Waking Up to Antifungal Drug Resistance
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh used caffeine to understand how fungi become resistant to antifungal drugs. Continue reading Waking Up to Antifungal Drug Resistance
Slowing ALS with a Two-Drug Therapy
Results from a phase 2 clinical trial reveal that a new two-drug therapy for ALS can slow disease progression by six weeks over a six-month period. This therapy could possibly improve lifespan and quality of life, and may be effective in other neurodegenerative disorders as well. Continue reading Slowing ALS with a Two-Drug Therapy
What Can Evolution Teach us About the Viruses of the Future?
by Sam Berry In 1918, a new influenza (flu) strain infected nearly a third of the world’s population, leaving tens of millions dead. At the time, relatively little was known about this strain, later called the Spanish Flu—why it was so dangerous, how it spread, even what it was made up of. In the past 100 years, we’ve unveiled the structure of the double-helical DNA … Continue reading What Can Evolution Teach us About the Viruses of the Future?
Plants Shut the Door on Infection–Literally
Researchers have discovered how plants can physically prevent pathogens from entering by closing small openings on their leaves. Continue reading Plants Shut the Door on Infection–Literally
Vessels for Collective Progress: the use of HeLa cells in COVID-19 research
by Noel Jacksonfigures by Daniel Utter Have you ever wondered how scientists study human tissue in the lab? They do so with the help of authentic human cells. Normal cells in the human body have a finite number of replications, which limits their lifespan. Immortal cancer cells escape this limit and replicate indefinitely, making them ideal for research that requires a constant supply of quickly … Continue reading Vessels for Collective Progress: the use of HeLa cells in COVID-19 research
Animals in the Fight Against COVID-19
by Sydney Shermanfigures by Daniel Utter If you’ve ever received a vaccine or been prescribed a medication, then you have benefited from the contribution of animals to research. Humans have looked to animals to help combat diseases since at least 380 BC and continue to do so today. The race for COVID-19 treatments and preventatives is no exception. We usually think of animal research in … Continue reading Animals in the Fight Against COVID-19
Bacteria May Have Figured Out Space Travel
Astrobiologists have discovered a way for exposed bacteria to survive voyages through space, giving them the potential to spread life throughout the universe. Continue reading Bacteria May Have Figured Out Space Travel
Pint-Sized Science: The Mysterious Mitochondria
Interviewee: Dr. Katja Hansen, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Laboratory of Dr. Stirling Churchman), Harvard Medical School Interviewer: Chris Rota, PhD Student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard University Pint-Sized Science · The Mysterious Mitochondria: More Than Just A Power Source? You might remember the mitochondria from biology class as the engine that produces the energy that cells (the smallest known units of life) need … Continue reading Pint-Sized Science: The Mysterious Mitochondria
Severe vs Mild COVID-19 infections: differences in immune responses
Why is it that some people get really sick from COVID-19, and others don’t? The answer may lie in a weakened innate immune response. Continue reading Severe vs Mild COVID-19 infections: differences in immune responses
Complex landscapes affect animal cognitive evolution
Land animals are often smarter than aquatic animals but it is still unclear exactly how their cognition developed. In @NatureComms, @malcommaciver and #UgurcanMugan found that complex landscapes and the ability of land animals to see more in air compared to fish in water may have led to planning circuitry in the brains of land animals.
Continue reading Complex landscapes affect animal cognitive evolution