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Category Archives: Biology
A New Role for Mosquitoes in Disease-Outbreak Prevention
By Chantele Karim
Author’s Note
“I became interested in vector-borne diseases in Spring of 2016, when I conducted an independent study on the ethical advancement of genetically modifying technology. I discussed the potential application of CRISPR to mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti, in the effort to combat dengue. Throughout my extensive research, the danger posed by mosquitoes was commonly emphasized by diverse sources. It was thus surprising to read that Microsoft’s Project Premonition is based on the assertion that mosquitoes can be useful to us in our quest to control vector-borne diseases. My intrigue led me to research the project further to better understand its method, application, and potential.”
Review of Horizontal-flow and vertical-flow constructed wetlands’ efficiency to remove pathogen indicators in tropical area
By Yufei Qian, Environmental Horticulture and Urban Forestry, ‘18
Author’s Note:
“As an international student, English is not my first language. I never felt such confidence writing in academic English before taking Professor Matthew Oliver’s UWP 104E class. This class is about writing in science, and the literature review is the basis of many scientific research projects. To develop future experiments, literature reviews help researchers maintain an up-to-date understanding of the field, identify strengths and limitations in current experimental designs, and get inspirations for their own research. I am interested in ecology and the relationship between humans and environment, so I decided to write about constructed wetlands. Since I am a plant-lover, a focus in my literature review research is plant selections and impacts on E. coli removal efficiency. UWP 104E is a great class that combines my interest with professional writing and helps me overcome language barriers in academic English.”
The Consequences of Tropical Deforestation
By: Wincy Yu, Biological Sciences, ‘17
Author’s Note:
In light of climate change and environmental talks among world leaders, as well as rising media attention for endangered species around the world, I realized that people were concerned about the consequences, but may not have paid attention to the underlying reasons. Inspired by an ecology class I took last year, I wrote this piece to discuss one of the reasons for climate change and ecosystem loss, which is deforestation.
The multi-functional protein kinases: ATM and ATR
By Carly Cheung, Microbiology, ‘17
Author’s Note:
“The goal of this paper is to portray the multifunctionality of proteins involved in the cell and how interconnected one process is to another, even though two processes appear to be unrelated. I am fascinated by the system of signal transduction in our cells and admire how elaborate and complicated the network is. This is best shown by examining the two proteins, ATM and ATR, that are known for their functions in cell cycle regulation and DNA break repair. The paper explores the changes in their transduction pathways seen in mammals with cancer, metabolic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.”
Aggie Transcript Interview—Dr. Walter Leal
By Bukre Coskun, Cell Biology, ‘18
Author’s Note:
“As a student in Professor Walter Leal’s biochemistry class, I was inspired by his dedication to motivating students and obvious enthusiasm for his field of research. Professor Walter Leal has achieved international recognition for his research on the molecular basis of insect communication and insect olfaction. Leal, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology, has made significant strides towards understanding how chemicals deter mosquitos. He has identified key mosquito receptors that can guide the development of better mosquito repellents to prevent the spread of deadly diseases. He is a past president of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the first non-Japanese scientist to earn tenure in the Japan Ministry of Agriculture. I had a conversation with Professor Leal about his path to research, his philosophy on teaching, and the significance of his work with insects.”
Aggie Transcript Interview—Dr. Daniel Starr
By Lauren Uchiyama, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ’17
Author’s Note:
“I chose to write this piece because I felt Dr. Dan Starr is unique in that he is equally passionate about teaching and research. As an undergraduate in his BIS 104 cell biology class, I feel he highlights research well by teaching us from an experimental and historical perspective, which makes learning even more fun and interesting. His reputation as a difficult, yet acclaimed educator has made him one of the most prominent biology professors at UC Davis. I hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as I did!”
A Bee Appreciation (and Awareness) Post
By Chantele Karim, Biological Sciences, ’17
Author’s note:
“Over the past few years, I have noticed an increase in media attention directed toward bees. Although the presence of issues regarding bees in the United States was rather clear to me, their magnanimity remained largely obscure. Recently, I came across an article in The Economist on the invention of an artificial pollinator. I began to better understand the far-reaching extent of the global pollination crisis caused by suffering bee populations and felt compelled to research the topic further. This article seeks to briefly detail current issues regarding the decline of domestic and wild bees, as well as the approaches being undertaken in response.”
UC Davis Hosts DataRescue Event To Archive Climate Research
By N. J. Griffen, English, ‘17
Author’s Note:
“I chose to write about this topic as a response to one of the many uncertainties that exists under our newly elected president, Donald Trump. More specifically, this article is meant to encompass the nationwide effort by scientists, professors, researchers and archivists to safeguard, backup and protect work conducted in the realm of climate science. This topic, I believe, should be integrally important to most residents of this planet; due to the fact that we have no choice but to live the entirety of our lives here on earth. Therefore, my interview of the archivists at UC Davis seeks to uncover the motives and connotations that the DataRescue Davis event assumes.”
Epigenetics and Intergenerational Health
By Wren Greaney, History major, Biological Sciences & Community Development minor, ’17
Author’s Note: “I became interested in the impact of epigenetics after reading an article about the effects of environmental pollution on generations beyond the population subjected to the pollution. So much focus in human biology is placed on genetics; it is fascinating that a closely related and significant topic exists that is unique from genetics itself. As epigenetic research progresses, I think it will find a large role in advancing healthcare as well as our understandings about humans’ biological identities.”
The Past, Present, and Future of Genetically Modified Organisms
By Rachel Hull
Author’s note
When I began my research for this piece, I was primarily interested in the controversy over the fairly new bill in the United States requiring labels on foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. Little did I know that as I was gathering my sources, a new GMO dispute would emerge, this one revolving around bioengineered non-browning apples. Thus I switched my focus from the bill to the arrival of these apples to stores across the U.S. — an arrival that means an investigation into the history and science behind genetically engineered food products is even timelier than I originally thought.