The Genetic Engineering Toolbox: A whirlwind tour of GMO technology
Time: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, October 11th Location: Armenise Amphitheater at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston (link to directions) Speakers: Ali Rudolph and Maximilien Baas-Thomas Every living thing interprets its DNA using the same genetic code, so if you want to build life, create new abilities, and ensure we do it all safely, we’ll need to learn everything there is about the language of life. GMOs … Continue reading The Genetic Engineering Toolbox: A whirlwind tour of GMO technology
Can We Erase Painful Memories with Electroconvulsive Therapy?
by Xiaomeng Han figures by Abigail Burrus What comes to mind when you hear the term electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)? A cruel torture method for disobedient psychiatric patients portrayed in films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Or a last-resort for treatment-resistant depression with less discomfort and fewer side-effects? New developments in using ECT to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder might soon give us a new way … Continue reading Can We Erase Painful Memories with Electroconvulsive Therapy?
Politics and Prejudice: How Diversity Shapes Scientific Progress
Time: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, October 4th Location: Armenise Amphitheater at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston (link to directions) Speakers: Maddy Jennewein, Kate Lachance, and Jacob Shenker What does a scientist look like? If a group of children are asked this question, they all have similar answers – a middle-aged Caucasian man wearing glasses and a white lab coat. Indeed, in reality, nearly 50% of all … Continue reading Politics and Prejudice: How Diversity Shapes Scientific Progress
What’s the Catch? Diving into the sustainability of eating fish
Time: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, September 27th Location: Armenise Amphitheater at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston (link to directions) People: Michael Raspuzzi and Neeti Nayak A healthy choice for you may not be good for the health of the environment. With the pressures of feeding a growing population within constrained resources, this talk takes a top-down approach to understand how to be “sustainable” at the … Continue reading What’s the Catch? Diving into the sustainability of eating fish
Could Zika become a treatment for brain cancer?
Glioblastoma is one of the most deadly brain cancers because it is nearly impossible to destroy the cause of the cancer: cancerous stem cells. However, scientists are using Zika’s preference for stem cells to target and eliminate the cancerous stem cells in adults. The preliminary study shows the viability of this method, but more thorough research and a PR campaign may be necessary before Zika treatments for brain cancer can become standard protocol. Continue reading Could Zika become a treatment for brain cancer?
History’s Greatest Arms Race: How infectious diseases have changed human evolution
Time: 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, September 20th Location: Armenise Amphitheater at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston (link to directions) There’s no question that infectious diseases have a huge impact on our lives and our societies. But did you know that these infections have also shaped our very biology? In this talk, we will explore the influence that infectious diseases have had on human evolution. In … Continue reading History’s Greatest Arms Race: How infectious diseases have changed human evolution
Scientists Learn to 3D Print Cells One Drop at A Time
3D printing is poised to become a major technological advancement in treating injuries and illnesses that cause tissue damage. For scientists, creating artificial tissue with 3D printing has been a challenge. As the 3D printed structure grows in size, cells often move and compromise the tissue’s structural integrity. New work from Oxford University addresses this problem. By encasing cells in nanoliter sized droplets of fat molecules, researchers are able … Continue reading Scientists Learn to 3D Print Cells One Drop at A Time
The Hidden Genetic Code
by Amir Bitran figures by Daniel Utter Proteins, the molecules that sustain all life, are similar to cars and other machines in an important way: they require a specific, well-defined structure to function. Obviously, a random pile of car parts cannot be driven. And similarly, a protein that is not assembled correctly cannot perform crucial tasks like producing energy, supporting cell structure, and generating electric signals. In … Continue reading The Hidden Genetic Code
Catching Cancer: Blood Test for Early-Stage Diagnosis
What is the difference between a normal cell and a cancer cell? The answer lies in their DNA. Cancer results from the accumulation of genetic mutations, which trigger uncontrolled cell growth. Cancer’s mutated DNA can reveal its presence early on in the disease. Like leaving fingerprints at a crime scene, tumor cells release small pieces of DNA into the bloodstream. This “circulating tumor DNA” can now … Continue reading Catching Cancer: Blood Test for Early-Stage Diagnosis
Hold Artificial Intelligence Accountable
by Chamith Fonseka figures by Rebecca Senft The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) tends to evoke images of self-aware computers and robots – Knight Rider, Wall-E, the Terminator – but for the most part, this technology is, for now, restricted to fiction and film. In that time, however, artificial intelligence has already become embedded in everyday life, playing a role in everything from online shopping … Continue reading Hold Artificial Intelligence Accountable