(no title)

November 6, 2023November 6, 2023 misciwriterseditors EquilibriUM

A Dark Science

Written by: Chami Amarasinghe

Edited by: Kate Giffin and Austin Shannon

For a hundred years now, evidence for invisible matter has been piling up (1). Eighty-five percent of the mass in our cosmic neighborhood is transparent (2). We are completely awash in this invisible substance, dark matter. It far outweighs the stars, planets, asteroids, gas, dust, and us (3). The evidence lies plainly in the night sky. Stars and galaxies are accelerated by the gravity of dark matter (4, 5). Light emitted from distant objects bends in its presence (6). But, despite its ubiquity, nearly nothing is known about the fundamental particles that make up dark matter (7). How heavy are they? Why are they so prevalent? If they are everywhere and interact with the atoms of our world, could we detect them as Earth travels through space? Dark matter particles have long been searched for in experiments but none have been found (8). The devices built to detect them are the most sensitive ears we have opened to the skies, and they continue to grow in size and complexity as scientists continue their search (9). Discovering the nature of dark matter would upturn our understanding of the universe, but history warns of dead ends. It is not predetermined that dark matter particles will be discovered (10).

Continue reading →

October 4, 2023October 3, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog, Spanish

El colesterol: un intruso en la conversación del sistema inmune con el cáncer

Autor: Amér Ghali

Editores: Jennifer Baker, Andrés Rivera Ruiz, Madeline Barron y Neikelyn Burgos-Tirado

Hay mucho que apreciar sobre la manera en la cual nuestros cuerpos se mantienen sanos a través de los diferentes tipos de células inmunes y sus distintos métodos para protegernos de enfermedades. Las células T conducen ataques orquestados contra patógenos, mientras que las células B producen anticuerpos que evitan síntomas severos como resultado de una infección. Estas células y sus diversas funciones simulan un conjunto de piezas de ajedrez, en la manera en la cual cada una realiza tareas únicas en coordinación con las otras para alcanzar la misma meta. Sin embargo, su meta no es necesariamente una victoria contra un solo oponente, sino todos los desafíos al sistema inmune sean estos externos como el virus SARS-CoV-2, o internos, como en el caso del cáncer.

Continue reading →

September 13, 2023November 30, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog

Blood-to-Stem Cell Transplants & Lab-Grown Mini Eyeballs: How scientists are helping us see the future of vision science

Written by: Gabrielle Rozumek

Edited by: Jennifer Baker, Will Dana, and Claire Shudde

Illustrated by: Paola Medina-Cabrera

Imagine that, over the years, your vision has become blurry and it’s not what it used to be. You wake up a few days after your 70^th birthday, and though you’re usually greeted by the bright morning sun, today it’s not so bright – there is a dark spot in your vision. You blink a couple times to try and get rid of the spot and quickly realize it’s not going anywhere. Shortly after, your doctor diagnoses you with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). There are temporary treatment options but no cure. Ultimately, your vision loss is permanent and that dark spot in your vision will likely grow larger until you can’t see at all.

Continue reading →

August 9, 2023August 9, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog, Uncategorized

When you move, I move: How parents can influence children’s physical activity and motor skill development

Written and Illustrated by: Stephanie Palmer

Edited by: Chloe Rybicki-Kler, Emily L. Eberhardt, Sarah Bassiouni, and Jennifer Baker

Hey there, reader! This is the second blog post in a two part series about children’s physical activity decisions and behaviors. This post explores practical steps caregivers can take to influence children’s fundamental motor skill development and physical activity behaviors. To learn more about developmental factors that influence children’s physical activity decisions, read part 1 here!

I want you to reminisce about your childhood physical activity experiences. Did you have a place to play in your house or backyard? Did you play in the driveway or on the street? Did your parents encourage you to play outside, or occupy you with a TV show? Did you rush home for dinner on your bike after playing at the park with friends, or was it unsafe to play outside in your neighborhood? Your recollections, similar or different, positive or negative, reflect the influence of your home environment on physical activity. The home environment for physical activity plays an important role in supporting children’s physical activity decisions and behaviors, and the development of motor skills for physical activity.

Continue reading →

August 2, 2023August 4, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog, Uncategorized

When you move, I move: Exploring the science behind childhood physical activity

Written by: Stephanie Palmer

Edited by: Chloe Rybicki-Kler, Emily L. Eberhardt, Sarah Bassiouni, and Jennifer Baker

Hey there, reader! This is the first blog post in a two-part series about factors influencing children’s physical activity decisions and behaviors. This post will explore the developmental factors that influence children’s physical activity decisions. To learn more about practical steps caregivers can take to support children’s physical activity behaviors, read part 2 here!

As I write, my three year old niece and five year old nephew are outside madly chasing chickens while wearing cardboard boxes that they have fashioned into robot armor. The vigor and stamina on display–by both the children and the chickens–are impressive and remind me of my childhood escapades. Once, I hosed down my family’s garage with two inches of water to make a more difficult (i.e., dangerous) rollerblade obstacle course for myself and my siblings. Another time, my sister and I duct-taped large exercise balls to our bodies so that we could run into each other repeatedly.

Continue reading →

July 5, 2023June 30, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog

The 60-hour crunch: realities and possibilities of working with X-ray free electron lasers

Written by: Eilidh McClain

Edited by: Olivia Pifer Alge, Mena Davidson, Kristen Loesel, and Jennifer Baker

Illustrated by: Jacquelyn Roberts

Start of experiment. Shift one. 3 hours in.

Cuckoo! “Scan finished.”

We hear the announcement that a scan is finished, sitting in a control room at Hamburg’s European X-ray Free Electron Laser. I wasn’t expecting it the first time; it’s such a silly little sound to use in a serious scientific lab. I began to associate it with success in the experiment we were conducting—another successful data collection scan under our belts. The sound of people typing diligently on computers and the gentle hum of discussion between the roughly ten scientists in the small room provides a rather calming backdrop to the experience. With each experiment, I am amazed at all that goes into setting up measurement scans. The control room computer screen is littered with endless computer screens, each monitoring important parameters of the experimental setup in the other room. The decisions are made by the visiting scientists, coming from multiple labs all over the world, but the equipment is monitored and handled by the three to four resident scientists at the facility.

Continue reading →

June 28, 2023August 12, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog

Scientist Spotlight: Henry Paulson, M.D., Ph.D.

Written by: Isha Verma, Ph.D.

Edited by: Jennifer Baker

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the shrinkage of the brain and the death of the brain cells resulting in dementia, disorientation, mood swings, and other behavioral issues. These changes result in the loss of the person’s ability to function properly, ultimately resulting in death. About 6.5 million people in the United States age 65 and older live with AD. AD is associated with extracellular deposits of amyloid beta proteins (amyloid plaques), hyperphosphorylated Tau protein aggregates (neurofibrillary tangles), and loss of neuronal connections in the brain. Other risk factors include head injury, clinical depression, and high blood pressure.

In honor of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month (June), we talked to Dr. Henry Paulson, M.D., Ph.D., one of the leading AD researchers. Dr. Paulson is Lucile Groff Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and Director of Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center.

Continue reading →

June 7, 2023June 9, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog, Spanish

¿Cómo los bioplásticos pueden reducir nuestra dependencia de los plásticos en el laboratorio?

Autor: Devon Hucek

Editores: Ryan Schildcrout, Sarah Bassiouni & Will Dana

Ilustrador: Saaj Chattopadhyay

Traductor: Andrés Rivera

Editor de traducción: Juan Blume La Torre

Nuevos artículos de investigación son publicados a diario, reportando avances en todos los campos de la ciencia. Sin embargo, la ciencia no puede ocurrir sin el equipamiento y materiales apropiados, muchos de los cuales están hechos de plástico. ¿Por qué? El plástico es usualmente el material disponible más barato y es más seguro que la cristalería, la cual tiene una mucha más alta probabilidad de romperse. Un estudio realizado en la Universidad de California – Santa Bárbara encontró que el 80% de los desechos plásticos de laboratorios en MIT consiste solamente de cajas de puntas de pipetas. Un laboratorio de microbiología en Edimburgo, Reino Unido, encontró que en el plazo de cuatro semanas, produjeron 97 kg (213.8 lbs) de desechos plásticos. Utilizar plástico no es inherentemente malo, especialmente debido a que existen muchos recursos disponibles y regulaciones (tanto locales como estatales) para el reciclaje y el reuso de desechos plásticos. Sin embargo, el volumen de los desechos plásticos que no se pueden reciclar generado en laboratorios alrededor del mundo es masivo, y pareciera un problema imposible de resolver. Es aquí donde entran los bioplásticos.

Continue reading →

May 31, 2023May 30, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog, Scientist Spotlight

Scientist Spotlight: Dr. Eva Feldman

Written by: Isha Verma

Edited by: Jennifer Baker

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurological disease that causes the degeneration and death of the nerves controlling the muscles, called motor neurons. This results in gradual muscle wasting and loss of the ability to walk, talk, eat, and, eventually, breathe. The typical survival is 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. ALS occurs in approximately 1 to 4 of every 100,000 individuals, and over 30,000 individuals in the United States are estimated to be living with ALS.

Continue reading →

May 24, 2023June 12, 2023 misciwriterseditors blog