Biology
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...
Count Down to the Future – Meg Cheng-Campbell, Ryan T. Scott, Samantha Torres, Matthew Murray, Eric Moyer – NASA Ames Research Center
At the NASA Ames Research Center in California, the next generation of space biologists are working to understand the effects of long duration space flight on model organisms, and are developing ways to protect the health of future astronauts. [lbg_audio2_html5...
Putting Life in Context – Professor Julio Collado-Vides, National Autonomous University of Mexico
How do you determine important scientific links when you are flooded by new publications each day? Professor Julio Collado-Vides and his team at the National University of Mexico appear to have the answer. You may also...
Disarming Bacterial Virulence – Professor Roy Michael Robins-Browne
With antibiotic resistance rapidly emerging among many important bacterial pathogens, it is imperative that new classes of antimicrobials are developed. Professor Roy Robins-Browne and his team at The University of Melbourne are taking a novel approach to...
Protecting US Rice with Integrated Pest Management Strategies – Drs Michael Stout and Blake Wilson, Louisiana State University
US rice production is threatened by the expansion of the Mexican rice borer, and a host of other pests. Dr Michael Stout, Dr Blake Wilson and their colleagues at Louisiana State University are investigating integrated pest management strategies to reduce the...
The Chicken in the Egg: Hacking Early Development to Improve Adult Chicken Health – Dr E. David Peebles, Mississippi State University
Chicken meat is one of the world’s most relied upon animal food sources, and a major factor in economics and food security for many people. Dr David Peebles at Mississippi State University has dedicated his career to the unique physiological and nutritional needs of...
Mechanobiology – Exploring the Mechanics of Cell Behaviour – Professor Taher Saif and Dr Andrew W. Holle
Understanding how cells interact with the physical world around them is at the core of mechanobiology, a growing subfield connecting the arenas of cell biology and bioengineering. Two leading researchers, Professor Taher Saif and Dr Andrew Holle, with the support of...
Improving Plant Disease Resistance Can Nanoparticles Deliver – Dr Wade H Elmer
Crop disease can have an enormous impact on farming productivity and profits. A plant’s resistance to disease has been previously linked to micronutrients, which control key biochemical processes. Dr Wade Elmer of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has...