Remembering Prey: The Short-Term Memories of Venus Flytraps
Venus flytraps use calcium signaling to remember and trap prey. Continue reading Remembering Prey: The Short-Term Memories of Venus Flytraps
Tag:
It’s Worth a Shot: Preventing vaccine-preventable diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic
by Mahaa Ahmedfigures by Tal Scully The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many corners of the world to a standstill. While researchers and scientists race to develop and distribute a vaccine, many places are still subject to a host of restrictions on daily life designed to keep people safe. Unfortunately, this may actually lead to endangerment of children’s health in other critical ways. More than just … Continue reading It’s Worth a Shot: Preventing vaccine-preventable diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic
An Introduction to Ribosomes: Nature’s busiest molecular machines
by Francesca Tomasifigures by Jovana Andrejevic Right now, the world is eagerly awaiting clinical trial data for two candidate COVID-19 vaccines known as mRNA vaccines. mRNA stands for “messenger RNA,” referring to the molecule that the vaccine delivers to our bodies. Once the vaccine enters our cells, the mRNA tells them exactly how to build a piece of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine itself cannot … Continue reading An Introduction to Ribosomes: Nature’s busiest molecular machines
Breathing Life into the Low Blood Oxygen Dilemma of Early COVID-19 Infections
A mathematical deep-dive into the function of the lungs may provide clinical insight for low blood oxygen levels in COVID-19 patients. Continue reading Breathing Life into the Low Blood Oxygen Dilemma of Early COVID-19 Infections
Dog Noses Can Sense Warmth Far Away
For dogs, the rhinarium is the furless tip of their snouts. Researchers have found that this cold and wet small surface area may detect heat even from far away. Continue reading Dog Noses Can Sense Warmth Far Away
For Microbes, There’s No Place Like HOM(e)
by Sophia Swartzfigures by Nicholas Lue Welcome HOM(e)! Your mouth isn’t too different from a city. Like a city, your mouth contains hundreds of different inhabitants and communities. However, these inhabitants are not humans or animals. Instead, your mouth contains hundreds of thousands of microbes. Microbes are small organisms—like bacteria or fungi—that cannot be seen by the human eye. For example, 100 bacterial cells could … Continue reading For Microbes, There’s No Place Like HOM(e)
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
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
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