Ant Venom Holds Clues for Pain Pathways in Mammals
Scientists have characterized a component of bull ant venom that causes hypersensitivity to touch and heat in mammals Continue reading Ant Venom Holds Clues for Pain Pathways in Mammals
Climate Change is Happening in Our Own Backyards
by Jessica Schifffigures by Sarah Dendy Climate change is impacting every region in the United States, fueling more intense natural disasters. It is hard to ignore the number of people leaving their homes due to either sudden events, like wildfires, or gradual climate-related changes, like sea level rise. In 2020, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (iDMC) reported 1,719,000 new displacements and registered 126,000 internally displaced … Continue reading Climate Change is Happening in Our Own Backyards
Peer Review in Science: the pains and problems
by Wei Li News about exciting and novel science is being published every day, whether it’s about a new technique for rejuvenating skin cells, or a new breakthrough in fighting drug resistance for cancer patients. However, when you read these news articles, how can you assess if they are trustworthy? How do you know if a new technique actually works or if the data used … Continue reading Peer Review in Science: the pains and problems
Heavy Metal Exposure Creates Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Exposure to heavy metals leads to increased antibiotic resistance within the human body. Continue reading Heavy Metal Exposure Creates Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Apples and Oranges: How Do You Compare the Capacity of Algae and Trees?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air is the basis of the global food chain. Plant leaves contain proteins that collect the carbon and remove the oxygen (O2). These proteins are virtually identical in all plants and algae, however, what this collected carbon is converted into differs widely. This poses a problem in measuring the efficiency of plants, since it is difficult to compare the amount … Continue reading Apples and Oranges: How Do You Compare the Capacity of Algae and Trees?
The Human-Tuberculosis Arms Race
by Sanjana Kulkarnifigures by Corena Loeb The bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) has been infecting humans for thousands of years. Today, TB, which is thought to have originated in Africa and evolved alongside human hosts, is found across the globe and causes 1-2 million deaths annually, making it the second leading infectious disease killer after COVID-19. As new COVID-19 variants keep emerging, we can observe the … Continue reading The Human-Tuberculosis Arms Race
May 18: Survival of the Quickest: How Climate Change Has Shaped Evolution
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 18th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Daniel Richard Evolution acts most strongly during times of change – favouring those species that are best equipped to handle new challenges. In the distant past, climate change has acted as a strong driver of evolutionary change – shaping species and whole ecosystems as they adapt to their new environments. Given … Continue reading May 18: Survival of the Quickest: How Climate Change Has Shaped Evolution
Even Dinosaurs Get Sick: Discovery of the Oldest Lung Infection in a Dinosaur
Evidence of a respiratory infection was discovered in a 150 million year old dinosaur providing further understanding of prehistoric disease acquisition Continue reading Even Dinosaurs Get Sick: Discovery of the Oldest Lung Infection in a Dinosaur
Antibiotic Persistence and Resistance
by Molly Sargen Antibiotics are drugs that kill or inhibit the growth of microbes, including bacteria and fungi. These drugs work by blocking essential processes like protein production, DNA replication, and cell division. After Alexander Fleming’s serendipitous discovery of Penicillin, antibiotics became a central feature of medical care. Today, antibiotics are used to treat a wide variety of infections and prevent new infections during invasive … Continue reading Antibiotic Persistence and Resistance
May 4: Turning Back the Clock: The Science of Staying Young
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 6th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Alex Plesa Aging is the major risk factor for multiple human disorders such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration, accounting for approximately 90% of deaths in developed nations. With the global population experiencing an unprecedented growth in the proportion of older individuals, aging is becoming an increasingly significant public health concern … Continue reading May 4: Turning Back the Clock: The Science of Staying Young