A Tale of Tails: How Reptile Regeneration Could Help Humans
Thomas Lozito, Ph.D., investigates how lizards regrow their tails in hopes of unlocking secrets that will help improve human healing.
Search Results for: research organisms
So Much to Do, So Little Selenium Needed
Selenium is an essential trace element. It’s often found in antioxidant enzymes, protecting our bodies from oxidative damage.
In Other Words: Not All Cultures Are Human
In biomedicine, a culture is a group of cells grown in a lab. Cultures help us to learn about cellular processes and to test and produce medicines.
Hunting Disease-Causing Genetic Variants
Dr. Miriam Meisler has spent decades determining gene functions, identifying genetic variants that cause human disease, and investigating treatments.
Make Like a Cell and Split: Comparing Mitosis and Meiosis
Your body is made up of trillions of cells that all originate from just one—a fertilized egg. The massive multiplication of cells after conception is possible thanks to cell division, which occurs when one cell splits into two. Cell division not only enables growth but also replaces damaged or dead cells and makes reproduction possible. …
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Biology Beyond the Lab: Using Computers to Study Life
“You’re not going to be able to do biology without understanding programming in the future,” Melissa Wilson, Ph.D., an associate professor of genomics, evolution, and bioinformatics at Arizona State University, said in her 2019 NIGMS Early Career Investigator Lecture. “You don’t have to be an expert programmer. But without understanding programming, I can assert you …
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Quiz: Are You a Genetics Genius?
Genes are segments of DNA. They contain instructions for building one or more molecules that help the body work. Researchers in the field of genetics study genes and heredity—how certain traits are passed from parents to their offspring through DNA. NIGMS supports many scientists who investigate the genetics of people and research organisms to better understand …
Cool Images: Wondrous Worms
The tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most common research organisms—creatures scientists use to study life. While C. elegans may seem drastically different from humans, it shares many genes and molecular pathways with us. Viewed with a microscope, the worm can also be surprisingly beautiful. Aside from the stunning imagery, these examples from …
An Enlightening Protein
A fruit fly expressing GFP. Credit: Jay Hirsh, University of Virginia. During the holiday season, twinkling lights are a common sight. But no matter what time of the year, you can see colorful glows in many biology labs. Scientists have enabled many organisms to light up in the dark—from cells to fruit flies and Mexican …
All About Grants: Basics 101
Note to our Biomedical Beat readers: Echoing the sentiments NIH Director Francis Collins made on his blog, NIGMS is making every effort during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep supporting the best and most powerful science. In that spirit, we’ll continue to bring you stories across a wide range of NIGMS topics. We hope these posts …