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We’re All Going to Die, but Will It be via Mass Extinction?
By N.J. Griffen, English, ’17
Author’s Note:
“Stephen Hawking at the end of last year wrote an article for The Guardian saying: ‘…we are at the most dangerous moment in the development of humanity. We now have the technology to destroy the planet on which we live, but have not yet developed the ability to escape it. Perhaps in a few hundred years, we will have established human colonies amid the stars, but right now we only have one planet, and we need to work together to protect it.’ In spirit of Hawking’s eerie warning to humanity, I chose to write this article to consider the variable possibility of a self-imposed extinction of humanity.”
Christianson Syndrome
By Madison Dougherty, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ‘18
Author’s Note:
“I wrote this paper as a supplement to a presentation in my genetics class. I believe it is important to inform people about mental disabilities other than the most commonly seen disorders, such as Down Syndrome or autism. This paper serves to educate readers about Christianson Syndrome, an X-linked genetic disorder that, although phenotypically similar to more widely-known disorders, is actually quite different at the genetic level.”
Looking Deeper into Life: How a Nobel Prize Winner Advanced Microscopy
By Madison Dougherty, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ‘18
Author’s Note:
“I was encouraged to attend and review Nobel Prize winner Eric Betzig’s lectures on campus, and I am extremely glad that I did. As a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, I did not think that I would find microscopy very interesting, but after listening to Betzig talk about his developments in the field, I felt a new sense of appreciation for microscopy, and even for telescopes and space. If you are interested in astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, or all of the above, I highly encourage you to watch and absorb the wealth of information that he has to share with the scientific community. Full video presentations of Betzig’s lectures can be found on the CBS Storer Lectureship website: http://biology.ucdavis.edu/seminars-and-events/storer-endowment/past-lectures/2016-2017.html”
Our Newest Neighbors?
By Nicole Strossman, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‘17
Author’s Note:
“I decided to write this piece after seeing news headlines announcing the potential of life on planets in a nearby star system. As this is a topic that fascinates many people, myself included, I decided to investigate the new discoveries. While the research on the particular planet mentioned in the various news articles is still fairly new, it has brought about renewed interest in the search for life beyond our planet. This article aims to describe what these recent discoveries are, and show the implications they have for astronomers.”
Information Night for The Aggie Transcript
2017 is a new year and can be a time to explore undergraduate publishing. Come learn more about The Aggie Transcript! If you are interested in finding out who we are, how to become an editor, or how to get a submission published, come out to our info night! Light refreshments will be provided. We hope to see you there!
Date, Time and Location:
1/17 from 7:10-8pm
Wellman 27
Blueberries and Breast Cancer Treatment
By Shivani Kamal, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ’17
Author’s Note:
“I originally became interested in the potential anti-cancer effects of blueberries when I took a nutrition seminar my first year at UC Davis. Curious about further research on its effects on breast cancer, I decided to write an article to educate other students about it. Many of us either have a family member or know someone diagnosed with cancer, so spreading knowledge of current cancer research is an important reminder of support, hope, and determination to individuals and their families.” (more…)
Mitofusin 2 as a Mammalian ER-Mitochondria Tether? A Review
By Lauren Uchiyama, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ’17
Author’s Note:
“I chose to write this piece to familiarize myself with the most recent scientific literature on Mitofusin 2 for my UWP104E Writing in Science class. I was preparing to apply for the Undergraduate Research Center Provost Undergraduate Fellowship and felt this would be a good way to inform myself about a protein related to my own undergraduate project in Jodi Nunnari’s lab. I was puzzled that different experiments could lead to such conflicting findings on the same issue; thus, writing this review was an invaluable learning experience for me as both an undergraduate student and scientist.”
Exploring the Known Unknowns Using the Power of Metagenomics: Discovery of the crAssphage
By Connie Chen, Microbiology, ’15-’16
Author’s Note:
“Metagenomics is the study of genetic material directly from environmental samples such as the soil or the human gut. With whole metagenomic sequencing, it is possible to obtain and analyze every piece of genetic material in the sample. As we being to learn more about the world, it becomes evident that there is more that is unknown. The crAssphage is an example of a “known unknown” because through metagenomics, the virus’s genome has been built and certain properties can be interpreted from the genome, but it has never been seen under a microscope and there is much still unknown about the virus. Metagenomics have opened the doors to analyzing multiple sequences and determining the ecology of the environment. Because metagenomics is becoming more prevalent, it is essential to understand the potential of this growing field. I hope that by learning about the potential of metagenomics, new ideas can sprout from using this technology in order to help others.”
The Infant Airway Microbiome Linked to Childhood Asthma
By Shivani Kamal, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ’17
Author’s Note:
“I am pursing a career in pediatrics and wanted to familiarize myself with new research regarding health and development of children. I was amazed at the advancements of medical technology which allow us to understand diseases and create potential cures, previously never thought possible. My purpose for writing this review is to show scientific audiences the most current research on how bacteria in the respiratory microbiome has an impact on asthma. Recently, much research initiated by the Human Microbiome Projects (HMP) proved that the bacteria living on and inside humans contribute to the health and disease of the body. This review is meant to educate scientists on the most recent information on development of childhood asthma and prompt others to conduct future research on preventative treatments for the disease.”