This month I want you to pick your favorite college or university and share something cool in science that they are working on. Name the college / university. Write a brief overview. Include a link.
I have chosen my undergraduate school. Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!) to share the work of Patrick Schnable, who has developed a method to assemble the complete maize genome. See an explanation at the link below.
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/research/videos/?videoID=52
Harvard University recently conducted a study that displayed "reverse aging" when the blood of younger mice was combined with that of older mice. Development was especially recognized in muscles and brain tissue. The opposite was displayed when younger mice were given the blood of older, causing cells to produce at a slower pace.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/new-studies-show-that-young-blood-reverses-the-effects-of-aging-when-put-into-older-mice/2014/05/04/1346baac-d2eb-11e3-8a78-8fe50322a72c_story.html
Nothing like youth ....
DeleteHarvard University announced that it has found evidence of the cause of the Big Bang. They used a telescope to discover B-mode polarization, which, if confirmed by other experiments, will explain cosmic inflation.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bostonglobe.com/news/science/2014/03/17/harvard-led-team-detects-gravitational-waves-evidence-cosmic-inflation/nvWTo5iSyhbMauKD1GegsK/story.html
Professor Hancock at Oxford University is currently on a prototype device that will easily discover type 1 diabetes from affected children before they become severely ill. The idea is that the person would breathe into the device and the diabetes would be detected, but before it can be invented Professor Hancock needs more clinical data.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ox.ac.uk/news/science-blog/handheld-breath-device-could-sniff-out-diabetes
Matt Taylor from the University of Edinburgh is researching about the immune system and parasitic helminths and parasitic worms that he used to research. He researched about what these things do to the human body and how they can be stopped.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eid.ed.ac.uk/march-2014-lab-month-taylor-lab
Liangbing Hu and his research group at the University of Maryland Energy Research Center have recently been the first to measure the transport properties that a part of a battery's electodes while it is charging.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.research.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=8668
Researchers from Boston University's College of Engineering and School of Medicine have spent the past five years working on a chip-scale photonic device that can detect viruses in a way that is fast, label-free, and affordable. Now, the device has been used to detect multiple viruses at once in blood samples. The team believes that with a little more advancement, the device will be able to help detect the Ebola virus quickly and affordably in countries such as Sierra Leone, where Ebola is rampant, but they lack the resources to diagnose patients in an efficient way.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bu.edu/today/2014/containing-ebola-with-nanotechnology/
Biomedical engineering professor Bin He of the University of Minnesota designed a remote control helicopter that receives instructions from a controller's brain. It functions via the controller imagining a certain movement, like the clenching of the right fist. This fires off certain neurons in the brain, which is translated to data and sent to a computer by an EEG (electroencephalography) cap. The data is then converted into instructions for the helicopter, such as move up or turn.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LWz4qa2XQA
http://iopscience.iop.org/1741-2552/10/4/046003/article
In Brown University, researchers have found a way to measure the glucose level of a person through their saliva rather than from their blood. This could make it significantly easier for managing diabetes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.brown.edu/research/news/2014-06/progress-detecting-glucose-levels-saliva
Engineers at Stanford University have invented a type of mirror that does the same job as an air conditioning unit. It does this by reflecting infrared light and the suns rays off its surface. This light is then sent directly into space. When all of this heat from the light cannot get to the buildings, the air inside will stay cool.
ReplyDeletehttp://engineering.stanford.edu/news/stanford-engineers-invent-high-tech-mirror-beam-heat-away-buildings-space
The University of Columbia in New York is researching about a deadly increase in Arabian Sea plankton and algae. The unbalance could ruin the oceanic ecosystem and fishing industry in the Middle East.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news-events/shift-arabian-sea-plankton-may-threaten-fisheries
A profesor at the University of New Hampshire seeks to study the differing types of bees in New Hampshire. Bees are of utmost importance in New Hampshire. With the recents plummet in bee population, this could effect New Hampshire communities, and also food surplus because all fruits and vegetables rely on pollination. No bee= no NH apples :( I found this information at the link below
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nhbr.com/January-9-2015/NH-Bee-hotel-abuzz-with-research-about-pollinators/
I have chosen Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Brendan Nyhan, an assistant professor at Dartmouth, was part of a study on vaccines and the information provided to patients. Even when people who are paranoid about getting vaccines are told the truth about what the vaccination does, they still aren't likely to go out and get that vaccine. No matter how much the patient knows, they are still weary about getting the vaccination.
ReplyDeletehttp://now.dartmouth.edu/2014/12/study-correcting-vaccine-myths-may-not-promote-immunization/
In the Biochemistry labs of University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, the students were able to grow a zebrafish embryo to half its normal length. It provides valuable information on what different cells are needed to lengthen the body. Fish and human embryos develop in similar ways, so this can teach us about normal human development.
ReplyDeletehttp://depts.washington.edu/biowww/
Dartmouth College (Specifically, Professor Mary Lou Guerinot) have been working to improve the nutrient quality of a plant known as Arabidopsis thaliana. The Professor and her students hope to apply this research to rice, so the rice we eat so frequently will be healthier for us.
ReplyDeleteLink: http://now.dartmouth.edu/2014/11/mary-lou-guerinot-on-genetic-engineering-and-plants/?utm_source=dhome&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=dhome_carousel3
At the University of Texas(Austin), researchers have found that a certain set of genes can lead to alcohol-dependency. These genes were found in the brain tissue of alcoholics, but were not found in nonalcoholic brains, which has led these researchers to the conclusion above. The researchers are hopeful that there study will help make alcoholic treatment medications better and therapies more beneficial. The scientists predict that this will lead to screening to help find the risk factor of each person to notify them if they are at risk of becoming alcohol-dependent, based on the genes in their brain.
ReplyDeletehttps://cns.utexas.edu/news/alcohol-abuse-linked-to-newly-identified-gene-network
At the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology- Biomedical Engineering Department, Yoram Lanir and his team are researching and working on the relationship between the micro and macro mechanical functions of biological organs, tissues and cells.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bm.technion.ac.il/Labs/mfotc/default.aspx
At Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, an undergraduate student has produced a natural way to eliminate a deadly disease called American Foulbrood, an illness that infects honeybee larvae and leads to the destruction of hives. By using small killer bugs called phages, which kill the deadly bacteria, researchers have found a successful way to keep bees from infection.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.byu.edu/archive14-oct-bees.aspx
At Dartmouth college, Jimmy Wu, and his research group are making synthetic at on based molecules which have applications including targeting an enzyme to treat a disease. The link to this article is: http://now.dartmouth.edu/2014/10/dartmouth-chemists-creations-target-diseases/
ReplyDeleteAt Princeton University they are doing many great things for science. What I found interesting was this article about a new species of bird they discovered in Indonesia.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S41/65/98I15/index.xml?section=science
At Georgetown University they are working on creating a new drug. There goal is to create a drug that will perform large scale synthesis to enable candidate molecules to advance. Many different science departments are coming together to try and create this drug. This drug would be a neuro-therapeutic, which means it could treat severe head traumas.
ReplyDeletehttp://drugdiscovery.georgetown.edu/
The biomedical department at Stanford University has been researching Alzheimer's disease, and scientists believe that they are on the track to a cure. Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, causes memory loss due to the detraction of cleaner proteins in the brain at an old age. Scientists have connected this aged disfunction as a result of exposure to a protein called EP2. Already, studies have been performed on mice involving the removal of AP2 at different stages of life; mice without it from birth never develop memory loss, and the percentages are only slightly higher for those that have AP2 removed in later life. The next step is to develop a way to only remove AP2, discarding other possible side-effects.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11280504/Has-Stanford-University-found-a-cure-for-Alzheimers-disease.html
According to Joseph Blumberg, Nathaniel Dominy and his colleagues at Dartmouth have studied art pieces from Ancient Egypt to map out its ecological past. Since Egyptians were so focused on details and preserving art in their era, there is significant data to show what the ecosystem of Egypt once may have been like. Also, Egyptians were the first to take a census of their population. Therefore the combination of this information will be the first record to show how a thriving civilization like Egypt dealt with it's ecosystem.
ReplyDeletehttp://now.dartmouth.edu/2014/09/art-sheds-new-light-on-the-ecology-of-ancient-egypt/
Cool Kyle! Really Interesting!
DeleteCornell University:
ReplyDeleteMyat Lin and Alessandro Occhialini have discovered a way to genetically engineer plants to photosynthesize quicker. Using a cyanobacteria enzyme from blue-green moss, they engineered a tobacco plant to use this enzyme in the process of photosynthesis (which works a lot faster) to make that plant grow very fast. This technique may be used in the future to grow highly demanded crops since the population in 2050 is expected to pass nine billion. This may be a big breakthrough for our agricultural industry by increasing our productivity.
http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/09/plant-engineered-more-efficient-photosynthesis
MIT chemists have discovered a way to make cheap and wireless gas detectors. They can be put up in food storage, and public areas to detect harmful gases. The sensors can also be read by a Smartphone, so it is easy to read them. The sensors made in Swager’s lab are able to use little to no power and can function in extreme temperatures.
ReplyDeletehttp://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/wireless-chemical-sensor-for-smartphone-1208
At the University of Wisconsin students developed a method to figure out air pollution levels by using social media posts. For one month, students read posts from China social media websites looking for people who complained about the air. They would look at what the post said, what time it was said, and where it was said. The method allowed the students to figure out accurate and current information on the air quality.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.news.wisc.edu/23290
University of Pennsylvania
ReplyDeleteNeuroscientists at UPenn believe they have discovered a way to prevent memory loss after being sleep deprived. The scientists studied the affects of sleep on mice and later observed a specific signaling pathway in the mice's brains that be artificially activated, making the sleep-deprived mice remember just as well as the well-rested mice. These scientists believe that their finds will help other scientists to create a drug that can help humans remember better when sleep-deprived.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/75644-penn-scientists-find-way-to-prevent-memory-loss-after-sleep-deprivation
At Dartmouth College in New Hampshire professor of Computational Genetics Jason H. Moore Ph.D. is researching strategies for biodefense against vaccine complications and is evaluating the Aventis Pasteur Smallpox Vaccine. After gathering large amounts of genetic, genomic, and proteomic research he is using that data to decide the affects of the vaccine and other vaccines similar to it on the genotype-to-phenotype relationship. The solution will help protect the public health against bioterrorism.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.epistasis.org/research.html
http://dartmouth.edu/
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ReplyDeleteDartmouth College recently did an experiment to study the affects logging has on the forest's soil carbon. Chelsea Petrenko, a doctoral candidate, led the research. They concluded that logging does cause biogeochemical mineral changes in soil, however the change may be difficult to detect.
ReplyDeleteArticle published on December 2, 2014
http://www.sciencecodex.com/logging_destabilizes_forest_soil_carbon_over_time_dartmouth_study_finds-146667
At University of New Hampshire, a study was conducted where results showed that people who take life/body-threatening risks are able to process information faster than those in the other control groups.
ReplyDeletehttp://blogs.psychcentral.com/stress-better/2014/12/6-ways-to-give-kids-the-stress-advantage/
Rachel Marquis
On December 10th, MIT published an article describing a bioengineering project they'd been working on. Using a process originally used for turning off specific genes, researchers were able to turn on any genes they wanted to. This could be very useful in determining the purpose of a specific gene, and could have significant impact on research for genetic diseases.
ReplyDeletehttp://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/crispr-technique-determines-gene-function-1210
Recent studies from Lancaster University may have found a new and effective form of physiotherapy for patients and survivors of stroke. The Nintendo Wii may be the answer. The Wii is a video game system that encourages consumers to move their arms and legs as a way to control the game on screen. Tests involved having stroke victims hit objects on screen, as well as a simulated air hockey. One patient was even able to lift and drain a cooking pan for the first time in 11 years following the tests.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/local/lancaster-university-study-finds-wii-helps-stroke-victims-1-6995516
Researchers at UCLA have discovered a gene that can slow aging by thirty percent when activated in key organ systems. The scientists activated the gene AMPK that is important in energy sensor cells. The scientists increased the amount of AMPK in fruit flies and their lifespan increased from six weeks to eight weeks. The discovery of this gene is significant in protecting most organ systems in the human body.
ReplyDeletehttp://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-biologists-delay-the-aging-process-by-remote-control
Students and faculty at Northeastern University have discovered a potential cure to chronic Lyme disease. They synthesized a chemical called ADEP that destroys the proteins in the affected cells, causing the cells to self destruct.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.northeastern.edu/news/2014/04/lewis-3qs/
At Syracuse University, they have their very one Climate Change Garden. There, the students can walk right outside the classroom to measure growth, leaf, and root behavior. The students are able to track the replacent in different climates of "northern" "southern" and "western" species.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.syr.edu/climate-change-garden-mixes-the-future-with-the-present-80222/
Associate Professor Sienna Craig in Dartmouth College's Department of Anthropology recently conducted a study on Tibetan spit. She is trying to figure out how the unique genes that Tibetans have play role in the biology of diseases osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, heart failure, and cancer.
ReplyDeletehttp://anthropology.dartmouth.edu/news/what-americans-can-learn-vial-tibetan-spit
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ReplyDeleteAt Yale University, an important discovery has been made regarding Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. These cells can take the job of any cell and can be produced using normal adult cells. The main problem with these cell is that most of them are not usable and can causes medical problems. Andrew Xiao and his team of scientists at Yale have discovered a chemical that shows which cells are still usable. This discovery may lead to many advances in medicine in the future.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.yalescientific.org/2014/10/when-stem-cells-go-bad/
Professor Daniel Kirschner and student Andrew Denninger from Boston College are using neutron diffraction to analyze an isulation layer on our nerve cells called myelin.
ReplyDeletefull article:
http://www.ill.eu/press-and-news/press-room/press-releases/neutron-diffraction-shows-how-myelin-gets-on-your-nerves-8122014/
The neutron diffraction technique is interesting. I believe it would pave new methods and ways to solve burning problems, especially those concerning dark matter and energy.
ReplyDelete