I remember when I fell in love with science. It was when I saw the T. Rex for the first time in Jurassic Park. This book and movie, despite their flaws in technical science, made a career in molecular biology seem easy, especially because they recreated dinosaurs. The author and director of the movie took
Bunny-pocalypse Image depicting the spread of rabbits in Australia from Alves, et al. 2021 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND). In 1859, a wealthy English settler named Thomas Austin imported 24 European rabbits into Australia as game for shooting parties. This seemingly small event would soon reshape the continent. Thomas Austin was a member
Our guts are home to hundreds of microbial species (collectively called the gut microbiota) that are essential for normal digestion and immunity. What species are present and in what proportions can impact our ability to fight off pathogens, as well as our risk for obesity, metabolic disorders, and allergies. In fact, certain bacteria that can
“Pueblo Revolt 1680” by Loren Mozley. Public Domain. The horse is thought of as a symbol of the American West, but when and how domesticated horses arrived has been a matter of controversy. Lakota oral histories described the arrival of the horse occurring prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers. However, the Spanish (and
West Virginia is home to the newest national park, New River Gorge, known for its world class white water rafting. It is also home to some of the worst drinking water in the United States. The juxtaposition of the two could not be more clear. Old habits die hard, and in a state where an
While I was at my uncle's house this summer, I was looking after my 10-year-old cousin. He was enjoying his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and at a certain point he asked me: “Where does peanut butter come from?†“From peanuts.†“Where do peanuts come from?†“From a peanut plant.†While he was satisfied and
“Therefore, the overall objective of this project is to characterize the changes in mitochondrial metabolism in early VML injury and determine how these contribute to the total decline of muscle contractile and oxidative function.†This was the sentence I used to describe the purpose of my dissertation project to my advisory committee. To them, it
Dr. Diana Six is a professor of Forest Entomology and Pathology at the University of Montana. Dr. Six's work focuses on bark beetles, their symbiotic fungi, climate change, and what these factors mean for forest health. Her work has received the attention of the media and she has presented at TedX and has been featured on
With only 50% of patients recovering fully in the long-term, anorexia is the deadliest psychiatric disorder. Typically associated with poor body-image and unhealthy eating habits, anorexia has captivated and bewildered the minds of laymen and scientists alike. While not every person suffering from anorexia is underweight, there is still a general misunderstanding of what is
The imposing structure of the Svalbard seed bank is familiar to many. This “doomsday†vault (ahem, already breached by climate change) is humanity's last resort for preserving the seeds of our crops and plants. But how did this bastion of biodiversity arise? Nikolai Vavilov, a 20th century Russian agronomist and geneticist, established the first modern
Fermentation is the process in which sugar is consumed by microbes and converted into another chemical. In the case of brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the fungus responsible for nearly all alcoholic beverages, sugar is eaten and converted to alcohol, phenols, and esters. Other fungi and bacteria have been in use for centuries, but their use
Maple syrup is a staple in Western breakfast culture. True maple syrup – as opposed to the thick corn syrup imitation that sits in many American diners – comes from a variety of trees, mostly the sugar maple. But this breakfast condiment is more than just goo that happens to ooze out of a plant
