Adventure, Botany, & Conservation: The ABCs of Ynés Mexia
by Manasvi Verma In all my travels I’ve never been attacked by a wild animal, lost my way or caught a disease… I don’t think there’s any place in the world where a woman can’t venture. – Ynés Mexía As the climate disaster becomes more imminent, environmental conservation is a pressing need. Recently at the forefront of public discourse, this movement has been simmering behind-the-scenes … Continue reading Adventure, Botany, & Conservation: The ABCs of Ynés Mexia
Submicroscopic Pistons Open a New Chapter for Nanomachines
Nanomachines are plagued by their short lifespans and the looming chaos in the environment. This group at TUM used a new tubular design made from DNA to keep the machine together, but the chaos out. Continue reading Submicroscopic Pistons Open a New Chapter for Nanomachines
A Guide to Networking: Forest Style
by Olivia Foster Rhoades Olivia Foster Rhoades is a seventh-year Ph.D. candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard & is pursuing a concentration in STS at the Harvard Kennedy School. You can find her on Twitter as @transcriptent. Cover image by Picography from Pixabay. This article is part of our special edition on networks. To read more, check out our special edition … Continue reading A Guide to Networking: Forest Style
Graph Theory 101
by Sabina J Haquegraphics by Jovana Andrejevic Networks in everyday life What is one of the first things people do when they join a social media platform like Facebook? They send friend requests to whomever they know. Each of those people already has their own connections on Facebook, who also have their own connections, and so on. Being an active Facebook user pinpoints an individual’s … Continue reading Graph Theory 101
Autoimmunity: When the body’s defense network goes haywire
by Garrett Dunlapgraphics by Shreya Mantri If you ever doubt how special you are, consider that one of the world’s most sophisticated security forces works non-stop to protect you and you alone. Once a threat to your safety is identified, a highly trained group of spies, intelligence networks, and assassins leap into action to quickly eliminate it and stay on the lookout for similar future … Continue reading Autoimmunity: When the body’s defense network goes haywire
Understanding Life on the Prairie through Ecological Networks
by Jaclyn Long figures by Wei Wu Grasslands are a type of ecosystem that make up over a quarter of the earth’s land. These habitats are often found in between deserts and forests, and are characterized by low levels of rainfall and regular fires. In North America, grasslands are usually called prairies. The rich soil held in place by grass roots makes them particularly useful for … Continue reading Understanding Life on the Prairie through Ecological Networks
Trps of the Trade: Underneath the efficient biology of the tryptophan operon
by Edward Chenfigures by Corena Loeb Within any biological system, interactions abound. Organisms, cells, and individual molecules all affect the world in their own way, whether that’s caribou grazing, immune cells patrolling, or caffeine binding to neuronal receptors These infinitely many events and processes together form the networks that shape life. Within these networks, the effect of a process sometimes dampens down the process itself—we … Continue reading Trps of the Trade: Underneath the efficient biology of the tryptophan operon
Air Bubbles Allow Some Lizards to Breathe Underwater
A new study shows that some lizards can use air bubbles to breathe underwater. Continue reading Air Bubbles Allow Some Lizards to Breathe Underwater
Happy Hormones Play a Role in Vocal and Sound Learning
Dopamine is not just a happy hormone — it is also heavily involved in learning and memory. Recent studies are showing that dopamine plays a key role in auditory learning in songbirds. Continue reading Happy Hormones Play a Role in Vocal and Sound Learning
Our Body’s Stem Cells use an Ancient Mechanism to Defend against Viruses
Lacking the antiviral mechanisms of the rest of our body, stem cells use an ancient trick from plants and worms – RNA interference – to protect against viral infection. Continue reading Our Body’s Stem Cells use an Ancient Mechanism to Defend against Viruses