Understanding the Spatial Landscape of Cells in the Brain by Rena Ren Join our Seminar 7pm November 29th in Northwest B103, 52 Oxford St, Cambridge MA Or join our livestream at this link Introduction Cells, too small for our eyes to perceive, constitute the fundamental unit of biology. All the cells within our bodies share a nearly identical DNA, which serves as the genetic blueprint … Continue reading Free Seminar: Building the Cell Atlas
by Nicolai Penafigures by Jasmin Joseph-Chazan Toward the end of the 20th century, the intricate biology of how the eye produces visual information was thought to be well understood– a combination of sensors and circuits in the eye extract features of visual scenes. This information is conveyed from the eye to the brain by specialized neurons that physically connect the two structures (Figure 1, blue). … Continue reading Vision you can’t see: How the brain senses the time of day
by Hannah Blumefigures by Salvador Balkus In some ways, a living cell is like a shoreline, where some creatures build their homes on rocky, solid structures while others live in shifting and dynamic sands. This ecosystem needs both rigid and fluid structures to support life, and similarly, individual cells in our bodies use both structured and fluid compartments to carry out vital functions. The existence … Continue reading Liquid-within-liquid compartments: a groundbreaking discovery in biology
by Shreya Johrifigures by Cynthia Moncada-Reid What if AI could design personalized workout plans, craft tailored travel itineraries, or even compose cover letters for job applications? With the advent of ChatGPT, it can. ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that uses a cutting-edge machine learning architecture called GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) to generate responses that closely resemble those of a human. Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is … Continue reading The Making of ChatGPT: From Data to Dialogue
by Gizem Terzioglufigures by MJ Park Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, and despite years of research efforts, there is still no cure. However, recent studies have highlighted the crucial roles of microglia, the resident immune cells of our brain, in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. But the question remains: do microglia defend our brain against … Continue reading Are microglia the hero or the villain in Alzheimer’s disease?
by Ya’el Courtney In 2022, the majority of Americans (52%) followed a particular diet or eating pattern, primarily motivated by two things: a desire to protect long-term health and a desire to lose weight. According to data from the International Food Information Council, 23 million Americans chose to follow a ketogenic, or “keto”, diet last year to work towards these goals. This number has more … Continue reading Keto – It’s Probably Not Right for You
by Emily Goeringfigures by Andrea Luviano Did you know that sea lampreys are more likely to grow into males if they aren’t fed enough food? Or that one type of shrimp produces male offspring in the long days of summer, but females in shorter fall days? Sexual determination systems are the methods by which organisms produce offspring with differing biological sexes. Although all vertebrates evolved … Continue reading On the Basis of (Fish) Sex
by Isabella Del Priorefigures by Carlos Morales We’ve all heard it before: high cholesterol is bad and can increase your risk for heart disease. Though there is a direct association between cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol, there exists controversy and confusion over treatment options. What counts as “high” cholesterol, do I really need to cut out eggs, and which one is the “bad” one again? … Continue reading My Doctor Told Me I Have High Cholesterol, Now What?
by Beatrice Awasthifigures by Shreya Mantri Loss of motor or cognitive skills can be a devastating after-effect of injury or illness. When things that used to feel easy suddenly feel impossible, a full recovery can appear completely out of reach. In many cases, persisting symptoms of pain, weakness, and fatigue can be due to dysfunction of the nervous system. Fortunately, the nervous system has an … Continue reading Neuroplasticity: how lost skills can be regained after injury or illness
by Carlos Moralesfigures by Shreya Mantri Our cells perform extraordinary functions using information stored in their genetic material, known as DNA. Changes in DNA, known as mutations, can make cells behave erratically, which may lead to cancer. But how does cancer begin? A new model proposes that RNA — the molecular link between DNA and proteins — is at the heart of this phenomenon. How … Continue reading RNA plays a newly discovered role in the development of cancer