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Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL) plaque. This research institution, in Massachusetts, USA, is dedicated to furthering the understanding of human biology by the study of marine organisms. Founded in 1888 as a private laboratory, it is still unaffiliated with any university, and is largely maintained by government grants. It is the largest biology laboratory in the world, and its courses and research programmes attract over 1000 students and scientists each year. Among the most famous research at the MBL is the study of the axon (nerve cell) of squid, which has provided greater understanding of consciousness and neurological disorders. Photographed in 2002. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/VOLKER STEGER)