The Possibility of a New Path to Parenthood
by Mahaa Ahmedfigures by Jovana Andrejevic Each of the organs in our body has an important role to play. So, what happens when one of them is damaged? For many years, one of the only solutions to an irreparably damaged organ was an organ transplant; however, the need for organs far exceeds the number of donors. Approximately 17 people die each day waiting for an … Continue reading The Possibility of a New Path to Parenthood
Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician, Author, Pioneer
Jaclyn Long is a first year Ph.D. student in the Immunology Program at Harvard Medical School. 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 Parentingupstream from Pixabay. This biography is part of our “Picture a Scientist” initiative. To learn more about the … Continue reading Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician, Author, Pioneer
Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician, Author, Pioneer
Rebecca Lee Crumpler was born in Delaware in 1831. She was raised by her aunt in Pennsylvania, who often spent time caring for sick neighbors. Inspired by her aunt, Crumpler began working as a nurse in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1852. During her eight years as a nurse, she impressed many of the doctors that she worked with. These doctors eventually encouraged her to apply to … Continue reading Rebecca Lee Crumpler: Physician, Author, Pioneer
Human-Made Materials Outweigh All Living Beings on Earth
Have you ever considered how the total weight of all the structures, vehicles, and infrastructure built by humans compares to all life on Earth? In their recent Nature paper Ron Milo and colleagues estimate that human made objects now weigh more than all living beings, and warn of an unsustainable trend with potential catastrophic consequences. Continue reading Human-Made Materials Outweigh All Living Beings on Earth
Dog Ticks Change Their Appetite with Rising Global Temperatures
Climate change is shifting the preference of ticks from dogs to humans, generating a spike in cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Continue reading Dog Ticks Change Their Appetite with Rising Global Temperatures
Can Microdosing Psychedelics Improve Your Mental Health?
by Isabelle Grabskifigures by MacKenzie Mauger When you hear the term “psychedelics,” you might think of hallucinogenic and mystical experiences. Popular psychedelics include LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), magic mushrooms (containing the psychedelic psilocybin), and DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine, part of the spiritual medicine ayahuasca), all of which can cause intense psychological experiences colloquially known as “trips.” However, there is an emerging push within the scientific community to … Continue reading Can Microdosing Psychedelics Improve Your Mental Health?
Preliminary Studies Point toward New COVID-19 Drug Targets
Breakthrough research published in Nucleic Acids Research suggests SARS-CoV-2-related RNA may serve as potential drug targets for COVID-19. Continue reading Preliminary Studies Point toward New COVID-19 Drug Targets
Chemical Composition of Air Pollution Particles Varies in Cities
Researchers recently determined that while potentially health-damaging aerosols are relatively evenly distributed throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein, some potentially dangerous compounds in the aerosols tend to cluster near cities. Continue reading Chemical Composition of Air Pollution Particles Varies in Cities
The Effect of Social Isolation on the Zebrafish Brain
Zebrafish shed insight into how the brain responds to social isolation: their neuronal gene activity changes depending on how many others are around them. Continue reading The Effect of Social Isolation on the Zebrafish Brain
Plants Can Camouflage Too, and They’re Hiding from Us
Commercial harvesting of plants may have forced them to evolve to camouflage and evade humans. Continue reading Plants Can Camouflage Too, and They’re Hiding from Us