Latest Articles
From Insult to Injury: Pollution and the Brain
How polluted is the air you breathe? If you answered, “I don’t know,” you’re not alone. Dr. Anna Robuck, a pollution researcher at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography says “it [is] really crazy that I didn’t know about living in a polluted community until…
The Future of Prosthetics: Replacement Limbs That Mimic Real Ones
In Brief Robotic prostheses can already restore some level of function, but they don’t often feel natural. Researchers at the MIT Biomechatronics Lab have been developing lower limb prostheses that feel like a natural extension of the human body. These robotic limbs use a variety of different techniques…
CRISPR: Cutting its way across the scientific world
STORY UPDATE: In 2020, CRISPR pioneers Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering the CRISPR technology. In Brief CRISPR/Cas9 is a relatively new, multifaceted gene editing technology. Prior to the advent of this technology, other scientific tools were available to achieve…
Llamas Lead the Way in Finding a COVID-19 Treatment
In Brief Llamas may present a unique solution to eliminating the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to the extraordinary antibodies they produce. These animals generate antibodies that are much smaller than what is created by their human and other animal counterparts. From these antibodies, even smaller biological soldiers…
Going From “iSmoke” to No Smoking With Wearables
In Brief Mobile technologies to help smokers quit have gained popularity over the years as the technology behind them continues to improve.The combined power of health-tracking sensors, wearable monitors and smartphones is helping people track their smoking habits and counter their addictions.These technologies can be used to encourage…
Viral Telephone: How COVID-19 Spread from Animals to Humans
In Brief Some scientists are investigating the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.Mutations are a natural result of viral replication. One way to think of a virus mutating is a long game of telephone.Discovering the origins of the novel coronavirus could actually help us prevent a…
A Mysterious Sea Creature Surfaces in the Search for Spinal Cord Injury Treatments
Spinal cord injuries are much more common than one might expect. As a result, finding a cure would be life changing for millions of Americans. Dr. Michael E. Selzer has been studying this topic for nearly 40 years. He provides insight on how a cure could be developed by looking at an animal capable of repairing its own spinal cord. The sea lamprey, a species of deep sea fish, is capable of regenerating a severed or broken spine. By looking at its genome, scientists hope to one day discover a method to apply the lamprey’s healing capabilities to humans
Man’s Best Friends May Help Us Manage Pain In People
In Brief Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a neuropathic pain felt by amputees.Companion animals may serve as good models for understanding PLP.Research is currently being conducted utilizing the connections between animals and humans to combat neuropathic pain and manage PLP According to the National Limb Loss Resource Center,…
Printers and Organs: How 3-D Bioprinting Might End the Organ Donor Crisis
In Brief Organ donation shortages are a critical issue around the world. 3-D bioprinting is a recent technology with great potential, particularly with the advancement of biomodeling. Ethical and legal considerations will need to accompany the progression of bioprinting techniques. On average, 20 Americans die each day due…
Diversity Within Our Veins and Arteries
According to Rose George, author of the book Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood, “We are not all actually the same under the skin.” She’s referring to the role of race in blood types and the critical necessity of blood donations from all ethnicities.