this swine flu scarf for her, and the matching swine flu necktie for him?  The perfect gift for that microbiologist-couple in your life (although, really, if they do wear them - at the same time - you might want to start worrying just a bit...).

~~~~~

 
~microbial Rita Hayworth~

Now go check this out:  FamousMicrobal's Microbial Rita Hayworth.  Pretty fun, huh?  There's also a Microbial Tim Leary, Microbial Klaus Nomi, Microbial James Dean... pretty unique gift I'd say.

~~~~~

     
~Microbes~   

 From carlacrafts - this wonderful acrylic and mixed media (sand) on vinyl piece (48"x48").  Also check out the piece titled 'Microbes Study" (watercolor and mixed media on watercolor paper).

~~~~~

 
~Under the Microscope 2 original watercolor~

Check out Articlogica's Etsy page - and gorgeous collection of microbial watercolors.  Under the Microscope 2 and more...

~~~~~

 
  ~image of bacteria growing on agar by Amy Chase Gulden~ 

   Now - for something really fun and different.  Head over to Growing Impressions, and take a look at their bacteria prints and cyanotypes.  Bacterial paint - pretty cool, eh?  I'm not exactly sure if these are for sale - but you can inquire using the email address at the bottom of their Welcome page.  They have a blog as well - so you might want to take a look there as well.

(And go take a look at this piece on Alexander Fleming's 'germ art'... on don't forget to browse the gallery over at Microbial Art.)

~~~~~

 
~Bacteriogram by Erno-Erik Raitanen~

      I've mentioned Erno-Erik Raitanen before - and his exquisite bacteriograms.  But since I last looked at his website, he's added some new pieces - so go and take a look.  (And read a little bit about his process here).

~~~~~

Now, maybe you have a microbiologist friend that you just want to infect with an addictive online game - so why not Microbe Kombat?

~~~~~

Now, your microbe-lovin' friend may just want some quality time with you... yes, that is possible you know.  So why not take a look at the Nikon's Small World Photomicrography competition website - and then plan a visit to one of places participating in the Nikon Small World Museum Tour?  I think that would be a lovely gift - and I can't imagine a microbiologist that isn't just dying to see one of the Small World exhibits.

~~~~~

As for this microbiologist, any of the vintage microscopes from this site will do...(hint, hint) - I've mentioned these before, and still think they're beauties for sure.  I hope this updated list for 2010 helps you shop for those difficult (and not-so-difficult) to shop-for microbiologists in your life - whom I'm sure have all been very, very good this year.

And finally - best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season from the Microbial Lab!    

(ps  As always - if you've come across anything else new and interesting that you think belongs on this list - please leave a comment or email me - I'll definitely include it.).       

The List, Updated.

~Annabelle Lee~

~~~~~

I doubt that Annabelle Lee has a list of any kind, unless it's a mental list of snakes that she hopes to wrangle in her lifetime.  I can see her 'bucket list' now:  (1)  catch black racer snake that has thus far proved elusive, (2)  if black racer snake is caught, obtain the courage to kill it (and not just bark and jump around, which will entice Handsome Stanley to saunter over and kill the snake without all of the silly Pointer Sister drama), and (3)  parade the black racer snake around the garden, and show it off in front of THE DAN.

I'm thinking that's a pretty nice bucket list for a Pointer Sister.

~~~~~

My list is a little different.  And even amidst the craziness of the past year, we've been slowing slogging through it, sometimes modifying it as we go, adding another paper as new data presents itself - a team effort for a lab that has had a challenging year.  We're smaller in number now (the eclair-baking postdoc has accepted a position at  non-profit in Maryland) but we're no less determined - our numbers will soon dwindle even more, with both of my doctoral students slated to defend their dissertations in December.  But new students will appear, new scientists will wander into the Microbial Lab and decide to stay.  The ebb and flow of the lab, something that I still haven't fully gotten used to, but recognize as the natural ryhthm of an academic life.

~~~~~

I haven't been spending much time here.  At the end of the day, when I often want to write, I simply haven't felt like doing so.  I suppose it's the ebb and flow of blog life, or perhaps it can be explained better by inertia brought on by a long, hot summer and a difficult year and a Nikon that is shedding it's last images.  Work has been a constant though, as has the garden - and through it all, some positive things are beginning to happen, and I'm slowly, but surely, washing myself of the dysfunctional situation that I was in.  A new wind is beginning to blow.

~~~~~ 

The List first emerged in August of 2009, just a few days after my termination from my job of 15 years - and more recently here, in April of 2010.  It's a nice list, considering the circumstances, and I'm proud of what my lab has accomplished (more or less since June of 2009).  The truth is that everyone has been working their asses off.  Posting The List helps to keep me focused, helps me to prioritize what I need to work on next.  There is still much to be done, much to write, edit, proofread and celebrate.

~~~~~   

THE LIST

1. work describing a coral pathogen and the role of motility (led by our collaborators in Israel): Published.
2. work describing metabolites produced by a coral pathogen (led by local collaborators): Published.
3. work describing genes involved in nutrient cycling in coral microbial communities: Published (and take a look at the journal cover photo).
4. work describing the bacterial communities in the upper respiratory tract of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins: Published.
5. work describing the phylogeny of a globally-distributed coral pathogen (collaborative with colleagues from Australia):  Published.  
6. work validating the presence of a coral pathogen in the Caribbean and the pathogen's antimicrobial characteristics: Published.
7. work describing a method to detect and quantify a coral pathogen in environmental samples: Published.
8. work describing culturable bacteria and fungi in gastric, upper respiratory tract and fecal samples of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins: In Press.  
9. work describing the genome and proteome of a coral pathogen, with a specific focus on temperature-dependent virulence: In Preparation.
10. work describing the genome (full description) of a coral pathogen at two different temperatures: In Preparation.
11. work describing the proteome (full description) of a coral pathogen at two different temperatures: In Preparation. 
12. work describing the antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility profiles of coral-associated bacteria: In Preparation.
13. work describing the anti-microbial activity/properties of coral-associated bacteria:  In Preparation. 
14. a review focused on the urgent need for coral diagnostic approaches:  In Preparation.
15. work describing the effect of pH on membrane vesicle production and composition in a Gram negative bacterium:  In Preparation. 
16. manuscripts 9-15 are all close to submission - in addition to these 7 manuscripts, we have ~10 additional manuscripts where the data is collected, some writing has been done, but they are not yet close to submission.

The List, Updated

 
~redwing Euphorbia~

~~~~~

Thank goodness I don't go through the whole pollen allergy thing - because around here right now, there's a layer of the stuff on everything.  It makes you wonder what it's elemental composition is, and if it wasn't around, what ecosystems might collapse!

~~~~~

The Microbial Lab's mission moves forward - with the submission of two manuscripts over the past few days to the open access journal PLoS Pathogens.  It was the first time that we have submitted to PLoS - and I'm looking forward to the fast turnaround for reviews.  We wanted this work - focused on the genome and proteome of an emerging coral pathogen - to be published in an open access journal for easy accessibility to the broader coral research community.  Now just cross your fingers and toes that the reviews go well - it was our 'first' genome and proteome (and we've become quite attached).

THE LIST was last updated on the last day in January 2010 - and then there was this much earlier update on 10 August 2009.  Progress has indeed been made.  The Microbial Lab's Life during Wartime continues on, and I must say that with 10 manuscripts either published or in review since early last summer, that getting an even dozen submitted within a year seems possible to me now.  That will be the new goal of the Microbial Lab during this wartime year. 

In the meantime, I might go out into the garden for awhile, with the pollen, and weed.  
  
~~~~~

THE LIST

1. work describing a coral pathogen and the role of motility (led by our collaborators in Israel): Published.
2. work describing metabolites produced by a coral pathogen (led by local collaborators): Published.
3. work describing genes involved in nutrient cycling in coral microbial communities: Published (and take a look at the journal cover photo).
4. work describing the bacterial communities in the upper respiratory tract of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins: Published.
5. work describing the phylogeny of a globally-distributed coral pathogen (collaborative with colleagues from Australia):  Published.  
6. work validating the presence of a coral pathogen in the Caribbean and the pathogen's antimicrobial characteristics: Published.
7. work describing a method to detect and quantify a coral pathogen in environmental samples: In Revision.
8. work describing clinically-relevant bacteria and fungi in gastric, upper respiratory tract and fecal samples of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins: In Review.  
9. work describing the genome of a coral pathogen: In Review. 
10. work describing the proteome of a coral pathogen at two different temperatures: In Review. 
11. working describing the antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility profiles of coral-associated bacteria: In Preparation.
12. work describing the toxicity of a nanoparticle to bacteria: In Preparation.
13. manuscripts 8-12 are all close to submission - in addition to these 4 manuscripts, we have ~12 additional manuscripts where the data is collected, some writing has been done, but they are not close to submission (just yet!).

first dog

Sadly, the Microbial Lab's Poet Laureate, Katherine, and her spouse, the poet Richard Garcia, lost their much loved first dog, Louis Armstrong Garcia y Williams, today after a brief illness.  They are understandably quite sad, but Louie lives on in their own wonderful words (Jubilate Louie, Adam and Eve's Dog, and below).

What a wise and lucky dog.  What wise and lucky poets.

~~~~~   

Louie, M.D., Ph.D. by Richard Garcia

There was a dog who was a psychiatrist that wanted to analyze his master. He was aware of the ethical and professional problems analyzing his own master could create. Regardless, because his master seemed depressed, he decided to proceed. He would sit by his master's side and wait for him to speak. But all his master ever said to him was, "sit," "come," or "stay." The dog suspected that his master was fixated on these three words. Later, he wrote in his notebook, "I believe that the patient was forced to remain in a closet for long periods of time during his childhood, impairing the development of his language skills." The dog that was a psychiatrist waited for his master to lie on the couch and talk about his childhood. But his master never lay on the couch. It was as if, the dog thought, his master was afraid of falling asleep. So the dog would lie on the couch in comfortable-looking positions of ease. He would stretch out, close his eyes and sigh with pleasure. He would lie upside down with his paws in the air. He would make running movements with his legs to indicate he was having a pleasant, squirrel-chasing dream. He hoped that by following this example his master would lose his fear of sleep. But all his master did was stand there offering him a Milk-Bone. "Milk," the dog later wrote in his notebook, "Perhaps a reference to his mother's breasts." "Bone," he wrote,"Perhaps he is overcome with his fear of death." The dog that was a psychiatrist sat in his office late into the night. He was concerned about how little progress his master was making in therapy. He stared at his notes, raised one ear, cocked his head to one side--and chewed on his pencil.