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Category Archives: Biology
Epigenetic Approach Sheds Light on Potential New Therapeutic Strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease
By Rachel Hull, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, ’19
Author’s note: I first learned about this news through an article on Big Think that provided few details about the science behind the breakthrough. Reading the original research paper clarified both how this research had been conducted and what was so noteworthy about it. Given the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, this new study may yet prove to be instrumental in the disorder’s treatment.
Cause of Seizures in Individuals with Angelman Syndrome
By Neha Madugala, Cognitive Science, ‘22
Author’s Note
While browsing recent scientific achievements and breaking news in the scientific community, I came across an article declaring that the 125-year-old neuroscience mystery surrounding perineuronal nets (PNNs) is finally resolved. PNNs have stumped neuroscientists for decades, yet their importance is undeniable. To understand the extent of this discovery, I read more about PNNs and found that they have a key connection to Angelman syndrome, which causes severe epileptic seizures in children. The new findings from the Philpot Lab identifying the purpose of PNNs draw a connection between PNNs and seizures, and this information can lead to improved medications and therapeutic treatment methods.
Novel Mechanisms and Functions of Protein Kinase D in the Cardiovascular System
By Anna Kirillova, Genetics & Genomics ‘19
Author’s Note:
I am currently studying the signaling of Protein Kinase D in cardiomyocytes as a part of my senior thesis research project. Writing this review helped me understand the known mechanisms and the techniques used to perform functional assessments of the molecule. I learned how to review literature to find key information and create a story from different sources. I hope that the reader will become interested in one of the major concepts of my review and will continue exploring it on their own time.
Neural Mechanisms of Axon Degradation
By Timur Katsnelson, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, ‘19
Author’s Note
This topic was brought up during our discussion on the development of the nervous system in my neurobiology foundations class. I found it to be interesting because of its significance in the earliest stages of our lives. Further research into scientific literature discussing the role of pruning in neurodevelopment led me to learn more about its mechanism, distinctions from other forms of axon degrading, and its use in adult organisms.
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Cultured Meat: Teaching an Old Cell New Tricks
By Tannavee Kumar, Genetics and Genomics ‘20
Author’s Note
Cultured meat has been a topic of great discussion as we try to understand the extent to which animal agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental issues. While plant-based imitation meats have been on the market for decades, I was particularly interested in this lab-grown alternative when I heard that stem cells were being used to produce actual meat without having to raise animals themselves. This could potentially reduce the environmental footprint of the agricultural industry while providing a viable solution for consumers. While it is critical to understand how consumption levels of animal-based products have had an effect on health, and particularly how the change in consumption of these products have changed average human health, my research focused more on how traditional meat impacts environmental health and how cultured meat can help mitigate some of these problems.
3D Organoids as Models for Human Brain Research
By Rachel Hull, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ’19
Author’s Note
I first became interested in this topic when I read a news article about a team of scientists that had successfully integrated what the article called “mini human brains” into mice. Although the idea seemed novel to me, after a little digging, I found that the technology that generates such mini organs — or organoids — has existed for more than a decade. This technology is nevertheless constantly evolving, and I believe it will continue to do so for years to come.
The Connection between the Human Gut Microbiota and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
By Emily Villarreal, Nutrition Science (Biology Emphasis), 2018
Author’s Note: This literature review was written for a UWP 104F course. I chose this topic because the gut microbiota is something that I am deeply interested in as a student researcher. The audience for this review includes medical professionals or members of academia who are interested in the microbiota and its effects on the onset of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Aggie Transcript Interview: Dr. Janine LaSalle
By Mari Hoffman, Genetics and Genomics ‘21
Author’s Note: I chose to interview Dr.LaSalle because of my interest in epigenetics and the relationship that our genes have with environmental interactions. Dr. LaSalle’s lab focuses on the role of epigenetics in the human autism-spectrum and many other neurodegenerative disorders. Her research group looks at the pathogenesis of the disorders by focusing on heritable changes that are not encoded in the DNA, such as DNA methylation and imprinted genes. It was an honor to get to talk to Dr. LaSalle about her research, as she is extremely passionate about this very complex and exciting topic.
Fat to the rescue?
By Sabrina Lazar, Cell Biology ‘20
Author’s note: After attending an interesting meeting on cytoskeleton dynamics in the weekly Joint Seminars in Molecular Biology series, I wanted to learn more about the subject and found Anna Franz and her colleagues’ recent paper about fat cells in Drosophila, a model organism I work with and is dear to me. This essay serves as a way for me to share fascinating research with those that are interested in Drosophila, cells, or biology in general.
A Review of Personalized Cystic Fibrosis Treatments: Genotype-Phenotype Relationships
By Daniel Erenstein, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, ‘20
Author’s Note: One of the major assignments in my Writing in Science (UWP 104E) course was a literature review on some current topic of scientific interest. The process involved in understanding prior research on a topic and in predicting a field’s future directions was challenging. Along the way, I often found myself lost in a world of complicated scientific jargon. In the end, it was a personal story that provided the inspiration I needed for this article. Worldwide, more than 70,000 people have cystic fibrosis, and there are over 30,000 patients in the United States alone. Mary Frey is one of them, and she chronicles her life alongside Peter, her husband, and Ollie, her service dog, in daily vlogs on their YouTube channel. With “The Frey Life,” I was reminded that scientific research, which might sometimes seem removed from the realities of life, should be rooted in the spirit of helping people. This message guided and energized my research on cystic fibrosis. I thank Dr. Brenda Rinard for her valuable instruction, which shaped this review article throughout the writing process.