Converting Plastic Waste into Fuel
Plastic waste is a huge problem in the world, but only 9% of plastic waste each year is recycled. Recently, researchers discovered a more efficient method of plastic recycling that can hopefully incentivize plastic recycling in the near future. Continue reading Converting Plastic Waste into Fuel
The Power of Gene Drives: Altering Species Without Losing Control
Novel CRISPR-based gene drive technology engineers fruit flies to introduce desired genes into a population in a controlled manner. Continue reading The Power of Gene Drives: Altering Species Without Losing Control
Improving the Power Grid’s Resilience with Renewable Energy Resources
A theoretical study finds that restructuring the US electricity power grid to rely solely on renewable energy sources will improve the grid’s resilience to local disruptions. Continue reading Improving the Power Grid’s Resilience with Renewable Energy Resources
Ultrawhite Rooftops Could Help Cool the Planet
A new type of ultrawhite paint could help keep buildings cooler and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Continue reading Ultrawhite Rooftops Could Help Cool the Planet
Understanding Our Evolution through our Mouth Microbes
An international team of researchers sequenced the microbes from dental scrapings of Neanderthals to understand more about their diet. Continue reading Understanding Our Evolution through our Mouth Microbes
Children of Chernobyl Survivors Don’t Show Excess DNA Damage from Disaster
The DNA from children of Chernobyl survivors has been sequenced and does not show higher levels of mutations than other children. Continue reading Children of Chernobyl Survivors Don’t Show Excess DNA Damage from Disaster
Gertrude Elion: Forging the path towards a cure for cancer
Jasmin Joseph-Chazan is a second-year PhD student in the Immunology department at Harvard University. You can find her on Twitter as @chazanjasmin. Isabella Fraschilla is a Ph.D. student in the Immunology Program at Harvard Medical School. She is studying how immune cells regulate commensal gut bacteria. Cover image by Arek Socha from Pixabay. This biography is part of our “Picture a Scientist” initiative. To learn … Continue reading Gertrude Elion: Forging the path towards a cure for cancer
Gertrude Elion: Forging the path towards a cure for cancer
by Isabella Fraschilla Despite never receiving a PhD, Gertrude Elion was awarded the 1988 Nobel Prize in Medicine. She shared this prize with Sir James Black and her mentor George Hitchings for revolutionizing pharmacology by rejecting the standard trial-and-error approach for rational drug design. Their critical work in understanding drug metabolism and physiological processes resulted in the rare Nobel Prize awarded to employees of a … Continue reading Gertrude Elion: Forging the path towards a cure for cancer
Are Beneficial Bacteria the Answer to Coral Bleaching?
Transplantation of symbiotic bacteria to heat-sensitive corals helps protect them against bleaching, but many questions remain. Continue reading Are Beneficial Bacteria the Answer to Coral Bleaching?
The Surprising Influence of Smell on Aging
by Hannah Smithfigures by Xiaomeng Han If you ask any aging researcher, “What is the easiest way to make an animal in the lab live longer,” they will likely say “change what, or how much, they eat.” However, new research shows that it’s not just the food we eat that changes how we age, but that aging is also affected by the food we smell. … Continue reading The Surprising Influence of Smell on Aging