Life Science

I'm colorful and multitalented

What do the San Francisco Bay, the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake in Utah have in common? Water, obviously. But inside each of these water bodies resides a special organism called halobacterium. And if you think halobacterium is a type of bacteria, you may be surprised to find that you are wrong. Now,

Frosty the Microbe

‘Tis the season for stories of wintery magic. From Elsa and Frozone to their mythical grandfather, Jack Frost, there's no cooler gift than the power to let it snow at will, or shock a pond skate-worthy with a single touch. Little do we realize that these chilly abilities aren't limited to the realm of holiday

Algal Nutraceuticals: When Seaweed takes the lead!

Algae  happen to be one of the most important organisms on our planet, producing about 70-80% of the oxygen we breathe. They are mostly aquatic photosynthetic organisms which  grow in all sizes, from microscopic phytoplankton floating in the water, to the giant kelp which can be as large as a tree! More often you can

Thermophiles: Hot Microbes on the Biofuel Frontier

If you've ever been lucky enough to visit Yellowstone National Park (or looked at pictures), then you have probably seen the colorful, steaming mats that surround many of the park's famous geysers and geothermal pools. While they may not look it, these mats are actually living creatures. They form a special class of organisms called

As American as Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving: an American holiday uniquely focused on food and family. Not grounded in religion, nor patriotic beliefs, it’s distinctly American in the best way. And yet, on this lovely day, we fail to realize the ancestral fruit of our continent right in the midst of our dinner tables. A fruit which has been unjustly usurped

The Magic Of Curries: A Spicy Science

Have your lunch breaks gotten boring? How about an enticing curry to spice up your taste buds? Curries like korma, rogan josh, jalfrezi and tikka masala are more than just food – they are an experience. An explosion of sweet, savory, spicy, and sour flavors all at once – each bold in its own right,

Battle of the sexes… for evidence-based healthcare

Ladies, how many times have you rolled your eyes while your male friend languishes on the couch, suffering from a serious case of the “man flu” while the rest of us manage to take a decongestant and go about our day? Fellas, does it ever seem like every woman you know is constantly complaining of

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest (or youngest) of them all?

Have you ever been scared of grey hair, skin wrinkles, baldness, or even worse, dementia? Voltaire once remarked, “What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy”. Nothing is as unnerving as the fact that we all have limited time on this beautiful planet. For centuries, humans

One Health: Leveraging the connection between humans, animals, and the environment

Don't forget!! One Health Day is coming!! https://t.co/dUmFU7SPOt pic.twitter.com/FWLmKg1taO — OneHealth Commission (@OneHealthCom) October 12, 2018 What is One Health? One Health is an approach that acknowledges the interactions between human and animal health are inextricably linked, and interdependent to the health of the surrounding ecosystem. These interactions offer opportunities for the emergence and spread

Genetic Privacy

As dust settles in the wake of the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, people around the world are rapidly awakening to the power and value of their personal data. Information collected through social media about your favorite music or your choices on an online quiz contributes to an ever-growing mass of data about you that

Bright and Bedazzled… Camouflage?

Have you ever looked at the shimmer of a peacock's feathers or the metallic shine of a green June beetle and thought, “I bet those bright colors help that animal blend in with its natural habitat.” No? Well, you wouldn't be alone. When artist and naturalist Abbot Thayler first proposed that iridescence could be a

Living Fossils – Extinct or Extant?

Does serendipity exist? Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was the curator of a tiny museum in East London, South Africa, when she received a phone call from a local dockman. It was Christmas eve in 1938, and Marjorie was asked to inspect the latest catch of Captain Hendrik Goosen.   As it turned out, it would be a

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