Breaking Down Instead of Silencing: A Step Forward in a New Class of Drugs
Biologists at Stanford University have developed the LYTAC, a new class of drug that might be the future of therapeutics due to its ability to breakdown previously un-accessible proteins on cell walls and its adaptability. Continue reading Breaking Down Instead of Silencing: A Step Forward in a New Class of Drugs
Artificial Sunscreen Protects Cells from X-ray Radiation
Researchers create a melanin particle containing selenium, providing even more protection from harsh UV rays. These nanoparticles can be incorporated into clothing – providing astronauts a very lightweight alternative to lead shielding. Continue reading Artificial Sunscreen Protects Cells from X-ray Radiation
How to improve cheese quality and taste? Understand the cheese’s microbial community.
What makes all the different cheeses taste so wonderful? All of the different microbes that help make your cheese! Scientists have begun linking specific flavors to specific bacteria – meaning sometime soon we can start making designer cheese flavors. Continue reading How to improve cheese quality and taste? Understand the cheese’s microbial community.
Pregnancy, Abortion, and a Crisis of Misinformation
by Harini Chakravarthy “But need alone is not enough to set power free: there must be knowledge.”-Ursula K.Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea A heart-wrenching agony. A practical choice. A relief. A regret. The decision to terminate a pregnancy can be many things. I have had to face this decision in my life and, during that tumultuous period, the one thing I relied on was … Continue reading Pregnancy, Abortion, and a Crisis of Misinformation
Pint-Sized Science: How do songbirds learn their songs?
Interviewee: Dr. Marc Schmidt, Professor of Biology, University of Pennsylvania Interviewer: Hope Merens, PhD Student in the Biological Sciences, Harvard University Pint-Sized Science · Pint-Sized Science: How do songbirds learn their songs? Have you ever wondered how a songbird knows the song that it sings? How successful are different songs at attracting female songbirds, and how do females decide what songs they like? What are … Continue reading Pint-Sized Science: How do songbirds learn their songs?
Robot Swarms Communicate with Artificial Pheromones
Researchers implemented an artificial pheromone system to allow robots to communicate within a swarm. Continue reading Robot Swarms Communicate with Artificial Pheromones
Want to control a pesky mosquito population? Convert all the females to males!
Don’t want to be bitten by mosquitoes? Well, new research has found a gene that can make females, the ones that bite, into males, the ones that don’t. Continue reading Want to control a pesky mosquito population? Convert all the females to males!
Solace and Warnings From Our Planet’s Most Successful Non-Human Farmers
by Rebecca Silbermanfigures by Aparna Nathan It only took a few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic to send the American farm industry reeling. The supply chains that connect soy fields and chicken coops and greenhouses with American tables were not built for a world that lacks steady restaurant traffic or school lunches, where instead consumers are emptying supermarket shelves. There is at once a surplus … Continue reading Solace and Warnings From Our Planet’s Most Successful Non-Human Farmers
The Shark Movement: Fresh insight into Tiger Sharks in Gulf of Mexico
A recent study of tiger sharks reveals migratory changes based on life stage, sex, and season – and points to oil drilling platforms as key hangout spots, which could have large consequences for their population. Continue reading The Shark Movement: Fresh insight into Tiger Sharks in Gulf of Mexico
Et tu, Okmok? Alaska’s Okmok Volcano Contributed to Fall of Roman Republic and the Ptolemaic Kingdom
As the Roman Republic began to fall, the Earth suffered from extreme cold and famine that helped push Rome’s instability to its ultimate collapse. The cause of the extreme climate? The eruption of an Alaskan volcano on the opposite side of the world. Continue reading Et tu, Okmok? Alaska’s Okmok Volcano Contributed to Fall of Roman Republic and the Ptolemaic Kingdom