Pfizer has teamed up with another company to utilize microfluidics to study how drugs impact our bodies and how our body's environment affects a drug. This partnership enables rapid and efficient examination of these interactions before progressing to human trials.

Read more about it here: Pfizer

Opioids were involved in 80,411 overdose deaths in 2021, equating to 75.4% of all drug overdose deaths.

Read more at CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/index.html#:~:text=Opioids%E2%80%94mainly%20synthetic%20opioids%20(other,of%20all%20drug%20overdose%20deaths

Qualitative research exposes and explores important aspects of the pain experience that are not accessible via other methods.

Read more at 'Reviews in Pain': https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590060/#:~:text=Qualitative%20research%20exposes%20and%20explores,ontological%20perspective%20to%20quantitative%20work.

In 2016, more than 11.5 million Americans reported misusing opioids in the past year.

Read more at CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/prescribed.html

Calico Labs has developed a Miniature-chemostat Aging Device (MAD) platform to understand aging better. They accomplish this by characterizing the genomic and biochemical properties of aging yeast, an established model for eukaryotic cellular aging.

Read more about this at BioSpace: https://www.biospace.com/article/the-search-for-the-fountain-of-longevity-not-youth-/

A recent study found an alternative way to decrease bacteria populations, by turning on a system that makes them self-destruct when attacked by a virus to protect the other bacterial cells.

Read more at Mount Sinai: https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2024/new-approach-to-tackling-bacterial-infections-identified

Balagadde and his team of researchers at K-RITH - the first microfluidic research facility in Africa - are developing related systems to increase access to affordable healthcare.

Read more about his current work at pharma: https://www.outsourcing-pharma.com/Article/2016/11/15/Lab-on-a-chip-diagnostics-to-enable-affordable-research#

Soil compaction also has huge effects on crop yield and economy.

Read more in a publication by World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/crop-yield-agriculture-chemical-breakthrough/

What causes soil compaction? What are the consequences of soil compaction?

Read more in a publication by University of Minnesota Extension: https://extension.umn.edu/soil-management-and-health/soil-compaction

The authors of this paper discussed in a news article that specifically shutting down ethylene response in root tips may be a good way to generate crops resistant to soil compaction.

Read more in The Science Breaker: https://www.thesciencebreaker.org/breaks/plant-biology/how-roots-help-us-fight-against-hard-soils

This landmark paper led to the creation of Emulate, a biotechnology company focused on commercializing "organ-on-a-chip" systems across multiple organs and applications. It has been shown that Emulate human Liver-Chips can predict drug-induced liver injury better than animal models.

Read more at Emulate: https://emulatebio.com/about/

In 2022, the US lifted the federal mandate (since 1938) that required experimental drug testing on animals prior to human clinical trials. Therefore, microsystems, like "organ-on-a-chip", can be used as an alternative to animal testing.

Read more at Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-just-greenlit-high-tech-alternatives-to-animal-testing/

Many researchers believe that "organ-on-a-chip" microdevices are the future of drug testing and physiological modeling, potentially replacing animal models.

Read more at: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/725821

These two proteins activate apoptosis by piercing and creating pores within the outer membrane of the mitochondria and causing the release of cytochrome c. In an interesting research, scientists also found that both proteins interact to trigger inflammation by the release of mitochondrial DNA. This new finding may provide avenues to manage inflammatory responses in cancer patients during treatment.

Read more in the ScienceDaily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220204113438.htm

A recent paper has been published (Protein detection in blood with single-molecule imaging) which demonstrates capturing of the target proteins within blood. This increases the effectiveness of their protein detection method.

This link is to an article on the "Brighter Side of News" posted on February 26, 2022. This article is about how scientists developed an artificial sensory receptor that can send signals to be analyzed in real time.

https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/electronic-skin-that-can-feel-in-real-time-just-like-humans-do

Estimates of the available oil and gas reserves have grown with advances in petroleum extraction technologies. While this may stave off fuel scarcity, the abundance of available petroleum magnifies the potential climate impact of the greenhouse gases which would result from its use.

Read more in Science: Link

The emission of chlorofluorocarbons in the 20th century led to substantial loss of the ozone layer before the chemicals were widely banned. Since the passage of the Montreal Protocol which restricts the release of ozone-depleting substances, the ozone layer has healed a great deal of the damage.

Read more in Science: LInk

While observations of global warming were less certain at the time of this paper's publication, it is now clear that growing temperatures reflect the expected impact of increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more in Science: Link

Because of its strength and flexibility, this robot can be used in search and rescue response. For example, the robot could crawl through the rubble of a collapsed building to locate survivors. In addition to disaster relief, the robot can also be used in environmental exploration.

To read about potential applications of soft robots: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fang-needles-quantum-carpets-and-tender-robot-touches-the-weeks-best-science-gifs/ https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-human-try-crush-cockroach-inspired-robot-and-fail

Improvements of soft robot agility and efficiency could enable various applications. For instance, adding gas sensors and improving the maneuverability could allow for utilization of this robot in search and rescue, and biodefense applications.

Read the article here: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/science-technology/new-insect-sized-robot-can-withstand-weight-of-a-human-811293

Recently, this technology has been used to create a new method for the molecular profiling of circulating tumor cells (Covalent chemistry on nanostructured substrates enables noninvasive quantification of gene rearrangements in circulating tumor cells). This method would allow for noninvasive monitoring of disease progression and treatment guidance.

In the future, a light-weight battery can be integrated into the soft robot, allowing for independent movement without attached electrical wires.

Read the article here: https://www.futurity.org/roach-sized-robot-biomimicry-2122002-2/

This article displays how a piezoelectric tactile sensor array can be used to help people who have lost their sense of touch gain it back.

To learn more about the use of a piezoelectric tactile sensor array: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/research/stories/2021/04/29/skin-inspired-tactile-sensors-distinguish-diverse-stimuli-and-offer-hope-limb-injuries

Next-generation prosthetics is a growing field of research. Current prosthetics are unable to fully restore functionality to an amputated limb. The goal of prosthetics is to help patients recover mobility due to loss of a limb.

To learn more about next-generation prosthetics: https://www.jerseysbest.com/health/smart-prosthetics-state-of-the-art-technology-gives-amputees-more-control-over-their-limbs/

Amputation is a life altering event for an individual. It can affect a person's ability to move and interact with their environment. One of the senses lost with the loss of a limb is the sense of touch.

To learn more about amputation: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/amputation#:~:text=Amputation%20is%20the%20loss%20or,emotional%20trauma%20can%20complicate%20recovery

The authors relied on channel design rather than active components to mix fluid in microchannels.

Scientists at the National Research Council of Canada developed a mixing element within a microfluidic device consisting of slanted ridges that cause two separately-flowing fluids to intersect and travel along these ridges, providing efficient mixing of two or more fluids in the device.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US9555382

Startup Outset Medical (https://www.outsetmedical.com/) has created a portable dialysis machine which utilizes the microfluidic technology discussed in this paper.

This paper's findings that the Antarctic ozone hole is beginning to heal provided evidence that the Montreal Protocol is having the intended effect.

Read more at BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36674996

In the 2016 Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, countries will also begin phasing out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) because they contribute to global warming.

Read more at the Weather Channel: https://weather.com/en-IN/india/environment/news/2021-08-20-boost-for-cooling-industry-as-india-approves-kigali-ratification

There are increasing concerns about reptile egg nest incubation temperatures as climate temperatures rise. Several news outlets and scientific reports detail the implications of climate change for reptile sex bias and survival.

You can read more about the concerns for reptiles that undergo temperature-dependent sex detemination, like sea turtles, alligators, and lizards, here:

1. https://phys.org/news/2021-10-animals-affected-climate.html
2. https://gizmodo.com/climate-change-could-make-american-alligators-sex-rati-1846918445
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99702-1
4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40597-4

In 2020, this laboratory published a follow-up study showing that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, better known as STAT3, responds to temperature and represses Kdm6b at warmer FPT.

You can read more about this exciting new study here: https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/science.aaz4165

KDM6B's role in turtle temperature-dependent sex development and implications for hatchling sex bias and mortality were discussed in this BBC News article: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44071220

In view of the fast spread of the Delta variant, China has initiated stricter border control.

Read more in South China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3143989/coronavirus-china-steps-border-controls-race-contain-fast

Researcher Sean McDonald placed speakers playing non-native bird calls near native plants in danger of extinction in hopes of attracting these birds to these plants and increasing seed dispersal.

Read more in Inside Science: https://www.insidescience.org/news/playing-birdsongs-save-trees

Islands suffer significant losses of large frugivorous birds due to their small size, isolation from mainlands,and limited amount of species. These large birds tend to be flightless (making them an easy target for predation) and make it possible for large seeded plants, particularly trees, to be dispersed throughout the island.

More information about the causes and consequences of large frugivorous bird extinction can be found in the Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2018/10/13/does-it-really-matter-if-just-one-species-goes-extinct/#48e3b358610b

Native plants on the Hawaiian island of Kauai are threatened by changing climate, invasive species, and destruction by feral pigs. Efforts led by the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) are working toward saving these endangered species and preventing the loss of further species.

Read more in the grist: https://grist.org/article/hawaiis-rarest-plants-are-in-crisis-meet-the-people-fighting-to-save-them/

Tracing and quarantining suspected and infected cases as well as imposing restrictions on high-risk social settings have been shown necessary.

Read more in Nature Medicine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1092-0

Measures taken by China have been proven effective in a list of countries that carried out lockdowns.

Read more in Politico: https://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-europe-lockdown-effectiveness-graphics/

The activation of Level-I alert in Tibet marked the nationalwide activation of this highest-level alert.

Read more in China Daily: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202001/29/WS5e318a36a3101282172739c1.html

The Wuhan travel ban has also been found to slow the spread of COVID-19 worldwide.

Read more in Science: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6489/395

A recent study has shown that if the hole in the ozone layer had not been addressed, it could have made global warming worse by killing carbon-consuming plants.

Read more at Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ozone-hole-would-have-killed-plants-and-raised-global-temperatures/

https://www.aaas.org/rudolph-virchow-father-cellular-pathology

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2011/05/oie-declares-rinderpest-eradicated

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/26/health/measles-outbreak-epidemic.html

A United Nations resolution seeks to “prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution,” by 2025.

For more information, see this link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/12/13/193-nations-sign-pledge-tackle-global-crisis-plastic-oceans/

The problem of plastic waste in the ocean can be addressed from two sides: allowing less waste to enter the ocean, or collecting the waste after it has entered the ocean. Many proposals have been developed for ways to clean up trash after it arrives in the oceans. One small-scale approach uses a submerged garbage can that pumps water through a filter and captures debris, while one large-scale approach relies on deploying a 1- to 2-km-long floating tube that gathers and concentrates floating plastic debris for eventual transport back to land and recycling.

Read more about these approaches: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/mar/30/seabin-ocean-pollution-epa-marina-miami-garbage and https://www.theoceancleanup.com/.

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to James Allison and Tasuku Honjo for their work on antitumor immunity. Jim Allison is one of the authors on this seminal paper, in which the significant discoveries on the role of CTLA-4 were beginning to be made. Both James Allison and Tasuku Honjo showed that blocking inhibitory signals received by T cells can greatly enhance antitumor immunity. As you read in this paper, Jim Allison showed that blocking CTLA-4 achieves this effect; Tasuku Honjo was honored for similar work on another inhibitory molecule, PD-1. See the Nobel Prize announcement and an interview by a member of the Nobel committee here, and listen to various interviews with James Allison here.

Wearing camouflage while hunting or as a fashion statement is common in most places around the globe. When one thinks about camouflage, the typical image that comes to mind is of camo uniforms in the military. However, some countries and territories ban the use and wearing of camouflage for a variety of reasons. One example of this is in the Philippines. Read more about this Philippian law here:

https://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_16/HB00368.pdf

Animal testing within the science field is arguably one of the most controversial practices in science. In fact, there are many organizations established to enforce laws and policies involving animal testing and studies. Using inanimate robots like those in this article instead of live animals ensures that research will not face any controversy in the public eye. One prominent organization is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Read about their mission and history here:

https://www.peta.org/about-peta/

The electromagnetic spectrum is actually regulated by the government. Many policies and laws are in place for safety and limited space reasons. The Radio Act of 1927 established the Federal Radio Commission, and the Communications Act of 1934 ("the Act", 47 U.S.C. § 51 et seq), established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). More on this can be found at:

https://www.ntia.doc.gov/book-page/who-regulates-spectrum#:~:text=The%20Radio%20Act%20of%201927,Federal%20Communications%20Commission%20(FCC).

Thanks to the long-term scientific field work of Peter and Rosemary Grant, scientists have developed an understanding of how this speciation has happened.

Jonathan Weiner provides an introduction to this legendary fieldwork in The Beak of the Finch.

For a more scholarly background, check out How and Why Species Multiply by Peter and Rosemary Grant.

The 2004–2005 selection event was a severe drought. For a thorough explanation of the climate of the Galapagos islands, see here.

Part of the ambition in this paper was identifying the contributions of different neurons in a parkinsonian brain. Using optogenetics to better understand DBS can theoretically lead to more effective therapies in the future. Read more from The Cellular Scale.

Check out this 2019 episode of NPR's podcast Invisibilia for more on what it's like to be a patient treated with DBS. https://www.npr.org/2019/03/28/707639854/the-remote-control-brain

Planarians are masters of regeneration, but why? Read this article to find out more: https://www.hhmi.org/news/single-adult-cell-flatworm-crafts-new-body

Find out another method Dr. Alvarado is using to identify the origin of the regenerative abilities in planarians in this article and watch the short video to find out more: https://www.hhmi.org/news/searching-source-planarians-regenerative-powers

Why is important to study planarians? This interview with the lead author of this study explains why its important to conduct research on understudied animals: https://biobeat.nigms.nih.gov/2019/10/interview-with-a-scientist-unlocking-the-secrets-of-animal-regeneration-with-alejandro-sanchez-alvarado/

J. Rolland et al. reported in Nature Ecology and Evolution that climate change could have a greater impact on reptiles than mammals and birds. By reconstructing historical shifts in geographical ranges and climatic niches, they learned that niche shifts occurred more rapidly in mammals and birds than in cold-blooded species.

Read more in Nature Ecology and Evolution: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0451-9

Evolution cannot take place quickly enough to keep up with the rate at which humans are exterminating animal and plant species. If conservation efforts are not improved, many mammal species will become extinct in the next few decades that it will take 3 to 5 million years to recover the diversity that will be lost. https://phys.org/news/2018-10-mammals-evolve-fast-current-extinction.html

The authors are concerned about the ability of Earth's ecosystems to recover from the effects of climate change, habitat destruction, and species extinction. They have concluded that extinctions are occurring at a rate that might indicate that we are in the beginning of the 6th mass extinction.

There are regulations regarding fossil collecting on public lands. The Bureau of Land Management has rules for casual collecting.

Read more about these policies at https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/2014%20Rockhounding_14_web.pdf

Other hybridization events are likely to be caused by climate change and therefore are of concern to conservationists.

Read more in Aububon News: https://www.audubon.org/magazine/climate-change-causing-some-mixed-wildlife

Watch more at ibiology.org: https://www.ibiology.org/ecology/loss-biodiversity-human-dominated-world/#part-1

Hybrids are problematic for conservation policy. Hybrids that do not form new species can be seen as decreasing the "purity" of a species, or as threatening to eliminate one species if it is absorbed into another. Hybrids may be seen as not worthy of conservation, even if they are rare. Conservation guidelines need to be updated.

Read more in the Related Resources tab or at Current Zoology (will start a PDF download).

Understanding the mechanisms by which new species form is a central issue in the study of biology.

Read more at Scientific American: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/evolution-watching-speciation-occur-observations/

Angiogenesis is essential to the growth and repair of new tissue, providing cells with replenishing resources. Researchers have come up with scaffold-free methods based on self-assembly to generating artificial tissues. Read more on the role of self-assembly and organization in tissue engineering at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5666628/

Computational modeling is a helpful tool in determining the effectiveness of medical products and experiments. Read more on how computer simulations help speed up discovery of new therapies at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3482619/

Researchers introduced a new method to 3D print smaller-scale vasculature, thereby contributing to the progression of tissue engineering. Read more on the importance of generating blood vessels in artificial tissues at:

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2516-1091/ab5637

Bioprinting is a new, fast-changing field; and there are no established regulatory processes to evaluate products and approve their effectiveness. To read more about the future of artificial organ implants and their clinical translation:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/oppenheimerfunds/2016/09/26/the-surprising-future-of-artificial-organ-transplants/#5f22c8762f59

Self-healing is key aspect of living things. However, engineers develop technologies which mimic self-healing for a variety of applications. To read more about self-healing robotic technologies:

https://nypost.com/2018/01/08/scientists-develop-self-healing-robot-muscles/

Similar to the fibers described in cited article, artificial fibers, capable of lifting above 12,000 times its own weight, were created. These fibers are tightly coiled and when heated they expand in diameter, causing dramatic contractions. Read more about artificial muscles at: https://www.newsweek.com/artificial-muscle-can-lift-12600-times-its-own-weight-893237

Read more about some of the advantages of using an oral pill over other birth control methods at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-pill-pros-vs-cons-906927

Read more about the efforts that are needed to meet international family planning goals at: https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/family_planning/contraceptive-access-women-and-girls/en/

A similar oral capsule design has been introduced for a once-weekly HIV medication.

Read more about how expandable pills are being implemented into other medication regimens: https://scitechdaily.com/new-drug-capsule-delivers-a-weeks-worth-of-hiv-drugs-in-a-single-dose/

Scientists are currently debating how much influence early human migrants had on the extinction of North American megafauna in the Pleistocene and Holocene:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/01/what-killed-great-beasts-north-america

One of the most widely publicized long-term studies was that of the Greater Yellowstone system. By the early 1900s, wolves were largely extirpated from the Yellowstone basin. After wolves were reintroduced in the 1990s, the region experienced a very quick recovery in biodiversity.

Read more here: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolf-restoration.htm

News and Policy:

Watch this video demonstrating HASEL's ability to pick up fragile objects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPVt0bZtNAM

Pharmacokinetics plays a significant role in the development of drugs. Read more about how scientists are getting closer to tracking compounds at the cellular level: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2018/06/20/looking-way-down-into-the-cells

The National Geographic article, Rise of Mammals, by Rick Gore discusses how the extinction of dinosaurs opened niches for the tiny mammals that survived the asteroid impact. His descriptions of mammalian adaptations and diversity are based on both fossil and genetic evidence.

Read more in National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/rise-mammals/#close

The news article below highlights the method used to examine the Earth's interior, especially the mantle region. https://phys.org/news/2019-09-gigantic-masses-earth-mantle-untouched.html

It is said that our planet Earth is about 4.54 billion years old. This planet has undergone a series of chemical and biological evolution processes since then. However, many scientists believe that the absolute core of the Earth has remained undisturbed. There has been a lot of debate regarding the chemical composition of the different reservoirs that still exist in these primitive locations. The news article below highlights the important findings of a recent publication in PNAS. It reports the existence of a significant reservoir of methane deep under the ocean. Learn more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-identify-gigantic-reservoir-of-methane-buried-under-the-ocean

This work builds on a relatively new field, bioprinting. A field that poses a variety of ethical dilemmas to policy makers.

Read more here: https://jme.bmj.com/content/43/9/618

The development of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies for cancer won James Allison, one of the authors of this paper, and Tasuku Honjo the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Read more at The Guardian.

There are many regulations on the use of animals in research studies. In 2019, these policies became even more stringent with the passing of the HEARTS Act of 2019. Read more here.

In response to China's plastics import ban, 187 governments have agreed to alter a pre-existing global waste treaty called the Basel Convention.

In May 2019, all countries that have ratified the Basel Convention (notably excluding the United States) approved major plastics-related changes. These changes are set to take effect started in 2021.

Read more from the UN Environment Programme

The Basel Convention, which governs the international waste trade, was adopted in 1989 in response to hazardous waste dumping on communities in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. China and the United States signed onto the Basel Convention in 1990. China ratified the treaty in 1991, while the United States has yet to ratify.

Read more from The Conversation

Shortly after taking office, China's new president Xi Jinping enacted the 2013 "Green Fence" policy directive aimed to lessen the contamination levels and boost the quality of imported recycled materials. Shipping containers that did not pass import inspection were rejected from entering the country.

Enacted in January 2018, China's "National Sword" policy banned 24 types of solid waste, including various plastics, and set a much tougher standard for contamination levels.

The new policy ups the ante with a ban on plastic waste containing more than 0.5% contamination. Some view this move as an unintended consequence of single-stream recycling.

In the 1990s, China emerged as a global manufacturing powerhouse generating a huge increase in demand for raw materials. This offered a market for products that come out at the end of the recycling process, such as the plastic pellets made from recycled materials. For example, these pellets can be turned into the soles of shoes. Read more in the Financial Times

These are chemicals added in the manufacturing process that can make plastics more flexible, durable, and transparent. A notorious example of a plastic additive includes bisphenol A (BPA). In high doses, BPA has possible health effects on the brain and prostate glands of fetuses, infants, and children.

Read more from Mayo Clinic.

The World Bank estimates that annual waste generation will increase by 70% from 2016 to 3.4 billion MT in 2050. Over 90% of waste, including plastics, produced in low-income countries is disposed of in unregulated dumps or openly burned.

A chemist at Dupont named Wallace Carothers invented a synthetic polymer that became known as nylon. Nylon and other early plastics became wide spread in the late 1930s and early 1940s. During World War II, plastic production in the United States increased by 300%.

Read more about the history of early plastic production from the American Chemical Society and the Science History Institute.

The authors set out to understand how the ZI influences food intake and to map the circuits in the brain that underlie these effects.

Read more in SciTechDaily.

Watch this video for an overview of values affirmation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TWMiTSjJ0Y

Learn more about how the computer simulation led to the discovery of a novel superlubric combination of materials.

Researchers aim at achieving the lowest possible friction and wear in mechanical systems. The area of superlubricity gained momentum in the last few decades following the discovery of novel 2D materials.

Please watch the TED talk describing superlubricity and its potential future applications by the lead author here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml1Rj6_W3eY

Researchers use supercomputing techniques to replicate complex experimental conditions, in order to envision large-scale systems at the atomic/molecular regions.

To read more details about the simulation techniques used in this study, please visit:

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150722-mira.html

Deep brain stimulation sometimes causes binge eating in Parkinson’s patients; now scientists might know why.

Read more in Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/electric-brain-stimulation-offers-binge-eating-clue/

Binge eating disorder in humans is characterized by overeating and can lead to weight gain.

For interviews with sufferers of the condition and scientists working towards understanding the disorder, read more in BBC News.

Since China's 2018 policy went into effect, many of the "replacement countries" have also started to crack down.

Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have enacted stricter quality standards for waste coming from countries such as the US, UK, and Australia.

Read more here: http://wastemanagementreview.com.au/battling-sovereign-risk/

The tadpoles in these experiments tends to attach only to their kin.

However, there is neurotransmitter phenotype change from one to another. The researchers have found a mechanism that helps in regulation of this neurotransmitter phenotype change. The release of the neurotransmitter caused the tadpoles to bond to those who were not biologically related to them. The switching affected the social bond formation in tadpoles.

Read more at the Dana Foundation.

The field of neuroplasticity evolved and expanded since this exploratory 1984 research. While there is still ample debate on the plasticity of our brain cells in adulthood, scientists generally agree that neurons are less flexible as we age. Read more in Science. (This resource can also be found in the Related Content tab).

Check out this video primer on neuroplasticity from Khan Academy.

Since this paper was published in 1984, the field of synaptic plasticity has progressed. This NeuWire article is an example to show that, in response to environmental conditions (such as changes in day length), the brain can switch the neurotransmitters they produce and release. These neurotransmitter switches also have an impact on behavior in these animals.

See the original research in Science in the "Related Content" tab and here.

When this paper was published, it was assumed that each neuron produces only one transmitter. However, more recent research has challenged this assertion. Contrary to traditional teaching, this article summarizes the new findings in the field of neurotransmitter plasticity, some of which include mechanisms of neurotransmitter plasticity, mechanisms of neurotransmitter switching, and their impact in neurological disorders.

Read more here.

There has been increasing concern about rising rates of autism, although this is a controversial subject. For more information, see:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/autism-rates-are-it-really-rise

https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/what-is-directed-evolution-and-why-did-it-win-the-chemistry-nobel-prize/3009584.article

https://youtu.be/FWEN2pxoXoQ

https://cen.acs.org/people/nobel-prize/directed-evolution-changing-world/96/i44

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5901037/

https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/10/advanced-chemistryprize-2018.pdf

A 2019 study highlighted the need to update how the water cycle is taught in school to include human interference.

Read more in Science Daily.

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity completed a metastudy in 2010, examining biodiversity targets and projecting biodiversity losses into the future. Read more: https://www.cbd.int/gbo3/

This article from the Chicago Tribune describes how scientists on the Great Lakes are trying to determine whether these large bodies of water are carbon sources or sinks.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-16/news/ct-met-great-lakes-carbon-20100816_1_carbon-dioxide-climate-change-lake-express-ferry

Certain island nations are looking to use this carbon "sink" as a way to meet their own carbon emissions targets:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whales-keep-carbon-out-of-the-atmosphere/

Climate change may hamper these efforts by making it difficult for whales to survive in these regions, however.

The 2007 Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Elk and Vegetation Management Plan for Rocky Mountain National Park lists, as Alternative 5, the reintroduction of wolves to the system to manage elk populations and to restore willow and aspen communities throughout the park. Alternative 5 is listed as the Environmentally Preferred Alternative at the end of the report.

https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/management/upload/ROMO-EVMP-FEIS-Executive-Summary-12-07.pdf

An additional example of top-down forcing can be seen in this HHMI BioInteractive Scientist at Work video featuring Dr. Brian Silliman and his work in salt marshes here.

Read more in PBS NewsHour.

The authors discuss their results and caution that values affirmation is not a perfect solution. Other education reforms are necessary.

Read more in AAAS.

There are many factors that affect student performance in college, including intrinsic values which can be supported by values affirmation.

Read more in The National Academies Press.

The study has identified genetic changes that occur in mice treated with cocaine.

Read the summary of research findings in Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180531102706.htm

See the NIH spotlight on the findings of the current paper at NIH Research matters: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/why-nicotine-gateway-drug

https://archives.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2011/11/nih-study-examines-nicotine-gateway-drug

and in science daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190400.htm

Prolonged use of alcohol, another gateway drug also leads to repetitive use of cocaine.

Read the summary of the research findings in Technology Networks:

https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/articles/alcohol-is-gateway-drug-to-compulsive-cocaine-use-293850

The idea and formulation of the gateway hypothesis and how the hypothesis can be tested in animals are explained in the special article written by Dr.Kandel.

Read the article “A molecular basis for nicotine as a gateway drug” in the New England Journal of Medicine:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1405092

The National Institute of Drug Abuse provides the statistics, trends, and the health effects of cocaine.

Read more in Drug Abuse website: https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/cocaine

Now scientists believe that the genetic code is universal, unambiguous, and redundant. In other words, that all living things use the same code, with few exceptions: "universal." That a codon encodes only one amino acid is "unambiguous," but that there are multiple ways to code for the same amino acid is "redundant."

But what if we could expand the genetic code or reprogram it? Professor Chin of the University of Cambridge explores this possibility here (see also in the Related Resources tab).

You may have heard about this concept before, maybe even hearing that we humans share 50% of our genes with bananas!

However, the story is a bit more complicated; in fact, genes (that is, regions coding for proteins) comprise only about 2% of our DNA. About 8% of our genes are involved in regulatory functions and the other 90% is mostly non-functional.

Because of our shared evolutionary ancestor (approximately 1.6 billion years ago), bananas and humans have a lot in common!

Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins published the seminal papers about the structure of DNA, winning them the Nobel Prize in 1962. Rosalind Franklin was a major contributor to the discovery; her experimental evidence was critical for understanding DNA's structure.

Rosalind Franklin has often been uncredited and overshadowed in this historical discovery. Read more here and here.

Check out this article and podcast from The Royal Society of Chemistry about the remarkable properties of molybdenum disulfide.

In addition to Darwin's finches, this story about lizards provides another great example.

Jonathan Losos also wrote a popular book, Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution, that highlights these anole lizards.

It may also be possible to reduce the size of Cas13b as was done with the Cas9 protein. Or use an ortholog of a different size, as was also done with Cas9.

Smaller Cas13b variants would have lower chance of interfering with cellular processes, making it an even more useful tool for studying RNA biology.

REPAIR stands for RNA Editing for Programmable A to I Replacement, i.e. it is a system that precisely edits single bases in nucleic acids. Because it is a base editor, the REPAIR system is mainly compared to other base editors and not to all possible genome editing tools.

To learn more about base editing systems, read more here.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted in 1995 that humans are influencing the climate. Since the publication of this study in 2000, we have learned even more about the extent to which humans have contributed to climate change. 

In the latest report from 2013, the IPCC was “95 percent certain that humans are the main cause of current global warming.”

In 2018, oil companies like Chevron began admitting in court that human activities are changing the climate.

Read more in Vox: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/3/28/17152804/climate-change-federal-court-chevron

Climate scientists have been working on ways to visualize changing global temperatures. One way is to present a spiraling graphic of monthly temperature data going back to the year 1850, where a series of concentric circles represents incremental increases in global temperature.

When viewed alongside carbon dioxide concentrations emitted by fossil fuels, there is a clear correlation between temperature and carbon dioxide.

Since 2010 when this paper was published, enough evidence has accumulated that 95% of climate scientists agree that climate change is being driven primarily by human activities.

View the animation and read more in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/07/28/these-climate-spirals-perfectly-illustrate-the-human-hand-in-global-climate-change/?utm_term=.34a3c771b2e3

Want to see how the 1997 event was different from the El Niño event in 2015-2016?

Check out this Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/08/13/el-nino-then-and-now-a-side-by-side-comparison-of-1997-and-2015/?utm_term=.48a1ef8932e3

Or read more in the Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0822-el-nino-1997-20150822-story.html

La Niña is the counterpart to El Niño and involves cooler than average waters across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

"Both El Niño and La Niña can alter wind and water currents across the globe, causing extreme weather that can kill thousands of people and result in billions of dollars in damage."

The 1998-1999 La Niña event was particularly extreme, causing droughts in the southwest US and thousands of deaths in regions across the globe, including China, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Read more in the article by LiveScience: https://www.livescience.com/49572-la-nina-events-increase-climate-change.html

"A global climate model typically contains enough computer code to fill 18,000 pages of printed text; it will have taken hundreds of scientists many years to build and improve; and it can require a supercomputer the size of a tennis court to run."

Running a global climate model can take a long time, even with a super computer (days to weeks). Finding ways to run models more efficiently saves both time and money.

Read more in the Carbon Brief: https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-how-do-climate-models-work

The costs of going to sea add up: the captain, crew, and scientists must have food and income, and the ship must have power. Deploying sensors to great depths in the ocean typically requires that a ship remain stationed in place, taking up time that could be spent heading to port.

Because of the difficulty of reaching it, the deep ocean is still mostly unexplored and is considered by some to be Earth's "final frontier." In addition to studying the unique organisms that thrive deep in the ocean, scientists are also focused on examining how changes in deep sea temperatures affect global climate.

Read more in LiveScience: https://www.livescience.com/30890-ocean-deep-mysteries-exploration.html

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are sold as a therapeutic food used to treat gut microbiome imbalances, but their usefulness has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. To market these probiotics, some diagnostic centers offer a microbiome analysis to characterize shifts from the "normal" composition, even while the definition of "normal" has yet to be broadly defined. In some countries such as the United States, food supplements are not regulated the same as drugs. New policies on therapeutic foods will need to be developed as personalized nutrition and precision medicine become a reality. Read more from the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society.

Gut microbiome studies have suggested many associations between composition and human health. This has prompted the development of fecal transplants for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infections, a bacterium that causes intestinal symptoms like diarrhea. Based on the success of fecal microbiota transfer in recurrent C. diff infections, this potential "treatment" is now being studied for all kinds of diseases that are being linked to the intestinal microbiome, from obesity to autism spectrum disorders.

Read more in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/mar/31/bacteria-faecal-transplant-gut-mary-roach-gulp

Scientists have since tried to extend the genetic code to encode for more than the 20 natural amino acids. Read more in Science.

Check out this interview with author Feng Zhang about the development and potential uses of CRISPR technology. Dr. Zheng also compares Cas9 and Cpf1 nucleases.

To see an animation for how Cas9 works, check out this video.

The wild type Cas9 is also a relatively big protein at 1368 amino acids. It is too long for many applications, including packaging into viral particles. Recently, scientists have developed a way to dramatically reduce the Cas9 size while retaining its DNA binding properties.

Smaller orthologs of Cas9, like saCas9, can also be used. Some therapeutic companies are now using this for viral delivery.

Read more from two of the authors of this paper explaining how Darwin's finches in the Galapagos provided the basis for novel insights into genetic divergence.

In Science: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6328/910

Though interbreeding can be a source of genetic diversity for populations, it also can be a challenge when deciding which populations of a species are eligible for protection when conservation decisions are made.

Read more in Science: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6416/789.3

Learn more about the history and potential of optogenetics from Karl Deisseroth's piece in Scientific American.

To learn more about deep brain stimulation as a treatment for depression, check out this 2018 article in The Atlantic.

It is possible to think of "global warming" as "ocean warming" because so much heat from the atmosphere makes its way into the world ocean.

It is difficult to measure the temperature of the oceans because of how large and deep they are. It is also challenging to track this data over time and examine long-term trends. 

Read more in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/jun/26/new-study-confirms-the-oceans-are-warming-rapidly

Learn more about the concept of neuroplasticity with this iBiology video. Nobel Prize-winning neurobiologist Dr. Eric Kandel explains how neuroplasticity modifies our nervous system. 

his article from Science discusses how companies and academic researchers are trying to change the public's distrust of self-driving cars, through advertising, free rides in a safe environment, and other methods.

Read more at Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/12/people-don-t-trust-driverless-cars-researchers-are-trying-change

This article from Gizmodo asks transportation experts, ethicists, and lawyers who will be blamed if a self-driving car hurts someone. There is no clear answer.

Read more at Gizmodo: https://gizmodo.com/if-a-self-driving-car-kills-a-pedestrian-who-is-at-fau-1790049637

This 2016 article from Fortune discusses how the car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has decided to program its Level 4 (highly automated) and Level 5 (fully automated) self-driving cars to protect their passengers above everything else.

Read more at Fortune: http://fortune.com/2016/10/15/mercedes-self-driving-car-ethics/

An increase in temperature of 2-4 degrees C could significantly reduce corn yields and other vegetables, making it even harder for people to get the necessary nutrients they need.

Read more at Inside Climate News: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11062018/climate-change-research-food-security-agriculture-impacts-corn-vegetables-crop-prices

How do animals react to alcohol? Do they experience the same feeling of drunkenness that humans do?

Read more in National Geographic: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151121-animals-science-drunk-insects-mammals-drinking/

Remains aren't the only type of archaeologically significant findings. Recently, cliff drawings were found in northwest Saudi Arabia depicting hunting dogs wearing leashes. These carvings date back to more than 8000 years ago, making them the earliest depictions of dogs ever found.

Read more in Science Magazine: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/these-may-be-world-s-first-images-dogs-and-they-re-wearing-leashes

Scientists don't always agree. A paper published in 2017 disagrees with the dual origins theory presented here. To learn more about the disagreement, check out this article in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/07/18/your-dogs-ancestor-came-from-a-group-of-wolves-40000-years-ago-study-says/

It was already known that American dogs came from Europe, but in 2017 scientists found evidence that dogs also came with humans across the Bering land bridge—a small piece of land that once connected North America and Russia.

Read more in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2017/04/25/old-dog-new-dog-genetic-map-tracks-the-evolution-of-mans-best-friend/

After their domestication, dogs were selected to perform specific tasks. Some were used for hunting, some for sledding.

The domestication of cats doesn't appear to have been as deliberate as dog domestication. As a result, dog breeds are very different from each other, whereas cats didn't change very much from their wild ancestors when they were domesticated.

Read more at National Geographic: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/domesticated-cats-dna-genetics-pets-science

Read more on New York Times, which illustrates the founding and main goal in regards to the Human Microbiome projects.

Read more in The Pharmaletter's article, where Zeltia's president has begun second-phase testing with the ET-743 anti-cancer drug for breast cancer and sarcomas.

Read more in New York Times, where China's overfishing led to the inevitable diminishing of multiple species, which led to the collapse of fisheries whose livelihoods depended on the fish.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/world/asia/chinas-appetite-pushes-fisheries-to-the-brink.html

Looking at phenology through generations can aid us in understanding how the globe is changing. The video linked below shows how recording events can help humans connect and interact with biotic communities. URL: http://climatewisconsin.org/story/phenology

As concern for extinction rates rises, the need for conservation efforts to counteract these rates grows as well. Areas are being mapped out throughout Earth that are ranked by their ecological and economic significance for sustaining life on our planet. For more information about applications of conservation science, follow this link to see research and applications done by Groves and his colleagues. (https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/52/6/499/240341)

Habitat fragmentation is a direct cause for the extinction of many plant and animal species. However, a recent study found that timely actions could easily slow extinction rates and save species as we implement more effective conservation efforts.

Read more in Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160725090002.htm

As one of the consequences in the bloom of red algal in the Southern East coat waters, will lead to changes in the marine ecosystems that inhabit the waters by releasing toxicity as Harmful Algal Blooms.

Read more at: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/hab/

Another news story about possible epigenetic effects on marine life. This news story focuses on the current effects of the 1989 oil spill in Alaska on current herring populations.

https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2017/10/13/boom-and-busted-lessons-from-alaskas-mysterious-herring-collapse

Read more in NBC News:

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/massive-red-tide-threatens-florida-beaches-n178661

Read More: In vitro seed germination and seedling growth of an endangered epiphytic orchid, Dendrobium officinale, endemic to China using mycorrhizal fungi (Tulasnella sp.)

Tan et al. 2014

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423813005578

Check out this video from SciShow where Hank Green interviews lead author, Toby Spribille, about his research and conclusions. The interview describes the findings, clarifies the different groups of fungi discussed, and describes how they are related to one another. Spribille describes the differences between Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes and the radiations in the fungal lineage.

Well-known children's book author Beatrix Potter was one of the earliest proponents of the symbiotic nature of lichens in the English-speaking world.

Read more in the BBC: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160215-beatrix-potter-pioneering-scientist-or-passionate-amateur

The authors of this paper have made good on this assertion. In a follow-up study published recently (2018)30368-3), researchers have shown that the mere act of ejaculation, even if triggered artificially in the lab, can affect how much male flies drink. This more recent research is summarized in the following article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/male-fruit-flies-enjoy-ejaculation

Here is a video showing the distinct experiences of the males in the two groups. In the first portion of the video, you will see a male successfully mate with a receptive female. You will then see a male unsuccessfully attempt to mate with an unreceptive female.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH9Xjk28cZ0

Fruit flies are a good model organism for this kind of research; however, there is a danger of applying these findings too heavily to human behavior which is much more complex.

Read more: https://mappingignorance.org/2016/11/23/sex-alcohol-flies/

Some of the authors of this paper have also looked at the genetic information for domestication in other species, like pigs.

To learn more about the similarities and differences of pig domestication compared to dog domestication, check out this article in Science Magazine: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/08/taming-pig-took-some-wild-turns

The 1980 Nobel Prize in chemistry went to Paul Berg, Walter Gilbert, and Frederick Sanger for successfully sequencing DNA! This scientific feat is now commonplace, generating a mixed response of enthusiasm and concern.

Read more at NPR.org:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/26/534338576/routine-dna-sequencing-may-be-helpful-and-not-as-scary-as-feared

The fruit fly. This particular species is commonly used by scientists as a model organism.

To learn more about why Drosophila have become so commonly used in genetics research, check out this profile in The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/25/in-praise-of-the-humble-fruit-fly-genetics-research

A lot of laboratory technologies derive from natural phenomena (PCR, restriction enzymes, viral vectors, etc.). The discovery of Yob is just the beginning of unlocking the power of what lies within. In an interview with The Scientist, the authors suggest pairing this new knowledge of the mosquito sex determination system with the use of CRISPR gene editing technologies to create mosquitoes that can express Yob on the autosomes. This would allow female-lethality to be passed on to subsequent generations.

Read more in The Scientist: https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/maleness-gene-found-in-malaria-mosquito-33283

There are many scientific efforts afoot to control mosquito populations (especially those species who are vectors for disease) through the use of genetic methods. One such method used in California in 2017 released sterile A. aegypti mosquito males (sterile due to a bacterial infection) into the wild in efforts to reduce the local population.

Read more at NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/21/538470321/to-shrink-the-mosquito-population-scientists-are-releasing-20-million-of-them

Malaria is a severe illness caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans (and other animals) from the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitos. With over 200 million cases of life-threatening malaria each year, scientists are looking for ways to eradicate the disease. Learning about the genetic pathways of sex determination in mosquitos can help, along with genetic technologies like CRISPR.

Learn more about about how genetic modification of mosquitos might help in the fight against malaria in Vox. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/5/31/17344406/crispr-mosquito-malaria-gene-drive-editing-target-africa-regulation-gmo

There have been a variety of recent scientific reports focusing on degrading PET. While they are scientifically exciting, Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN News) wrote an article detailing work that needs to be done before such methods could be viable on a large scale.

Read more at C&EN News: https://cen.acs.org/environment/sustainability/Plastics-recycling-microbes-worms-further/96/i25

In 2015, the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment showed that there will be 1 pound of plastic for every 3 pounds of fish by 2025.

Here is the report in full: https://oceanconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/full-report-stemming-the.pdf

A recent study (2017) on fossils found in Siberia provides evidence for the earliest dog breeding program, but it doesn't necessarily contradict the research presented here. Read more in Science News: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/earliest-evidence-dog-breeding-found-remote-siberian-island

In this 2016 study, we see that there's evidence of wolf DNA in dogs, but a study published in 2018 showed the first evidence for dog DNA in wild wolf populations. Read more: https://phys.org/news/2018-03-extent-cross-breeding-wild-wolves-domestic.html

Humans have had an emotional bond with dogs for a very long time—14,000 years, according to new archaeological evidence.

Read more: https://phys.org/news/2018-02-emotional-bond-humans-dogs-dates.html

For a summary of this article, see lead author Dr. Karen Ersche's story on the UK Medical Research Council's website:

http://www.insight.mrc.ac.uk/2016/06/16/breaking-the-habit-why-is-it-so-difficult-to-change-cocaine-users-behaviour/

A BBC article briefly summarizing the findings from this study:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17357560

Fruit flies have a long history of use in scientific (and especially medical) research. But why are they so popular? As insects, how do they contribute to our understanding of humans and other mammals?

Fruit flies can perform many of the same essential neural functions (albeit in a simpler form) as mammalian brains, and they are very tractable to study (there are genetic tools to measure and manipulate neural circuitry, and their brain size is order of magnitudes smaller than mice or other mammals). The hope is that by understanding fruit flies, it will offer researchers a basis or framework for studying more sophisticated brains.

Read more in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/25/in-praise-of-the-humble-fruit-fly-genetics-research

Many other gut flora projects have since followed, including one that suggested there may be an association between household cleaners and BMI due to varying abundance of the microbe, Lachnospiraceae.

Read more: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-household-cleaners-may-alter-kids-gut-flora-contribute-to-being-2/