February 2019

The Tiny Wiggly Molecular World of Medicine

Medicine has been important to humans since our earliest days, but for the majority of our history, we've had very little idea of how medicine works. We used to attribute medicinal effects to magic or to balancing the fluids of the body (bloodletting, anyone?), but thankfully we've come a long way since then. With the

The Cold Truth About Cryopreservation

Recently,  I was in the lab doing some routine work with cells. In order to start growing my own stock of cells I took a small vial out of a tank of liquid nitrogen, where it is stored at around -150°C (-238°F). Then I quickly thawed it to body temperature (37°C, or 98.6°F) and transferred

How to Build a Better Brain: Failing to Follow Through?

It's officially February, the groundhog predicted an early Spring, and I'm still staying up past 2am every night, despite my resolution to get more sleep. We are a month into 2019, and it's around the time when people start dropping their resolutions like a serious game of hot potato. Why is this? Why do we

The Secret World of Plant Chemistry

Sometimes plants make it seem like nature was intended for our benefit. From the wood in our coffee tables to the rubber in our erasers – plants are so entwined with our lives that we often forget that our products were once towering elms and flowering poppies. The relationship we have with plants seems more

A Lesson in Un-BEE-lieveable Insect Intelligence

Bumblebees. What comes to your mind when that word is uttered? To some, it's pure fear of its vicious sting. To others, it's the image of their toddler dressed up for Halloween. But to researchers who study bees, it's awe at the ability of such a small creature to have immense intellectual potential. Bee communities

Cystic Fibrosis and Your Genes

Disease alters lives in permanent and often heartbreaking ways. Most people have a story about how they have been affected by disease, either firsthand, through a family member, or looking from the outside in on another person's life. In a world where tragedy is at the forefront of our personal lives via news stories, gofundme

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