This is an image of a small artery in a mouse eyelid that has formed a thrombus (blood clot). When a blood vessel is damaged, chemicals that attract platelets are released from the site of injury. Platelets in the flowing blood stick to the site, and in turn release attractants for even more platelets. A cascade begins that causes fibrinogen, a protein that is dissolved … Continue reading Flowstopper
Certain types of life-threatening bacteria are no longer killed by current antibiotics, creating a need to develop new compounds to fight them. Scientists have been studying proteins produced by animals and humans, called cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs), that the body uses to fight off infections. Recently, scientists developed a new method to identify CAMPs, and they hope the method can uncover CAMPs that are effective … Continue reading New Weapons in the Fight against Germs: A Technique to Find More Anti-bacterial Compounds
In many elementary schools, students are introduced to the idea that rats spread one of the deadliest diseases in human history – the Bubonic plague. It was told in history classes that rats carried fleas, which carried the bacteria responsible for the Bubonic plague. These rodents prospered in the poor sanitary conditions of European cities and went on to spread the disease to humans throughout … Continue reading Which rodent is to blame for Bubonic Plague outbreaks?
Image by Don W. Pottle This is an image of crystals of aspirin with caffeine. An Excedrin tablet was crushed in water and allowed to dissolve. Drops of the solution were placed on a glass microscope slide and allowed to dry. Examining and photographing the resulting crystals using a 60X oil immersion lens and DIC (Differential Interference Contrast) filters produced these spindle-like images. The spindles … Continue reading Crystallized Relief
Image Credit: Kristen Seim Jane eats organic foods, avoids plastic containers and switched to plant-based shampoo and cosmetics. “You have no idea how clean my home is, but I still don’t feel protected,” Jane told me. Like many other expectant mothers, Jane is stressed about protecting her baby’s health. We all have reasons to be worried about man-made chemicals in our environment, even if we … Continue reading Call for the pass of chemical safety reform
As your eyes close, a kaleidoscopic vision of pattern, color, and sense of deep meaning engulfs your entire field of experience. Thirty minutes ago you were given a controlled dose of a highly potent, and highly illegal, hallucinogenic compound—all in the name of science. Months from now, you will say that this was one of the most profound experiences of your life [5]. You have … Continue reading Worth the trip: psychedelics as an emerging tool for psychotherapy