Month: October 2015

Blog

Natural Gas Leaks Increase Climate Risk of Energy Source

by Jordan Wilkerson figures by Brad Wierbowski The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a new wave of regulations, and they focus on one thing: methane. Due to the EPA’s recent proposal, we have been inundated with stories about methane, its connection to the fossil fuel industry, and its comparison to carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas [1,2]. However, the authors often leave out a … Continue reading Natural Gas Leaks Increase Climate Risk of Energy Source

4 Comments
Seminars

The highs and lows of medical marijuana: marijuana’s effects on physiology, health, and society

Presented by Nick Jikomes, John Hatch, and Kayla Davis Marijuana is a psychoactive substance widely used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Medical marijuana is currently being used to treat a number of chronic conditions and diseases, despite its variable legal status in the U.S. This lecture will explore the potential therapeutic effects of cannabinoids as well as the social, political, and medical consequences of … Continue reading The highs and lows of medical marijuana: marijuana’s effects on physiology, health, and society

1 Comment
Blog

The literal tree of life is useful, updatable and already needs updates

If asked what animal is genetically closest to a hippo, you might point at any number of four legged, land-roving mammals with hooves, such as a pig or a very fat cow, because we have a natural tendency to think that animals that look similar will also be genetically related. In this case, however, the right answer is whales… obviously. An animal’s morphology can hide … Continue reading The literal tree of life is useful, updatable and already needs updates

2 Comments
Birth control pill packaging
Blog

Organ Transplant Drugs Provide Insight into Development of Male Birth Control Pill

Researchers in Japan have made a breakthrough in the search for a birth control pill for men after discovering that two commonly used immunosuppressants cause reversible infertility in mice.  Cyclosporin A (CsA) and Tacrolimus (FK506) are often given to organ transplant patients to prevent rejection of their new organ.  Miyata et al.discovered that the target of these two drugs, an enzyme called calcineurin, is critical … Continue reading Organ Transplant Drugs Provide Insight into Development of Male Birth Control Pill

Leave a comment
Blog

Natural and Added Sugars: Two Sides of the Same Coin

by Mary E. Gearing figures by Shanon McArdel It’s hard to find a more controversial topic than sugar, which is never far from the media’s attention. From the recent hype surrounding That Sugar Film to the continued demonizing of high fructose corn syrup, we can’t stop talking about sugar and how we’re likely eating too much of it. In an effort to decrease sugar consumption, … Continue reading Natural and Added Sugars: Two Sides of the Same Coin

30 Comments
Blog

Friend or Foe? Getting the body to make peace with bioengineered drug delivery systems

Recent drug discoveries promise new treatments and cures for many diseases. However, getting a drug to work, not only in experiments with cells in the lab, but also in the human body, is difficult. One challenge? Getting past the body’s line of defense, the immune system, which fights foreign invaders that make it into the body. In September, a news article reported that scientists have … Continue reading Friend or Foe? Getting the body to make peace with bioengineered drug delivery systems

Leave a comment
Art Gallery, Images, Videos

Cytoskeleton Four Ways

This Bovine Pulmonary Artery Endothelial (BPAE) cell is stained to show two components of the cytoskeleton – microtubules in green, and actin filaments in red (in the top right panel). The cell is a crowded place, so one of the functions of the cytoskeleton is to act as a highway along which cellular components can be moved to the proper part of the cell. This … Continue reading Cytoskeleton Four Ways

Leave a comment