In a first, two groups of researchers have created a chimeric mouse brain with rat cells, providing a new way to understand brain evolution. Continue reading Researchers create interspecies brain chimeras from mice and rats
Come meet Professor Flaminia Catteruccia, and her lab, from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and find out about their research on malaria, and the mosquitoes that transmit the pathogen that causes it! Join us at The Seahag, 49 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138 on Tuesday, April 30th, between 6:30 and 8:00 PM. Drinks and snacks will be provided, and we … Continue reading Science by the Pint presents: “Blood, drugs, and bugs!”
by Brittany Linnfigures by Swathy Karamchedu To escape the oppressive summer heat, many of us seek the cool retreat of air-conditioned shopping centers, movie theaters, and public buildings; however, traditional air-conditioning systems are not without environmental consequences. Climate change awareness has inspired numerous laws and regulations to phase out chemicals produced by air-conditioning systems that contribute to climate change. Liquid refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) … Continue reading A New Way to Beat the Heat: Scientists Develop an ‘Elastocaloric’ Cooling Device
Researchers have uncovered a genetic variant that is associated with childhood leukemia disparities in Hispanic-Americans. Continue reading Scientists discover genetic factor underlying childhood cancer risk in Hispanic-Americans
Losing a tail on human’s evolutionary branch may have been caused by a rare kind of mutation resulting from parasitic, self-replicating DNA. Continue reading Researchers discover a unique mutation involved in how humans lost their tails
Once hunted to near extinction, sea otters have returned to California. A new study reveals the key role these critters play in maintaining coastal ecosystems. Continue reading Sea otters protect coastlines from erosion
By Mara Casebeer Just like a city has highways to transport goods and people from one area to another, your cells have their own set of highways to transport important components like proteins and genetic material. These cellular highways are called microtubules, and they are traversed not by trucks and cars, but by molecular motors – proteins that can carry cargo and step along microtubules … Continue reading How Molecular Motors Harness the Power of Thermodynamic Fluctuations
After generating 187 new genomes from primate species, researchers found a large fraction of the human genome that is highly conserved across evolution. Continue reading Researchers identify regions in the human genome that are consistent across primates
Scientists have long struggled to explain the formation of dolomite, a mineral that is abundant in ancient rocks. A new theory solves this 200-year-old problem, paving the way for exciting innovations in materials science. Continue reading Scientists solve a mountainous mystery
Researchers have discovered that one of humanity’s closest relatives also experiences menopause, contradicting a popular hypothesis about the evolutionary origins of this process. Continue reading Chimpanzees go through menopause, too