Biology
Nature’s Vital Signs, Using Bioindicators to Understand Ecosystem Health – Dr Paul Montagna, Texas A&M
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that may take decades to recover. In the immediate wake of the crisis, scientists began to study the developing effects of the spill. Dr Paul Montagna at Texas A&M, Corpus...
An Integrated Approach To Fighting Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Dr Claudio Fiocchi, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) causes significant pain and discomfort to sufferers and severely affects quality of life. Research on IBD focusing on the individual contributing factors has failed to provide truly effective treatment options, and the broader picture...
HTLV-1 The Forgotten Cousin of HIV – Professor Charles Bangham, Imperial College London
The catastrophic impact of HIV – human immunodeficiency virus – is well-known worldwide. Not so well known is its distant cousin HTLV-1, human T cell leukaemia virus type 1, which also has the potential to destroy lives. The study of HTLV-1 can shed light on HIV...
Bile Acids Are Not Just for Digestion – Professors Phillip Hylemon and Huiping Zhou, Virginia Commonwealth University
Over the last two decades, bile acids have gone from being thought of as mere helpers during digestion of fats and fat-soluble vitamins, to crucial players in the signalling pathways operating in the liver. Professor Phillip Hylemon and Professor Huiping Zhou, from...
New Perspectives on Marine Ecology: Technology Informs Oceanic Carbon Models – Dr Mark D. Ohman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The world’s oceans are responsible for absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate its warming effect on the planet. However, the way in which marine ecosystems respond to temperature changes can impact the ocean’s ability to...
Combatting the Lionfish Invasion – Dr Mark Hixon and Lab, University of Hawaii
Lionfish are predators that typically inhabit Pacific and Indian Ocean coral reefs. In areas where they have been introduced, they have become troublesome invaders. Populations have spread and grown in some regions to the extent that they are wreaking havoc on local...
Buzzing & Blooming, Bee-Flower Interactions in Crop Production – Professor Johanne Brunet, USDA-ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit
Pollination by flying insects is often the forgotten key to high agricultural productivity. Dr Johanne Brunet, research ecologist at the USDA-Agricultural Service, is investigating insect-flower interactions, and their implications for crop production....
Greener Pastures, Transforming Land Management Practices in the Cattle Industry – Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University
In the face of global climate change and challenges to sustainable use of renewable resources, farmers and ranchers are continually seeking best management practices that are economically viable and environmentally friendly. To meet this need, researchers at Auburn...
The Molecular World of Aphid Feeding – Professor Gerald Reeck, Kansas State University
Professor Gerald Reeck and his team at Kansas State University are investigating the molecular basis of aphid herbivory, including suppression of plant defences, using powerful methods of molecular genetics. This research is important for developing new aphid-pest...
Sub-Zero Survival, Revealing How Plants Freeze – Drs David Livingston and Michael Wisniewski, USDA
Watching plants return to life after a spell of cold winter weather can seem like a miracle. For over a century, biologists have understood that plant survival depends on a variety of co-dependent mechanisms, yet their methods for coping with temperatures far below...
Cell Physics, Understanding How Biological Matter Self-Organises – The Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1027 at the Saarland University
The Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1027 at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken and Homburg is an interdisciplinary research team that aims to achieve a quantitative understanding of the physical mechanisms at work when biological matter self-organises into...
Good Bacteria Gone Bad – Professor Hannah M. Wexler, VA Health Care System
Bacteria within our gut play an essential role in breaking down our food, but when they escape to a new environment some can turn nasty in order to survive. Professor Hannah Wexler’s lab at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Health Care System (GLAVAHCS) has been...
Peroxisomes on the Rise – Professor Michael Schrader, University of Exeter
Professor Michael Schrader and his team at the University of Exeter are working to decipher how specialised compartments within cells called peroxisomes are formed and function to perform vital roles in processing the lipids that coat nerve cells and in defending the...
More Reasons to Eat Your Greens Boosting Phytochemicals in Vegetables – Dr C. B. Rajashekar, Kansas State University
Many plants contain phytochemicals – unique chemicals that can prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer and obesity. Dr C. B. Rajashekar and his colleagues at Kansas State University are investigating ways to increase the concentration of these constituents in...
Metal Transport Unlocks Routes to New Antibiotics – Dr Albert Guskov, University of Groningen
Metals have been improving our lives since the bronze age, but they also play a key role in keeping us healthy. We rely on numerous metals, such as cobalt, zinc and magnesium (among others), to perform essential roles in our bodies. Many bacteria also require these...
Controlling Insect Pests with RNA Interference – Professor Paul Dyson and Dr Miranda Whitten, Swansea University
Professor Paul Dyson and Dr Miranda Whitten at Swansea University in the UK are developing insect pest control methods using endosymbiotic bacteria that target the insects ‘from within’ using RNA interference.
Cellular Polka and Immune Cell Signalling – Professor Brian C. Schaefer, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Immunology remains an important branch of medical and biological sciences, providing us with protection against infection and disease. Professor Brian Schaefer of the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, has dedicated his research to elucidating the molecular...
Using Population Genetics to Inform Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation – Drs Eric Hallerman & Jess Jones
Conservation can be difficult work on an ever-changing planet, where human activity often runs counter to the needs of endangered species. When budgets and resources are limited, it is critical that conservation plans are designed to be as effective as possible. Dr...
The Dairy Cow Beyond Mass Production – Dr Chad Dechow, Pennsylvania State University
As dairy farmers struggle to make ends meet, economic efficiency often forces the health and wellbeing of cattle to take a back seat. Dr Chad Dechow and his team at Pennsylvania State University have set about tackling this problem, providing a means for producing...
Surrogate Bacteria for Food Safety – Consortium of Food Process Validation Experts
In the wake of a terrible E. coli food poisoning outbreak, a group of food scientists decided to gear their research towards improving the safety of meat and poultry, whilst reaching out to food industry stakeholders and forming a collaboration known as the Consortium...
Circles of Hope: Circular Buffer Strip Schemes for Agriculture – Dr Sangamesh Angadi, New Mexico State University
Agriculture in the semi-arid US Southern Great Plains depends on irrigation water from the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest in the country. With the aquifer in decline, new ideas will be needed to ensure the future of irrigated agriculture in the region. Dr Sangamesh...
Frozen in Time: The Permafrost Microbiome – Professor Rachel Mackelprang, California State University, Northridge
Deep within the permafrost, viable microbial communities persist, buried for millennia. With the permafrost rapidly thawing due to global warming, these microbes are becoming more active, feeding on previously frozen organic matter and ‘breathing’ out greenhouse...
Roadmap for Success: Increasing Diversity in the Biological Sciences – Dr Fern Tsien, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Historically, there has been a disparity between the demographics found in the broader population and in academia. Women and many minority groups are underrepresented in science careers. Dr Fern Tsien at Louisiana State University is directing educational programs in...
Illuminating the Causes Behind Muscle Problems in Poultry – Dr Macdonald Wick, The Ohio State University
Muscle defects and non-infectious anomalies in commercial poultry are increasing in prevalence – with implications for bird welfare, meat quality and economic value. Dr Macdonald Wick and his team at Ohio State University are attempting to elucidate the biological...
Trees – the True Urban Warriors – Dr Nina Bassuk, Cornell University
Trees benefit cities in many often-overlooked ways. They not only beautify concrete backdrops, but also improve the quality of our urban lives by providing shade, reducing storm runoff, filtering air and providing homes for birds and insects. Trees face big...
Calling in the Bioelectrician – Dr Andrew K. Udit, Occidental College
In the world of chemistry, the search for new and improved catalysts is of great importance. Inspired by a family of vital biological molecules, cytochrome P450 catalysts could be the way of the future for industry – if only they could be made to work better. Dr...
Sandman and the Worm, Cellular Insights into the World of Sleep – Dr Cheryl L Van Buskirk, California State University Northridge
Why we sleep is a mystery. Dr Cheryl Van Buskirk of California State University Northridge is using the simple roundworm, C. elegans, to probe the cellular basis of sleep – with implications for sleep in more complex animals – including humans. [lbg_audio2_html5...
Bugs are Friends Taking an Ecosystem View on Forest Health – Professor Timothy D. Schowalter, Louisiana State University
Humans commonly view insects as unwanted nuisances, and many modern land-management practices focus on reducing insect numbers using toxic pesticides and invasive biological controls. Professor Timothy Schowalter at Louisiana State University has been studying insect...
Fighting Endemic Parasites New Technologies to Solve Old Challenges – Dr Paul Slusarewicz, MEP Equine Solutions LLC
Intestinal worms are among the most common types of parasitic infections worldwide. Despite technological advances in other areas of medical diagnostics, the procedure for identifying worm infection, the faecal egg count, has remained largely unchanged since its debut...
Monitoring and Controlling the Delivery of Single Molecules through Nanopores – Drs Daniel Burden and Lisa Burden, Wheaton College
Monitoring and controlling molecules as they are transported in and out of nanometre-sized compartments is no easy task. Dr Lisa Burden, Dr Daniel Burden and their colleagues at Wheaton College have made significant contributions to understanding these processes by...