Trimming the Fat: What genomics can tell us about obesity
Come learn about the role of genetics in obesity risk and appetite! Along the way, we’ll learn about the fundamentals of modern genetic research and the genomics revolution. We’ll discuss what “big data” in genetics has taught us about obesity and the challenges that remain. Continue reading Trimming the Fat: What genomics can tell us about obesity
Make the FDA Great Again? Trump and the future of the drug approval process
Update: Since the writing of this article, Donald Trump has picked Scott Gottleib as FDA commissioner. -SITN editorial staff by Linda Honaker figures by Rebecca Clements Donald Trump will soon pick a new commissioner for the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). The choice will likely be someone who will try to make the administration’s drug approval requirements less rigorous in order to get drugs on the … Continue reading Make the FDA Great Again? Trump and the future of the drug approval process
Scientists show predators could drive fish to colonize land
Scientists may have found an explanation for why the first amphibious fish moved from water to land. On a small island in the South Pacific Ocean, four species of blennies spend half their time in water and half on land. To test whether predation could be driving the transition to land, researchers created blenny mimics and dispersed them throughout the blennies’ habitats. They found that the aquatic mimics were attacked at a much higher frequency than the terrestrial mimics were, making predation a viable cause for the water-to-land transition. Continue reading Scientists show predators could drive fish to colonize land
Microbial Physicians: Delivering drugs with bacteria
by Benika Pinch Fancy a pill packed with bacteria? Researchers are investigating using genetically modified bacteria, taken in pill form, to treat human disease. Informally, they are called “designer probiotics”. But, unlike probiotics (microorganisms with known health benefits), they can’t be obtained via a serving of yogurt from your local supermarket. Rather, the bacteria in question are feats of genetic engineering and are specifically designed … Continue reading Microbial Physicians: Delivering drugs with bacteria
Diabetes, Cancer and the Drug that Fights them Both
by Megan L Norris figures by Bradley Wierbowski The emerging link between cancer and diabetes In the early 2000s, observations that diabetics are more likely to get cancer than non-diabetics began piling up. Was this because diabetes and cancer share general risk factors such as diet, aging and obesity? Or was there a direct link between them, with cancer benefiting from the sugar-rich and inflamed … Continue reading Diabetes, Cancer and the Drug that Fights them Both
Ocrelizumab: The first treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis
by Tianli Xiao figures by Abigail Burrus Multiple sclerosis begins when a patient is as young as 20. It can start with blurry vision, tingling in the arms or legs, or a persistent feeling of tiredness. MS is a long-term, progressive disease that worsens over time, but there are few drugs available today. Even worse, patients diagnosed with a less common form of MS known … Continue reading Ocrelizumab: The first treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis
Pseudomonads
The adaptation of the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa often produces phenotypic diversity. Here, mutants isolated from a genetic screen show notable differences in phenotype: the production of pigments, size, shape, and texture. The blue-green pigmentation seen in some mutants results from the production of pyocyanin, an excreted toxin that kills other microbes and mammalian cells. Whereas, the brown pigmentation is caused by the exocellular pigment, pyomelanin, which … Continue reading Pseudomonads
The End of the Waitlist: How chimeras could solve the organ transplant problem
by Garrett Dunlap figures by Shannon McArdel Every ten minutes, another person joins the list of hundreds of thousands waiting for organ transplants. The wait is sometimes years long, despite many of the candidates being in critical condition. But what if the need for transplant waiting lists could be eliminated? Recent advances in a decades-old technology known as chimerism give reason to believe that this … Continue reading The End of the Waitlist: How chimeras could solve the organ transplant problem
One Neuron to Rule Them All?
The brain is arguably the most complex organ in the human body and understanding its structure could help explain a fundamental mystery of human existence: consciousness. The brain is composed of billions of specialized cells called neurons, which communicate with each other via electrical and chemical signals. Neurons are responsible for processes ranging from vital life functions to the ability to walk, talk remember, … Continue reading One Neuron to Rule Them All?
Could Woolly Mammoths Walk Again?
The Church lab at Harvard University recently announced plans to create a hybrid mammoth and elephant. Using a technology called CRISPR, researchers in the Church lab have learned how to insert mammoth DNA into the cells of modern elephants. Theoretically, this could set the stage for developing an embryo with DNA from both a modern elephant and the woolly mammoth. The group would like to … Continue reading Could Woolly Mammoths Walk Again?