By Sarah Latario The bunch of bananas you bought at the grocery store this week are genetically identical to the ones you ate last month. The bananas imported into the United States and sold in most stores are all clones from a single banana tree, which originated in south China in 1826. This variety, called … Continue reading The Cavendish Clones – How the Billion Dollar Banana Industry is on the Verge of Collapse
Lab Grown Meat: An Environmental Alternative?
By Hannah Johnson It has become increasingly common to see meat substitute options in restaurants and grocery stores. Brands producing these options, such as Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat, are becoming commonplace. These alternatives are produced from plant-based proteins and, while providing a good alternative for those with vegetarian and vegan diets, do not completely … Continue reading Lab Grown Meat: An Environmental Alternative?
Mind over mayhem: Meditate your way through stress and stay sane in grad school
By Savannah Moscon & Emily Tufano Meditation is an ancient technique that is gaining popularity due to its robust mental and physical health benefits. In fact, those in stressful situations or jobs (that’s us!) are encouraged to practice mindfulness through meditation to relieve chronic anxiety and stress. For many, the practice of mindfulness, defined as … Continue reading Mind over mayhem: Meditate your way through stress and stay sane in grad school
This is your brain on gluten
By Victoria Vernail Gluten is a class of proteins naturally found in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten is present in many common foods, including beloved pastas and baked goods, because it helps ingredients stick together. Food that is gluten-free may have a dry and crumbly texture compared to gluten-containing foods because it is missing the … Continue reading This is your brain on gluten
Ironing Out the Details at the Blood-Brain Barrier: A Summary of My Dissertation
By Stephanie Baringer, Ph.D. The following is a synopsis of my Ph.D. thesis that I defended on July 17, 2023, titled Regulation of Brain Iron Acquisition and Misappropriation in Alzheimer's Disease. Thank you to LTS for the years of opportunity to write about my deep-dive interests and now for the chance to share this summary … Continue reading Ironing Out the Details at the Blood-Brain Barrier: A Summary of My Dissertation
SYK Might Make You Sick: New Discovery Could Lead to Better Therapies for Diabetes Patients
By Esma Yerlikaya Diabetes is a pandemic affecting over 500 million people globally1. By its simplest definition, diabetes is a condition that disrupts the utilization of sugar in the bloodstream. Due to its inability to enter the cells, sugar accumulates in the blood. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are two distinct forms of diabetes. … Continue reading SYK Might Make You Sick: New Discovery Could Lead to Better Therapies for Diabetes Patients
Sunshine State of Mind: How to Protect your Skin from UV Exposure
By Carli King Here comes the sun… and the sunburn! With the start of summer upon us, it is extra important to understand the benefits and risks of sunshine. A major physiological benefit of sunlight is it stimulates the production of vitamin D in the body, which is essential for the absorption of crucial minerals … Continue reading Sunshine State of Mind: How to Protect your Skin from UV Exposure
Getting It Off My Chest: What Gender-affirming Care Really Is
By Rachel Kang Gender-affirming care is defined by the World Health Organization as the implementation of any social, psychological, behavioral, or medical interventions designed to support and affirm a person’s gender identity. This form of care is essential for the mental well-being of transgender folks who experience gender dysphoria, which can appear in children as … Continue reading Getting It Off My Chest: What Gender-affirming Care Really Is
Pain – an itch you just can’t scratch?
By Victoria Vernail I was sitting on the couch, watching Season 8, episode 14 of ABC’s ‘Bachelor in Paradise’, when an important scientific question was raised. Contestant Aaron commented to his girlfriend Genevieve that he thinks pain and itch are fundamentally the same – to which Genevieve disagreed – and a fight ensued (Figure 1). … Continue reading Pain – an itch you just can’t scratch?
Running Up That (Fiery) Hill: A Profile of Denali Kincaid, Science Communicator and Volcano Researcher
By Julia Simpson Part 1: Snapshot of the Climb When the golf-ball-sized volcanic bomb struck the ground just ten feet from where Denali Kincaid stood, it set the grass on fire (Figure 1). “The fire didn’t spread,” Kincaid clarifies. “But it landed right there and I was like, ‘I should not be standing this close … Continue reading Running Up That (Fiery) Hill: A Profile of Denali Kincaid, Science Communicator and Volcano Researcher
Lions Talk Science 