Breakthrough discovery in plants’ DNA may lead to slowing the aging process in humans, Sandee LaMotte, CNN, November 18, 2019 Topics: Biology, Civics, Civil Rights, Entropy, History, Philosophy My last post on this site was on my birthday this summer. I have been commuting to and from work in Durham during the government shutdown (aContinue reading “Travels…”
Category Archives: Biology
Scaffolding and Gallium…
A branching blood vessel network fabricated using the ESCAPE process to form complex tissues. This image shows the cell nuclei color-coded based on height. Credit: Subramanian Sundaram, Boston University and Wyss Institute, Harvard University Topics: 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, Biology, Tissue Engineering The manufacturing technique known as 3D printing, now being used everywhere, from aircraftContinue reading “Scaffolding and Gallium…”
Woolly Mouse…
The “woolly mouse” was developed by Colossal Biosciences by editing genes to give the mouse a bushier, thicker coat, akin to that of the extinct woolly mammoth. Colossal Topics: Biology, Biotechnology, Research Note: I had a pet hamster named “Woolly,” that looked remarkably like this one. I’m sure cloning wasn’t at this point decades ago.Continue reading “Woolly Mouse…”
Dr. Charles Richard Drew…
Topics: African Americans, Biology, Black History Month, Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Diversity in Science, Medicine “Father of the Blood Bank”June 3, 1904 – April 1, 1950Renowned surgeon and pioneer in the preservation of life-saving blood plasmaMajor scientific achievements: Dr. Charles Richard Drew broke barriers in a racially divided America to become one of the mostContinue reading “Dr. Charles Richard Drew…”
Tiny Tractor Beam…
This chip-based “tractor-beam,” which uses an intensely focused beam of light to capture and manipulate biological particles without damaging the cells, could help biologists study the mechanisms of diseases. Credits: Credit: Sampson Wilcox, RLE Topics: Biology, Biotechnology, Optical Tweezers, Research MIT researchers have developed a miniature, chip-based “tractor beam,” like the one that captures theContinue reading “Tiny Tractor Beam…”
The Secret Life of the Universe…
Topics: Astrobiology, Biology, Instrumentation, James Webb Space Telescope, Research, SETI “The Secret Life of the Universe” by Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, the SETI Institute’s chief scientist and Director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, is coming out this week, both in the US (August 13, 2024) and in the UK (August 15, 2024).Continue reading “The Secret Life of the Universe…”
Dolphins and Mercury…
Scientists have found elevated mercury levels in dolphins throughout the Southeast since 2007. Sources: Bryan, Damseaux, Griffin, Stavros, Woshner. Credit: N. Hanacek/NIST Topics: Biology, Chemistry, Civilization, Environment In a study with potential implications for the oceans and human health, scientists reported elevated mercury levels in dolphins in the U.S. Southeast, with the greatest levels found in dolphins in Florida’s St. JosephContinue reading “Dolphins and Mercury…”
Plastics and Infarctions…
Plastic chokes a canal in Chennai, India. Credit: R. Satish Babu/AFP via Getty Topics: Applied Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Environment, Medicine People who had tiny plastic particles lodged in a key blood vessel were more likely to experience heart attack, stroke or death during a three-year study. Plastics are just about everywhere — food packaging, tyres, clothes, waterContinue reading “Plastics and Infarctions…”
Brookhaven and Fake News
Climate of fear Anti-science protestors led to the closure of the High Flux Beam Reactor at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US 25 years ago using tactics that are widespread today. (Courtesy: iStock/DanielVilleneuve) Topics: Biology, Cancer, Carl Sagan, Civilization, Climate Change, Philosophy, Physics I typically don’t comment on articles, but this one resonated with myContinue reading “Brookhaven and Fake News”
A Path From Panic…
PAC1R-expressing dorsal raphe neurons in the mouse brain (red) serve as the projection targets for PACAP parabrachial neurons to mediate panic-like behavioral and physical symptoms. Credit: Salk Institute Topics: Biology, Medicine, Research, Science Overwhelming fear, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate—these are the symptoms of a panic attack, which people with panic disorderContinue reading “A Path From Panic…”
Physics and Nano 