

Bacteria Have Body Clocks Too
Organisms throughout nature have an internal biological clock within them known as the circadian rhythm. It turns out that bacteria have them too. Continue reading Bacteria Have Body Clocks Too

Erich Jarvis: What birds can teach us about ourselves
Hannah Smith is a Biology PhD student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Hannah is interested in the biological pathways that regulate aging, and whether we can target these pathways to make people healthier in old age (but she’s currently doing experiments on the microscopic nematode worm C. elegans, not humans). Wei Wu is a graduate student in the Design Studies program at … Continue reading Erich Jarvis: What birds can teach us about ourselves

Erich Jarvis: What birds can teach us about ourselves
by Hannah Smith Have you ever wondered why you can teach a parakeet to talk, but you can’t teach a dog or a cat? Dr. Erich Jarvis has spent his scientific career studying the brain pathways required for this behavior, called vocal learning, and trying to decipher how this trait evolved only in a handful of animals. But before he was well known around the … Continue reading Erich Jarvis: What birds can teach us about ourselves

Herman Branson: a pivotal figure in protein biology
Koby Ljunggren is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Biophysics Program at Harvard University. Abby Knecht is a second year graduate student in the Molecules Cells and Organisms program at Harvard University where she is studying self versus non-self recognition in bacteria. Cover image by Image by stokpic from Pixabay. This biography is part of our “Picture a Scientist” initiative. To learn more about the amazing … Continue reading Herman Branson: a pivotal figure in protein biology

Herman Branson: a pivotal figure in protein biology
by Koby Ljunggren Proteins are much more complex than the number on a nutrient label. They serve as the building blocks for every process that keeps your cells alive. To do this, proteins must be able to mold into many different shapes to carry out their intended function. In every fundamental biology classroom around the globe, students are taught about two major 3D shapes in … Continue reading Herman Branson: a pivotal figure in protein biology

Brown Tree Snakes Found to Lasso Their Way Up Large Trees
Brown tree snakes have been found to climb large trees by shaping their bodies into a lasso pattern. Continue reading Brown Tree Snakes Found to Lasso Their Way Up Large Trees
Episode 19: Scientists at Home: COVID & International Students
In this episode of our Scientists at Home series, Christian Struck (Graduate Student in German Literature, with a Secondary in Critical Media Practice at Harvard University) discusses the impact of COVID-19 on international students in the US, such as the travel bans and the visa regulations. Read more about Christian’s work here: german.fas.harvard.edu/people/christian-struckRecording date: November 11, 2020Featuring: Wei Li, Christian Struck Continue reading Episode 19: Scientists at Home: COVID & International Students

Scientists Store Data in DNA of Living Bacteria
Using electrical inputs and CRISPR biology, researchers have programmed bacteria to encode binary data. Continue reading Scientists Store Data in DNA of Living Bacteria

When Correlation Does Not Imply Causation: Why your gut microbes may not (yet) be a silver bullet to all your problems
by Dawn Chenfigures by Daniel Utter Did you know that the divorce rate in Maine strongly correlates with the per capita consumption of margarine? Wow, maybe abstaining from margarine prevents divorce! I can definitely imagine a pop-media article with this eye-catching title. Before throwing out all margarine to save your marriage, an intelligent reader like you would probably think to yourself: “what absurdity, it’s probably … Continue reading When Correlation Does Not Imply Causation: Why your gut microbes may not (yet) be a silver bullet to all your problems

Arthritis Drugs May Help Combat COVID-19
What do arthritis and COVID-19 have in common? A name that’s all too familiar? An immune system gone haywire? Possibly more? Continue reading Arthritis Drugs May Help Combat COVID-19