Currently viewing a development environment

Lab Notes

Short stories and links shared by the scientists in our community

Danny Haelewaters

Mycology

Purdue University

Adriana Romero-Olivares

Mycology

University of New Hampshire

A new test for cystic fibrosis takes just two minutes and a scrape across the forehead

Availability of better tests could lead to earlier diagnosis, which is crucial for effective management of the disease

Farah Qaiser

Molecular Genetics

University of Toronto

If you’re trying to catch an atom, try bending Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle a little

Study author describes how quantum mechanics can be used to enhance the precision of measurements — and how other fields can benefit too

Katherine McCormick

Quantum Physics

University of Washington

The secret to longevity may lie in a gene called REST

Centenarians were found to have almost double the amounts of REST in their neurons, as compared with those who only lived to their seventies

Tara Fernandez

Cell Biology

Watch a Dragon launch towards the International Space Station today!

Takeoff is at 12:30PM EST. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is resupplying the ISS with stuff for new experiments and tech demos

Dan Samorodnitsky

Biochemistry

SUNY Buffalo

Researchers who collaborate with top scientists early on do better in their lifelong career

Though some researchers have questioned the study’s methodology, including what constitutes a top scientist or a prestigious institution

Rebecca Muir

Genetics

University College London

Ancient Egyptians were drinking beer that looked just like modern brews

Researchers recently took a physical sample from the vats of Egypt’s oldest brewery establishment and analyzed the chemical components

Lauren Gandy

Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Chemical Biology

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Forget pumpkin spice lattes — there are pumpkin toadlets living among us

These weird and wonderful amphibians are small enough to fit on a penny

Hannah Thomasy

Neuroscience

University of Washington

Conquistadors brought disease to the pumpkins and squash of the Americas

Cucumber disease, brought by invaders, jumped to native agriculture

Dan Samorodnitsky

Biochemistry

SUNY Buffalo

New research shows how protein aggregates destroy muscle cells

These findings have important implications for the treatment of myofibrillar myopathies, a set of diseases that affect the muscles

A science holiday guide for the nerd in your life

Show people how much they mean to you with brain games, microbe toys, animal art, and more

A continuously updated list of bad genetics studies

Is there a gene for being a cat person? A dog person? A mean person? A selfish person?

Dan Samorodnitsky

Biochemistry

SUNY Buffalo

Immune cells like to double up for stronger infection fighting power

Once thought to be experimental artifacts, these cell pairs could provide important insights into the immune system

Sruthi Sanjeev Balakrishnan

Cell Biology

National Centre for Biological Sciences

CRISPR technology for human gene editing is promising, but serious scientific and ethical concerns remain

Multiple sectors of society must be involved in the regulation and applications of CRISPR to medicine

Marnie Willman

Virology

University of Manitoba Bannatyne and National Microbiology Laboratory

CRISPR-Cas9 has received global attention for its potential to  eliminate genetic disorders, infectious diseases, and many other  ailments that plague humans (pun intended). But in the realm of science, when something seems too good to be true, there are often important caveats. The current standing of gene editing technologies leaves many scientists wondering if we know enough about the genome and consequences of “genetic tampering” to do it in the name of betterment of mankind. 

Recently, the US National Institutes of Health pledged $190 million to make gene editing more widespread. Last month, the story of a Russian couple, both of whom are deaf or partially-deaf and want to use CRISPR to genetically modify their embryos so that their future child is not, circulated around the world of science news. But we still do not know all of the potential adverse effects and consequences of gene editing human beings, leading some to argue that the regulation and applications of this important scientific technology cannot be left up to scientists.

The human genome is a complicated and intertwined set of information, and edits in one part of a gene may have downstream effects that we are currently unaware of. For example, gene editing can lead to large-scale deletions and rearrangements of genetic information that could lead to abnormal gene function and cell activity

While the ability to edit and change the human genome is appealing to virtually every branch of medicine, serious ethical, social, and policy concerns surrounding CRISPR and other gene editing technologies must be grappled with alongside their scientific promise. 

I want a new smartphone, but the human and environmental cost is giving me doubts

New gadgets are fun. They’re also abysmally destructive

Cassie Freund

Ecology

Wake Forest University

Soon, algae might absorb carbon dioxide emissions before they even leave the factory

Algae are efficient biofuel producers, and scientists are working on improving our algal-centered technology

Nikita Nandakumar T

Chemical Engineering

Syracuse University

New research points to a simple way to diagnose autism, even in non-verbal patients

Measuring the brain’s ability to toggle between two images is highly correlated to the severity of autism symptoms in study participants

Sarah Anderson

Chemistry

Northwestern University

A recent study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Dartmouth College has identified a new marker for autism that could facilitate earlier diagnosis. The marker is a difference in the autistic brain’s capacity for binocular rivalry, which describes the visual cortex’s ability to process one image at a time when presented with multiple images at once. The brain’s inability to ignore one of several competing stimuli is tied to the hypersensitivity to sensory input that is characteristic of autism.

Study participants were shown checkerboard patterns of different colors in their right and left eyes, and their visual processing of the images was measured through an electrode that picks up on brain signals. Autistic participants were much less able to toggle their focus between the two images, compared to neurotypical  participants. Amazingly, the researchers found that the rate of binocular rivalry they measured was predictive of the severity of one’s symptoms, and using the data they could diagnose autism in study participants with 87% accuracy. A clear benefit of this study is that this marker is non-verbal, which means it can be used to evaluate young children who have not started talking yet as well as non-verbal adults.  

While this work provides insight into the underlying neurological root of autism and establishes a new diagnostic tool, it’s important to remember that autism is not a problem to be solved. While the differences in the autistic brain may lead to social challenges, they also impart unique intellectual abilities.  

How did our ancestors start walking upright?

A newly discovered species of ancient ape could shed light on the origins of human bipedalism

Darcy Shapiro

Evolutionary Anthropology

Rutgers University

Using the old-fashioned blueprint chemical process for modern art

The cyanotype printing process is not only still useful in the 21st century, it’s still beautiful

Sarah Anderson

Chemistry

Northwestern University

Researchers optimized a reaction involving DEAD to reduce chemical waste

The Mitsunobu reaction is key to using alcohols in organic chemistry, but it also generates considerable chemical waste

Teresa Ambrosio

Chemistry

University of Nottingham

Fires explode across Australia as the continent records its first-ever day without rain

And they are predicted to get worse as the dry weather persists

Olivia Box

Natural Resources and Forest Ecology

University of Vermont

A tracker is keeping tabs on the Trump administration’s assault on science

The Silencing Science Tracker has been compiling records since 2018

Dan Samorodnitsky

Biochemistry

SUNY Buffalo

Science articles written by scientists perform as well as those written by journalists

Scientists are helping to fill a critical void and bringing unique perspectives to science communication

Amy R Nippert

Neuroscience

University of Minnesota

Can scientists fill the void in science journalism? A new study posted on bioRxiv asked this exact question, and found that in terms of article engagement, scientists and journalists engage audiences at roughly equivalent rates. The researchers, led by PhD student Yael Baren-Ben David from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, looked at views, clicks, comments and time spent on the page as metrics of engagement, and compared equivalent articles written by scientists and professional journalists. For the two major Israeli online news sites that they studied, the audiences literally and figuratively “liked”  articles equivalently no matter who wrote them. 

As the number of professional science journalists has declined, scientists have fulfilled the important task of communicating science to the public. As a scientist writing for Massive, it’s reassuring to me to see data confirming that scientists can write in a way that engages the general public, and that the public responds positively. 

The study authors note that while scientists can inform and share science news, they are not independent outsiders and have other limitations on their time and knowledge. Increasing the number of scientists writing articles may accelerate the decline of science journalists, and increase reliance on unpaid, outside sources. Despite these caveats, scientists can still play an important role in science communication. It only benefits society to hear their unique points of view.

To adapt to city life, snails in urban centres are more likely to be yellow than pink

Science-loving citizens helped researchers look at how urban environments affect snails

Sruthi Sanjeev Balakrishnan

Cell Biology

National Centre for Biological Sciences

We need to talk about our current global antimicrobial resistance crisis — in a more effective manner

Antimicrobial resistance has been declared a global health threat, but we’re running into barriers when it comes to communication

Luyi Cheng

Molecular Biology and Structural Biology

Northwestern University