Tag: Biology

Seminars, Uncategorized

The Cell’s DNA Construction Crew: Repairing and rebuilding the genome

Presented by Thomas Graham The DNA inside one of your cells, if stretched end to end, would be about two yards long and less than 1/50,000 the width of a human hair. Your cells have been following the instructions in your DNA since you began life as a single-celled embryo, and they will continue doing so as long as you live. Unfortunately, your DNA is … Continue reading The Cell’s DNA Construction Crew: Repairing and rebuilding the genome

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What large ants tell us about variation in complex human traits

Traits that exist along a continuum, such as height, size, and behavior, vary significantly from person to person. The genetic and environmental interactions that cause these characteristics have long stumped scientists. In a recent study by Alvarado et al., ant larvae were exposed to an environmental factor that regulated adult ant size. The scientists were able to generate large and small ants just by changing … Continue reading What large ants tell us about variation in complex human traits

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From Kansas to Oz: How new glasses could change the way the colorblind see the world

You probably saw the photo of the dress that caused an uproar on the Internet a few weeks ago (1). You probably also formed a firm opinion about whether the dress was blue and black or white and gold. Some of you may even have worried that you were colorblind when you saw a different color dress than your peers. As it turns out, however, … Continue reading From Kansas to Oz: How new glasses could change the way the colorblind see the world

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New Weapons in the Fight against Germs: A Technique to Find More Anti-bacterial Compounds

Certain types of life-threatening bacteria are no longer killed by current antibiotics, creating a need to develop new compounds to fight them. Scientists have been studying proteins produced by animals and humans, called cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs), that the body uses to fight off infections. Recently, scientists developed a new method to identify CAMPs, and they hope the method can uncover CAMPs that are effective … Continue reading New Weapons in the Fight against Germs: A Technique to Find More Anti-bacterial Compounds

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Worth the trip: psychedelics as an emerging tool for psychotherapy

As your eyes close, a kaleidoscopic vision of pattern, color, and sense of deep meaning engulfs your entire field of experience. Thirty minutes ago you were given a controlled dose of a highly potent, and highly illegal, hallucinogenic compound—all in the name of science. Months from now, you will say that this was one of the most profound experiences of your life [5]. You have … Continue reading Worth the trip: psychedelics as an emerging tool for psychotherapy

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A “dirty” trick to discover new drugs

Overprescription of antibiotics pressures bacteria to evolve resistance. The rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” – harmful bacteria that cannot be treated with antibiotics – is an often overlooked threat to public health. The World Health Organization, however, recognizes bacterial antibiotic resistance as a “major threat,” and the problem is gaining media attention including a recent Science in the News article [1,2]. Recently, a research team from … Continue reading A “dirty” trick to discover new drugs

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The Human Microbiome and Media Confusion

Science journalism is an essential medium for keeping the general public well informed about ground breaking and exciting science. But in the process of translating complex research into attractive material for general consumption important details and subtleties are often lost. Unfortunately these losses can result in misleading representations of science, communicating preliminary and correlative data as nearly proven fact. Separating truth from hype isn’t easy … Continue reading The Human Microbiome and Media Confusion

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Are genetically-modified organisms now safer?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have amazing potential for improving lives, from providing nutrients to undernourished populations to cleaning up pollutants to synthesizing drugs on large scales. Yet escape of GMOs into the environment could upset nature’s balance, just as invasive species can cause extinctions of native species. Recently, researchers have effectively encoded safety locks into the genomes of these organisms to prevent their proliferation into … Continue reading Are genetically-modified organisms now safer?

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The Reason for the Season: why flu strikes in winter

“Did you get your flu shot?” If your friends are anything like mine, you heard this question at least a dozen times before Thanksgiving. You probably got your fair share of disdainful looks too, if you answered “No.” But why are we worried about getting the flu shot now and not in May? Why is there a flu season at all? After all, what does … Continue reading The Reason for the Season: why flu strikes in winter

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