The modern challenges of combating malaria
— From a distance, malaria looks like a disease that we should have eradicated by now. Scientists have known for many years that most dangerous malaria cases are caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. This parasite is transmitted to humans through the bite of an Anopheles mosquito, and has a complicated but well-understood lifecycle within its human host, involving invasion of both the liver and the blood. In humans, malaria causes fever, vomiting, headaches, and general achiness, but complications including brain damage, seizures, and red blood cell damage are responsible for most human deaths. With so many potential places to target malaria treatment – in the human liver, in human blood, or in the mosquito that carries the parasite from person to person – why did it still kill 655,000 people in 2010? Continue reading The modern challenges of combating malaria
Climate Change: What We Know and Where We Go From Here
Presented by Elizabeth Thomas, Sujit Datta, and Atreyee Bhattacharya During the last three billion years, Earth’s climate has nurtured life. However, records of Earth’s history indicate that climate has changed dramatically with major consequences for its inhabitants. What drives such climate changes? What are the consequences? In tonight’s lecture, we discuss the effects that greenhouse gases can have, as well as a novel engineering approach … Continue reading Climate Change: What We Know and Where We Go From Here
Neglected Diseases of the Bottom Billion
Presented by Jason Silverstein, Jennifer Manne, and Karolina Maciag HD video coming soon! In the meantime, checkout our other videos on our Vimeo page! Continue reading Neglected Diseases of the Bottom Billion
Cancer: The Disease That’s Just as Smart as We Are
— On any given weekend from March until October, it’s a fair bet that somewhere in your state there’s an event raising money for cancer treatment, prevention and/or research. It probably seems, at times, like someone should have found a cure by now – after all, there has been an organized and concerted effort to cure this disease for the better part of the last century. What is it about cancer that makes a cure so elusive, despite the efforts of innumerable hard-working and intelligent people? It turns out we have spent a significant part of the last century underestimating just how clever cancer can be, but researchers and doctors are beginning to develop a better view of this disease, and as a result, are developing better treatments which may one day make cancer as treatable as any other chronic but manageable disease. Continue reading Cancer: The Disease That’s Just as Smart as We Are
Avian Flu and Censorship: When Would Scientists Keep Their Mouths Shut?
Presented by Ann Fiegen, Kevin Bonham, and Tina Liu When a team of scientists discovered in 2011 how to make the deadly H5N1 “Avian flu” virus transmissible through air, it stirred a debate about scientific ethics and national security that has raged for months everywhere from the top levels of the National Institutes of Health to the front page of the New York Times. In … Continue reading Avian Flu and Censorship: When Would Scientists Keep Their Mouths Shut?
Transplantation Redux: Advances in Face Transplantation
— According to Max Eastman, “a smile is the universal welcome.” For individuals whose faces are severely disfigured due to trauma, burns or disease, a smile may be difficult, or even impossible, to express. Facial deformities may impair daily activities, such as eating, swallowing, breathing, and talking. Consequently, these individuals may hide from the public in an attempt to avoid curious stares from strangers. For those patients who have exhausted all conventional means of facial reconstruction, face transplantation offers the possibility of regaining muscle movement and sensory control in the face. For example, doctors hope that the surgical procedure will help patients to prevent drooling, display various emotions, and speak and eat more easily. Continue reading Transplantation Redux: Advances in Face Transplantation
I Can Show You the Worlds: The Science of Planetary Exploration
Presented by Anjali Tripathi, Kirit Karkare, and Sukrit Ranjan Earth is one of the eight planets in our Solar System. Within the past 20 years, astronomers have discovered more than 700 planets in the Universe, which are orbiting stars that are not our Sun. Presently, the Earth remains the only place in the Universe that we know of to harbor life. In this talk, we … Continue reading I Can Show You the Worlds: The Science of Planetary Exploration
Trials and Tribulations of a Transplant
— Last month, physicians at the University of Maryland Medical Center made headlines after performing what is regarded as the most extensive face transplant in history. In 1997, a firearm accident left Richard Norris without a nose, lips, and part of his tongue. For the next fifteen years, he kept his face hidden. But three days after his trailblazing surgery last March, he looked in the mirror and saw the new face that he could show to the world without fear. The biology behind transplantation plays a huge part in how they’re done and what can happen afterwards. Whether it’s a boundary-breaking face transplant or a more common kidney transplant, the biology behind transplantation influences how donors and recipients are matched up, the care a patient will need after the surgery, and ultimately, the outcome of the transplant, even years down the road. Continue reading Trials and Tribulations of a Transplant
Programming Matter: Smart Surfaces, Molecular Machines, and Invisibility Cloaks
Everything that we can see, small, taste and touch is made of matter. For the first ten thousand years of human development, we crudely shaped matter (like metal and wood) into forms that we could use. Continue reading Programming Matter: Smart Surfaces, Molecular Machines, and Invisibility Cloaks
Antibiotics and foodborne pathogens: are superbugs born in livestock?
— Despite our best efforts to wash our hands and keep raw meat separate from other ingredients while cooking, over 76 million Americans per year become ill from foodborne bacteria or the toxins produced by them. The bacterial culprits are typically E. coli, Salmonella, or Campylobacter jejuni. While gastrointestinal diseases are unpleasant, they can be treated with antibiotics that kill the offending bacteria. However, scientists and consumers alike worry that antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” may soon contaminate the food supply. One step the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking to prevent such superbugs is to regulate the use of antibiotics in livestock. Continue reading Antibiotics and foodborne pathogens: are superbugs born in livestock?