This time of year, many creepy crawlies take center stage to frighten people of all ages. To celebrate Halloween, we’ve conjured up a slideshow of fascinating but spooky species that NIGMS-funded scientists study. Some of these creatures drink blood like vampires, while others—frogs, worms, flies, and salamanders—are perfect cauldron ingredients for a witch’s brew. Check out the slideshow—if you dare!
Continue reading “Slideshow: Creepy Crawlies”Category: Injury and Illness
Sepsis in the Spotlight
Sepsis is a condition that can occur when a person’s immune system responds inappropriately to an insult, such as an infection or injury. This condition occurs unpredictably and can be life threatening. Of the 1.7 million adults in the U.S. who develop sepsis every year, at least 350,000 die as a result.
Membranes, Malaria, and the Mosaic of Science: Q&A With John Jimah
“I think it’s really an exciting time for science. Some people might think that everything out there to be discovered has already been discovered, but that’s far from the truth. There is still much, much more to discover,” says John Jimah, Ph.D., an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. We talked with him about how he moved internationally to pursue his career, how his current research on cell membranes could help treat malaria, and how science holds space for everyone.
Get to Know Dr. Jimah
- Books or movies? Movies
- Coffee or tea? Mocha
- Beach or mountains? Beach
- Cats or dogs? Dogs
- Music, podcasts, or quiet? Podcasts
- Early bird or night owl? Early bird
- Childhood dream job? Judge
- Favorite hobby? Bicycling
- Favorite piece of lab safety equipment? Gloves
- A scientist (past or present) you’d like to meet? Leonardo da Vinci
What Is a Neurotransmitter?
Have you wondered what controls the most basic functions of our bodies, like breathing, moving, and sleeping? Chemicals called neurotransmitters play a central role. Neurotransmitters pass messages from one nerve cell to another, and sometimes to muscles or glands. These messages may:
- Prompt the next nerve cell to pass on the message, prevent the message from going any further, or adjust how the message is passed on
- Cause a muscle to contract, like our intestines do when they digest food
- Tell a gland to secrete hormones, which are molecules that further pass on messages to tissues or organs
Science Snippet: The Significance of Symbiotic Relationships
Relationships are complicated, even in nature. Two unrelated species living close together and interacting for survival is called symbiosis. There are three types of symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
In a mutualistic relationship, both organisms benefit from the interaction. One example is the relationship between honeybees and flowers. Honeybees drink nectar from flowers, collecting and carrying pollen as they fly from one flower to another. Nectar allows bees to make honey, and spreading pollen helps flowers reproduce. Another example of a mutualistic relationship is between clownfish and sea anemones. The sea anemone provides protection and shelter, while clownfish waste provides the sea anemone with nutrients.
Continue reading “Science Snippet: The Significance of Symbiotic Relationships”From Fireflies to Physiology: Q&A With Yvon Woappi
“In high school, one of my teachers encouraged me to take an advanced biology class, and I’m so glad I did,” says Yvon Woappi, Ph.D. “The class opened my eyes to the fact that there were other people who loved nature like I did—they’re called biologists!” Now, Dr. Woappi is an assistant professor of physiology and cellular biophysics at Columbia University in New York City. We talked with him about his early love of nature and the night sky, the support he received from NIGMS training programs, and his research on wound healing.
Get to Know Dr. Woappi
- Coffee or tea? Tea
- Favorite music genre? Makossa, which originated in Douala, Cameroon
- Cats or dogs? Cats
- Rainy or sunny? Rainy
- Ocean or lake? Ocean
- Childhood dream job? Painter
- Favorite hobby? Chess
- Favorite lab tool? Fluorescent microscope
- Favorite pipette size? 100 microliters
- A scientist (past or present) you’d like to meet? Jonas Salk (who developed a safe and effective polio vaccine)
Quiz: Can You Solve These RNA Riddles?
RNA is essential for life as we know it. Among other roles, this molecule helps translate the instructions of DNA into proteins, which perform a vast range of tasks to keep us alive and healthy. In past Biomedical Beat posts, we’ve discussed the basics of RNA and how researchers are using it to develop medicines, vaccines, and tests for certain diseases. This year, in honor of RNA Day on August 1, we’ve created a quiz all about this remarkable molecule. Test your knowledge with the questions below!
Continue reading “Quiz: Can You Solve These RNA Riddles?”What Is a Hormone?
Hormones are chemical messengers in the body that glands form and release, or secrete, into the bloodstream, where they travel to various organs and tissues to change biological functions. Hormone levels fluctuate during a lifespan and even on a daily basis.
Growth spurts in toddlers or sudden changes in adolescents are directly related to large hormonal shifts during development and puberty. Smaller changes occur throughout each day to help maintain normal bodily functions, such as our sleep-wake cycle known as our circadian rhythm.
Continue reading “What Is a Hormone?”Advancing Endometriosis Research With Caroline Appleyard
The job opening at Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) in Ponce, Puerto Rico—home to great coral reefs—seemed like a perfect fit for Caroline B. Appleyard, Ph.D., given that scuba diving was one of her favorite hobbies. She only intended to stay for a short time, but now, more than 25 years later, Dr. Appleyard is a professor of physiology and pharmacology and program director of the NIGMS-funded Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) at PHSU.
An Interest in Inflammation
Growing up in Scotland, Dr. Appleyard was captivated by a children’s show with science demonstrations that helped kids and teens understand the world around them. She enjoyed studying biology and chemistry, and in high school, joined a lab at a local university that studied pharmacology. Her lab project studying the medicine aspirin ultimately solidified her interest in a career in research.
Continue reading “Advancing Endometriosis Research With Caroline Appleyard”Quiz: Do You Know Your Immune System?
Throughout our immunology miniseries, we introduced the immune system and its many functions and components. Additionally, we highlighted how vaccines train your immune system, how the system can go awry, and how NIGMS-supported researchers are studying immunology and infectious diseases. Put your knowledge about the immune system to the test by taking the quiz below.
Continue reading “Quiz: Do You Know Your Immune System?”