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Understanding the Tumultuous Trajectory of a Concept in The Gene
By Daniel Erenstein, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, ‘19
Author’s Note: In my Writing in Science (UWP 104E) course, Dr. Brenda Rinard assigned us a review of a classic book in science. My interests in social history and the genetics of disease inspired me to read Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Gene: An Intimate History. The following book review of The Gene is intended for undergraduate biology majors at UC Davis and beyond. I wrote this review to persuade my peers of the book’s instructional and thought-provoking value. My hope, too, is that readers of this review are encouraged by the pursuit of knowledge presented in The Gene’s stories to transform their passion for science into future innovations.
A Conversation with Dr. Kate Scow: “I just totally lost my heart to soil”
By Sara Ludwick, Environmental Science and Management, 2019
Author’s note: I read about Dr. Scow’s research while looking for a faculty member to interview for a class assignment. She is a professor of Soil Science and Microbial Ecology at UC Davis, and her research emphasizes microorganisms’ roles in providing ecosystems services. Dr. Scow was featured in an article on a UC Davis website about carbon sequestration as a tactic to address climate change, and from there I discovered Russell Ranch, where she serves as Director (1). I immediately became interested in the variety of experiments conducted on the experimental farm, and began to learn more about Dr. Scow’s work. Her work is extensive; in addition to directing Russell Ranch, she actively works with Ugandan smallholder farms on irrigation. I sat down with Dr. Scow to discuss her passion for soil, what her research has taught her, how her relationship with soil has evolved, and what other people can learn from the powerful ecosystem that lives underground. (more…)
Shouldering the Pain
By: Cathy Guo, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‘18
Author’s Note: “This is a reflective case study I wrote for UWP104F (Writing in the Health Profession) about a patient’s illness experience with chronic pain. After conducting an interview with the patient, I became intrigued by the controversial aspects of her ailment, and drew on research to better understand the scientific context of chronic pain. I hope that my reflection at the end raises questions that readers are also thinking, and that these questions could spur readers to learn more about the subject.”
The Effect of Aging On Our Immune System: A Review
by Bukre Coskun, Cell Biology ‘18
Author’s Note: I became interested in the immune system and the role of the thymus after taking an immunology class where I learned about how T-cells are distributed throughout our body. I wanted to explore this subject more after learning that the thymus, an organ that is integral to the production of T-cells, atrophies after puberty and eventually becomes inactive. Here, I review a publication that describes how the concentration of T-cells in our body changes as we age.
Cell-free DNA Testing as the Next Generation of Cancer Screening
By: Anna Kirillova, Cell Biology, ‘19
Author’s Note:
“This article was brought to my attention in my Human Genetics class (MCB 162) when we were discussing novel methodologies for diagnosis of fetal trisomies (Down Syndrome). The purpose of this review is to highlight how basic biology can translate into significant advancements in disease diagnosis. I hope that the reader will be intrigued by the new genetic technologies and will proceed onto reading the original research article using this review as a guide.”
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.”
Ants Who Farm: The Evolution of Fungal Obligate Symbiosis
By Wren Greaney, History major, Biological Sciences & Community Development minor, ’17
Author’s note:
“I started to look into entomological research as a result of learning about insect diversity in ENT100. I came across a study regarding ants’ fascinating advanced ability to cultivate fungi. I thought it was incredible that we have agriculture in common with those tiny insects, and became interested in how ants are similar to and perhaps more advanced than humans in some ways.”
So, Where are we With Abortion?
Reproductive Health Care Access in the United States: A Review of Literature
By Madison Dufek, Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, Minor in Communications, ’17
Author’s Note:
“Reproductive health care/family planning refers to services that provide birth control, prenatal care, and pregnancy termination procedures. This is a subset of health care that is in my opinion talked about too much but not enough – especially when it comes to abortion. I initially wrote this piece for an upper division writing class focusing on women’s health; but reproductive health care access soon transformed into a cause that is now a great passion of mine. The results from the literature had me fiercely enraged yet profoundly inspired. Women all over the world today are denied necessary health care because of skewed perceptions of family planning and women as a whole. Abortion services – be it via medication or surgical procedure – are vital to communities, not just women. What troubled me most was discovering that the women who are already struggling suffer the greatest from abortion restrictions – women who already have mouths to feed, who are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, who are uninsured, and often have no support system at all. It saddens me to know that the needs of these women are so often disregarded as communities make judgements, and as lawmakers work to regulate women’s reproductive rights. Deciding to have an abortion can take a huge psychological and physical toll on women and their families; and abortion restrictions only make this experience more trying for them. This, however will not prevent women from seeking abortions, it will only cause more of them to suffer major health complications or even die trying to obtain an abortion. This piece is for anyone out there like me: someone who wants to get educated, who wants to join the conversation, and who wants to become a stronger advocate for women’s reproductive rights!”
Manufacturing Synthetic Blood Vessels That Grow with the Patient
By Bukre Coskun, Cell Biology, ‘18
Author’s Note:
“The ability to build new organ parts may seem like science fiction, but tissue engineering is a fast-growing field that has already yielded promising results. After reading that congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, I was compelled to do some research on how tissue engineering has sought to improve existing surgical options. After coming across a couple articles about acellular valve conduits, I decided to report on the research of the University of Minnesota, which was recently published in Nature Communications.”