Student Post – Page 3 – BioQuakes

Category: Student Post (Page 3 of 83)

Harnessing the Power of Photosynthesis for Sustainable Energy

By roycellulose

On March 8, 2024

In Student Post

Researchers at the University of Rochester have started on a project aimed at creating clean hydrogen fuel by mimicking the processes of photosynthesis. Their project, as detailed in a publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), delves into the realm of artificial photosynthesis, aiming to harness the power of nature to produce hydrogen fuel in an eco-friendly way. The project revolves around the use of Shewanella oneidensis, a bacteria, along with nanocrystal semiconductors. The bacteria serve as an efficient and cost free electron donor to the photocatalyst, a critical component in the artificial photosynthesis system. By using the unique processes of the microorganisms alongside nanomaterials, the team aims to pave the way for a clean energy solution to this ever so polluted world. The head researchers at Rochester aim to highlight hydrogen as an ideal fuel due to its environmental friendliness as well as a high energy per molecule source. However, it is extremely hard to extract in its pure form.

Artificial photosynthesis represents a promising way for achieving this, witht he process of three key components: a light absorber, a catalyst for fuel production, and a source of electrons. The team’s system uses semiconductor nanocrystals for light absorption and catalysis, while utilizing Shewanella oneidensis as an electron donor. This remarkable bacteria possess the ability to transfer electrons generated from its metabolism to an external catalyst, facilitating the production of hydrogen gas from water when exposed to light. The project at the University of Rochester seeks to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis, a fundamental concept in AP BIO. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. The most important process in photosynthesis that the researchers are trying to mimic is the process to break down H2O into H+ ions. By understanding the fundamentals of AP BIO and its study of Photosynthesis we can learn to appreciate nature and its amazing processes such as the one that the researchers are attempting to mimic. This study, if succeeded, would be revolutionary as it is a sustainable practice and would significantly help reduce the use of fossil fuels which would greatly help with global warming. I hope that this project succeeds and am extremely grateful for learning the fundamentals of Biology in AP Bio for me to be able to understand how photosynthesis works and how the researchers will attempt to mimic this process in order to better the world.

Can You Hear Photosynthesis Occurring Underwater ?

By russellularrespiration

On March 5, 2024

In Student Post

You may not realize it, but you have the ability to hear plants harnessing the sun’s energy to perform the reaction of photosynthesis. All you have to do is take a dive under water and listen carefully for the distinct “ping” noise made while down there. New studies have found that this “ping” is the sound that underwater plants, such as red algae, make when performing photosynthesis.

Algae and other underwater plants perform photosynthesis just like any other land plant. What this means is that they use the sun’s rays to chemically convert carbon dioxide and water into a sugar used for plant energy and oxygen as a waste product that flows throughout the planets atmosphere. In the underwater atmosphere, these oxygen molecules are tiny bubbles that race upwards in the water. Researchers have found that when these oxygen bubbles disconnect from the plants they make a sudden “ping” noise.

The noise was first recognized by researchers in Hawaii when the Hakai Magazine reported that healthy and protected coral reefs were making low frequency sounds, while damaged coral reefs were making higher pitched sounds.

One researcher from this magazine, Simon Freeman, said that “there seemed to be a correlation between the sound and the proportion of algae covering the sea floor.” To test this assumption, Freeman and his team transferred 22lbs of invasive red algae from the Hawaiian bay to a tank filled with sea water in attempt to hear the pinging sound without the noisy distractions of the ocean. As it turned out, this research team heard the same high frequency pings from this algae as they did from the distressed reefs.

Researchers claim that a large part of corals’ distress comes from all the algae that are smothering the corals, and this is why the distressed corals had a higher frequency noise: they had more algae covering its surface that perform photosynthesis and produce these oxygen bubbles. They believe with this finding that monitoring the sounds of the oxygen bubbles could be a fast and less invasive way of keeping track of the health of coral reefs.

This connects to what we have learned in AP Bio as in the process of photosynthesis, the chlorophyll of a plant absorbs light energy called photons, which excites the chlorophyll. The excited chlorophyll pass the photons from one chlorophyll to another until the energy reaches a special chlorophyll in the reaction complex center of Photosystem II known as the p680 chlorophyll. Once the photon reachers this special chlorophyll, p680 donates an electron to the primary electron acceptor in the thylakoid membrane to start the electron transport chain. In order to replace this donated electron, water molecules (one of the reactants of photosynthesis) are quickly split up resulting in an electron and replace the donated one, hydrogen, and oxygen as a waste product. This oxygen that is released at this point of the photosynthesis process is the oxygen that is released from all plants, including the underwater plants like the algae, when they perform photosynthesis. It is waste oxygen that is released from the algae underwater that forms the oxygen bubbles that detach from the plants and float upwards, and eventually make the “ping” noise underwater that you can hear when you dive in. Moreover, when we say you can “hear photosynthesis,” what you are really hearing is the oxygen bubbles created as a waste product of photosynthesis when they detach from the plants.

When going out to a beach and diving underwater, I would sometimes find myself hearing a faint little pinging or bubble popping noise. Could this noise I am hearing be the oxygen bubbles from the photosynthesis of underwater plants? What do you think?

Aliens!!! – Not the Ones You’re Thinking of, Though…

On March 5, 2024

In Student Post

In the article I came across, it discusses an “alien invasion” of sorts; however, this isn’t just any alien. In fact, this alien can be under your feet right now: non-native earthworms. Earthworms (not the alien kind) are described as “[m]ostly invisible and largely unappreciated” – these friendly creatures are invaluable to not only farmers and gardeners but you! In fact, these creatures support a lot of the agriculture you have grown to love and enjoy. “What makes them so helpful?” I’m sure you’re asking. Well, mainly, earthworm movement leaves an unimaginable amount of tunnels that allow air, water, and important nutrients to penetrate deep into the soil. On top of that, their waste doubles as a rich fertilizer!

Earthworms are far from always being sunshine and rainbows, though. When the wrong type of earthworm reaches the wrong type of ecosystem, chaos can easily ensue. This is what’s happening now all across North America with alien earthworms. Research has shown that, specifically in the northern broadleaf forests of the U.S. and Canada, alien earthworms have caused severe stress on local trees such as sugar maples – Acer saccharum – by altering the microhabitat of their soils. Even more, it is affecting local farmers as well. This microscopic impact can cause a snowball effect, allowing invasive species of plants to spread in an expedited manner. Isn’t it interesting and ironic that an organism known for actually improving soil can lead to poorer-quality crops and lower yield rates?

The article also spoke about specific research – drawing on extensive records spanning from 1891 to 2021, researchers compiled a database encompassing native and alien earthworm species. This dataset was augmented by another documenting interceptions of alien earthworms at U.S. borders from 1945 to 1975. Combined with new machine learning techniques, the team reconstructed the probable pathways of origin and spread of alien earthworm species. Their analysis revealed the presence of alien earthworms in a staggering 97% of soils studied across North America, with a higher (and extremely concerning) presence observed in the northern regions compared to the southern and western areas.

Alien earthworms constituted 23% of the continent’s total of 308 earthworm species and comprised 12 of the 13 most widely distributed species. The article gave a fascinating contrast as well: only 8% of fish species, 6% of mammal species, and 2% of insects and arachnids in the U.S. are of alien origin. Lead author of the study, Jérôme Mathieu, an associate professor of ecology at the Sorbonne, emphasized that these proportions are likely to increase even more due to human activities, posing a significant threat to native earthworm populations, and to the future of our agricultural sector.

In terms of linking this back to our AP Bio course, it is easy to mention how we just learned about food webs, food chains, and trophic levels. We learned how delicate these intricate ecosystems are, and learned that when invasive and non-native species are introduced into an ecosystem, it (the ecosystem) becomes prone to collapse. Further, we can continue to apply this to the genetics unit that we are learning right now; as earthworms change the fundamental pH and nutrients in the soil, new adaptations will likely need to arise to, well, adapt to new conditions.

Who knew that such a small creature could have such a huge (and dangerous) impact on the ecosystems around us? Let me know what you think about it.

A New Step for Fighting Allergies Has Been Taken

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Scientists are one step closer to resolving your allergies. New studies have found that certain immune cells are responsible for causing allergic reactions to harmless things such as pollen, peanuts, and dander. Understanding where these allergens come from allows scientists to dive deeper into cures for them.

How Do Allergies Develop?

Allergies occur when the antibody IgE is released on innocuous proteins. IgE is produced by memory B cells. It is designed to ward off bacterial infections and neutralize toxins. However, sometimes it triggers an immune response to harmless substances. When a person is first exposed to an allergen, they release a large amount of IgE. The next time they are exposed to the allergen, they may have an allergic reaction. Specific memory B cells called MBC2s are responsible for remembering the proteins that spark the allergic reactions. As we learned in AP Biology, when the immune system is triggered, large amounts of responses occur in the body. The body will physically respond with symptoms such as hives, fever, or even anaphylactic shock. These symptoms are in parallel to symptoms of allergic reactions. These symptoms are in an attempt to rid the body of the invader. Inside of the body, the response begins with proteins on macrophages displaying the invader antigen and releases cytokines. T helper cells recognize the antigen and trigger an attack response. T killer cells kill infected cells while B plasma cells secrete antibodies to bind and neutralize the invader. The macrophages then eat and destroy it. Finally, T memory cells prevent reinfection while B memory cells patrol the plasma to prevent reinfection. This entire response occurs to people with allergies when there is a non-threatening pathogen in the system.

The Studies

Immunologist Joshua Koenig studied 90,000 people with allergies and their B-memory cells. He used RNA sequencing to find the specific memory-B cells, MBC2s, making the antibodies responsible for immune responses against parasitic worms and allergies. In people with peanut allergies, Koenig found an increased amount of MBC2s and an enhanced amount of IgE antibodies.

In immunologist Maria Curotto de Lafaille’s study, she sampled children with and without allergies. She also found that children with allergies have more MBC2 cells than children without allergies. She found that cells switch from making protective IgE antibodies to allergy causing ones. Before the switch, cells made IgE, but not the protein. The RNA enables the antibody to switch the type of antibody it makes when it encounters an allergen. The signal switch depends on a protein called JAK. Stopping JAK production could prevent memory cells from switching to IgE production in contact with allergens.

The Future

If scientists can find a way to manage the production of IgEs when in contact with harmless allergens, we could be looking at a potential cure for allergies! Would you participate in a treatment for allergies if it was applicable to you?

Tardigrades in Space?

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Behold the tardigrade: the eight legged microscopic phenomenon sometimes known as the water bear. They have long been known for their fascinating resilience in extreme environments. And now, according to this article, scientists now believe that they have found the reason why they are so indestructible. It has to do with their ability to hibernate.

When under stress or in a dangerous environment, the tardigrades are able to curl up into a ball known as the “tun stage” and enter a dormant state. In these situations, their cells are able to detect when they are producing harmful substances called free radicals. These free radicals then come in contact with cysteines, an amino acid in our bodies. The cysteines oxidize the free radical, which oxidizes the signal that allows the tardigrades to enter their tun stage. The tardigrades can wake up from their tuns when the cysteine is no longer being oxidized, which can be seen when the conditions around them improve. According to this article these findings can provide plenty of insight about how tardigrades are able to withstand the conditions of space travel. If this process allows the tardigrades to survive in environments of extreme temperatures or stress, they would certainly be able to use the same strategies when they are sent to space.

In addition to these findings about tardigrade space travel, other research has been done about how these tardigrades can help us make advancements in medicine. This article states that they can be used to preserve biological materials such as cells or tissues. We use the information gathered from their resilient hibernation abilities to make this connection to the medical field. This can be very helpful in the healthcare industry because these advancements will allow us to keep these life-saving materials alive for longer periods of time.

In AP Bio, we spent time learning about tardigrades and even got to do our own search for them in class. My lab group was able to find tardigrades in a moss sample from our school’s campus, and it was so interesting to see them in the microscope after much intense searching. Because of this, I was very interested to read about these new findings, and it is so fascinating to see how such a tiny organism can be so powerful. I look forward to seeing what other advancements can be made with tardigrades and I would love to hear your thoughts!

Stop Thinking Food Webs are so Simple!!

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

We have all learned about food chains and food webs: the producers perform photosynthesis to create their own food (autotrophs), the primary consumers eat the producers for energy (herbivores), the secondary consumers eat the primary consumers for energy (carnivores) and the tertiary consumers eat the secondary consumers for energy (carnivores). We also know that animals can often fit into multiple categories in a food web.

However, it is not quite as often that people explore the effects that just one population change of any part of a food web can have on the rest of the food web; that is to say that a producer decreasing in population would indirectly hurt a tertiary consumer’s population. That is the case because producers are how the food chain gets all its energy in the first place, so with less producers, less energy is in the food chain. Furthermore, as we learned in AP Bio class, each trophic level is merely 10% energy efficient in consuming the trophic level below; thus, each higher trophic level has less energy than the last. Not only is this lack of energy efficiency why there are only a few trophic levels in each food web, but that is why it is so vital for there to be enough (energy) producers in the food web. Additionally, with energy so scarce, any organism’s population size changing can have a dramatic effect on the other populations in its food web.

In the African savanna, Jake Goheen and his colleagues at the University of Wyoming and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya, have taken investigating food web relationships to another level. They have spent about 15 years examining how acacia ants (genus Crematogaster) impact a food chain that they are not even a part of consumer wise. They have found that acacia ants protect whistling thorn trees from elephants, which would rip the trees apart: the ants, abundant in the savanna area, consistently protect the trees by swarming in the elephants’ nostrils and biting them from the inside out.

However, with the arrival of a new invasive species theorized to have arrived along with the shipping of human goods, called big-headed ants (Pheidole megacephala), acacia ants have been massively killed off in certain areas. Although the acacia ants are not part of the food chain consumption wise with the whistling thorn trees, the loss of the protection for the trees allows elephants to eat them. Then, much more grassland is opened up. According to Goheen and his colleagues, this open land, with approximately 2.67 times higher visibility than the land typically has (according to a separate study they did), hurts the diet of a higher trophic level predator, lions:

Goheen and his colleagues found that higher visibility in land with less whistling thorn trees helped one of the lions’ main prey sources, zebras, more than it helped them: their chance of taking down a zebra dropped from 62% to only 22% in areas with big-headed ants and thus minimal whistling thorn trees, according to Goheen’s study. Thus, lions pivoted to eating buffalos, which became 42% of their diet. Eating buffalos instead of zebras hurts lions because buffalos are more likely to injure them than zebras are, but buffalos and zebras are still both primary consumers, meaning they both have 10% of the energy of the producers that they eat; that is to say, although buffalos are more dangerous than zebras to lions, lions do not lose energy with their diet swap.

Regardless, more lion deaths from lions having to kill buffalos suggests that the invasive species of big-headed ants that killed off the acacia ants truly caused massive indirect changes in a food web that it and what it killed had nothing to do with consumer wise: to me, it seems apparent that there is much more to food webs than the basic, linear way people usually think about them.

What other ways do you think food webs are affected that we do not realize?

Tickle, Tickle! : Great Apes Demonstrate Playful Teasing

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB), Indiana University (IU), and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) have identified playful teasing behavior in four species of great apes. This behavior shares similarities with joking in humans, characterized by its provocative, persistent nature, and inclusion of play elements. The presence of playful teasing across all four great ape species suggests its evolutionary roots in the human lineage at least 13 million years ago.

Playful teasing, similar to joking, emerges in humans as early as eight months of age. Infants engage in repetitive provocations, such as offering and withdrawing objects as well as disrupting activities. In a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers examined spontaneous social interactions among orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas to identify teasing behaviors.

The study involved analyzing teasing actions, bodily movements, facial expressions, and responses from the targets of teasing. Teasers exhibited intentional provocative behaviors, often accompanied by playful characteristics. The researchers identified 18 distinct teasing behaviors, such as waving or swinging objects in the target’s field of vision, poking or hitting, and disrupting movements.

Although playful teasing shares similarities with play, it differs in several aspects. Teasing tends to be one-sided, initiated primarily by the teaser and rarely reciprocated. Additionally, apes almost never use play signals like the primate ‘playface’ or ‘hold’ gestures. Teasing occurs in relaxed contexts and involves repetition and elements of surprise, similar to teasing in human children.

To offer an explanation for this teasing behavior among animals, oxytocin (love hormone) may play a role in doing so as well as promoting positive social interactions. Oxytocin goes into effects by binding to specific oxytocin receptors in the brain such as G protein-coupled receptors (as learned in AP Biology). Oxytocin receptors then activates the primary signaling pathways, involving the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Activation of PI3K leads to the production of second messengers, which regulate various cellular processes that contributes to the warm and fuzzy feeling we get due to oxytocin.

The presence of playful teasing in great apes, resembling behaviors in human infants, suggests its existence in our common ancestor over 13 million years ago. This study sheds light on the importance of understanding the evolutionary origins of behavior and the need for conservation efforts to protect these endangered animals.

Personally, I can definitely attest to the evolutionary pass-down of these playful teasings as I still find myself engaging in the same behaviors, oftentimes scorned and unreciprocated.

What are your thoughts on these findings?

Immune Evasion Unveiled: The Thrilling Genetic Drama of Tumor Suppressors and Their Sneaky Dance with Cancer Cells

By edcowinsystem

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Cancer, an unwelcome antagonist in our lives, often emerges as the thief of precious moments with our loved ones and friends. Ever wondered how it manages to disrupt the narrative of our lives, stealing the scenes we hold dear? Or perhaps, reflecting on those stolen moments, have you found yourself questioning the resilience of the human spirit in the face of such a formidable foe? Cancer perfectly reflects the quote that Alfred from “The Dark Knight” said to Bruce ‘Some men just want to watch the world burn”. In this case Cancer just wants to watch the world burn because it gains nothing.

A study conducted recently at Howard Hughes Medical Institute by Stephen Elledge highlights the strange role played by altered tumor suppressor genes. Compared to the common belief that implies mutations in these genes only encourage unrestricted cell growth. The study revealed that in excess of 100 defective cancer suppressor genes in mice may impair the immune system’s ability to identify and eliminate cancerous cells. Do you know how the immune system is able to detects and eliminate cancerous cells? If not this is how. The immune system is able to identify and eliminate the cancerous cells by using T cells. These T cells constantly patrol the body to identify cells that display abnormal or mutated proteins on their surfaces. These proteins, known as antigens, can be indicative of cancerous changes. Dendritic cells then engulf and process abnormal proteins from cancer cells. They then present these antigens on their surfaces. They then present the cancer antigens to T cells.This activates specific T cells (cytotoxic T cells) that are capable of recognizing and targeting cells with the presented antigens. Activated cytotoxic T cells travel to the site of the cancer cells and release substances, such as perforin and granzymes, that induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the cancer cells. Successful elimination of cancer cells leads to the development of memory T cells. These memory cells “remember” the cancer antigens, providing a faster and more efficient response if the same cancer cells reappear. This challenges the conventional understanding that mutations in tumor suppressor genes primarily trigger unrestricted cell division. Instead, it suggests that such mutations can also impact the immune system’s ability to identify and eliminate cancerous cells through the T cell-mediated recognition process. This broader perspective underscores the complex interplay between genetic mutations, immune responses, and cancer development.

This has several key concepts that we covered in our AP Biology class, particularly related to cell regulation, cancer, and the immune system.

The immune system’s role in identifying and eliminating cancer cells is a significant aspect of the AP Biology curriculum. The discussion of T cells, dendritic cells, and the process of presenting cancer antigens aligns with the immune system’s functions and responses to abnormal cells. This aligns with what we learned in AP Bio regarding the immune system’s crucial role in defending the body against abnormal or potentially harmful cells, including cancerous cells because we got to see how the T Cells, Dendritic Cells, and Memory T Cells really work. We also got to see how the immune system also works directly with blood sugar levels. With various activities in class with the skittles as glucose and how the pancreases would either send a message to produce insulin or glucagon depending on which the body needed to maintain a balanced blood sugar level.

Breaking the Chains of Sickle Cell: A New Dawn with Gene Therapy

By corroninvirus

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made a significant advancement in the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) by approving two new cell-based gene therapies, Casgevy and Lyfgenia, for patients aged 12 and older. Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder that affects about 100,000 people in the U.S., predominantly African Americans, and is characterized by a mutation in the hemoglobin protein. This mutation leads to red blood cells adopting a crescent shape, which can obstruct blood flow and oxygen delivery, causing severe pain, organ damage, and potentially life-threatening complications.

The mutation in the hemoglobin protein that characterizes sickle cell disease (SCD) alters the structure and function of hemoglobin, which is crucial for transporting oxygen in the blood. Hemoglobin is made up of four protein subunits, and in SCD, a mutation occurs in the gene that codes for the beta-globin subunit. This mutation leads to the production of an abnormal form of beta-globin known as hemoglobin S (HbS). In normal RBC (red blood cells), hemoglobin (a protein) has a particular shape. We learned in AP biology that proteins need a specific shape to carry out their function. In people with sickle cell anemia, that protein is mutated doesn’t have the correct shape, and cannot carry out its function. The reason it doesn’t have the right shape is that the mutated hemoglobin sequence is modified at a single amino acid.

Under certain conditions, such as low oxygen levels, dehydration, or acidosis, HbS molecules tend to stick together, forming long, rigid chains within the red blood cells. These chains distort the shape of the red blood cells from their normal, flexible disc shape to a rigid, crescent or “sickle” shape. Unlike normal red blood cells that can easily move through the bloodstream, these sickled cells are stiff and sticky. Its interesting how such a small change can have such a significant effect in our body!

The crescent-shaped cells can get trapped in small blood vessels, blocking the flow of blood. This blockage prevents the delivery of oxygen to nearby tissues, which can cause pain and damage to tissues and organs. Furthermore, the sickled cells are more prone to breaking apart, leading to hemolysis (the destruction of red blood cells), which can cause anemia (a shortage of red blood cells) and other complications. The recurring blockage of blood vessels and the chronic shortage of red blood cells and oxygen supply lead to the severe symptoms and complications associated with sickle cell disease, including acute pain crises, increased risk of infections, and organ damage.

Casgevy stands out as the first therapy of its kind to employ CRISPR/Cas9, a groundbreaking genome editing technology, to modify patients’ hematopoietic stem cells. This process aims to increase the production of fetal hemoglobin in patients, which helps prevent the sickling of red blood cells. On the other hand, Lyfgenia uses a lentiviral vector to genetically modify blood stem cells to produce a variant of hemoglobin that reduces the risk of cells sickling. Both therapies involve modifying the patient’s own blood stem cells and reintroducing them through a one-time infusion, following a high-dose chemotherapy process to prepare the bone marrow for the new cells.

These therapies represent a major leap forward in treating sickle cell disease, addressing a significant unmet medical need for more effective and targeted treatments. The FDA’s approval of Casgevy and Lyfgenia is based on the promising results of clinical trials, which demonstrated a substantial reduction in the occurrence of vaso-occlusive crises, a common and painful complication of SCD, among treated patients.

The approval of these therapies also underscores the potential of gene therapy to transform the treatment landscape for rare and severe diseases. By directly addressing the genetic underpinnings of diseases like SCD, gene therapies offer a more precise and potentially long-lasting treatment option compared to conventional approaches. The FDA’s support for such innovative treatments reflects its commitment to advancing the public health by facilitating the development of new and effective therapies.

However, it’s important to note that these therapies come with risks and side effects, such as low blood cell counts, mouth sores, and the potential for hematologic malignancies, particularly with Lyfgenia, which carries a black box warning for this risk. Patients receiving these treatments will be monitored in long-term studies to assess their safety and effectiveness further. Despite these challenges, the approval of Casgevy and Lyfgenia marks a hopeful milestone for individuals with sickle cell disease, offering new avenues for treatment and the promise of improved quality of life. If you were diagnosed with Sickle cell disease, would you try this no-treatment when available? Do the positives outweigh the negatives? Let us know!

The Cyathea Rojasiana: The Little “Fern” that Could (…Survive on its Own)

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Have you ever wondered how some plants survive severe environments? Well, the Cyathea rojasiana is a prime example of this, as it can transform dead leaves into roots that keep the plant alive. The article, “Back from the Dead: Tropical Tree Fern Repurposes Dead Leaves” explains this plant and its amazing abilities. Cyathea rojasiana, a unique tree fern from Panema, converts its dead leaves into little roots that seek out nutrient-rich soil.

The plant was found by plant biologists, notably Professor James Dalling. According to Dalling, the plant’s process of self-nourishment happens after the leaves have fully died and blended with the soil. The fern then reorganizes its leaves, absorbing nutrients, particularly nitrogen, from the soil via its newly created roots. Furthermore, even though the tree fern’s dead leaves appear to be disintegrating, they’re actually helping the plant survive. Since Panama’s soil is deficient in nutrients, this process is essential to the tree’s survival.

To continue, after reading the story, I was reminded of the photosynthesis unit I learned in AP Biology. Photosynthesis, in simple terms, is the process by which plants transform light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose through photosystems (II and I) and the Calvin cycle. Despite their differences, the sentiments remain the same. While the Cyathea rojasiana’s adaptation does not replace photosynthesis, it complements it. The tree obtains nutrients from the soil via its roots, ensuring that it gets the building blocks required for development and survival.

In conclusion, as someone who enjoys planting and loves nature, it was very interesting to learn about this unique tree because it reveals a unique survival skill I was unaware of. The tree has learned to absorb nutrients while growing in soil that lacks nutrients. This shows how well some plants can adjust to harsh conditions, giving ideas for new and creative gardening methods. Additionally, learning about the Cyathea rojasiana provides information that can be used to enhance gardening. So, is this something you want to try and implement into your gardening routine? Let me know in the comments!!

Summer Extends, Survival Narrows: Polar Bears and the Challenge of Longer Summers

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Churchill, Manitoba draws around 530,000 tourists per year.

Churchill, an Arctic town in northern Manitoba, Canada, has long been famous for its polar bears. However, due to climate change, the polar bear population of the “Polar Bear Capital of the World”, has decreased, and will continue to dwindle.

One of the most well-studied effects of climate change has been longer summers, especially in the Arctic. Due to a phenomenon named arctic or polar amplification, greenhouse amplification, from excessive production of CO2, will lead to increased temperatures near the poles, beyond the average of the planet. In the research of Rantanen et al, the team found that “During 1979–2021, major portions of the Arctic Ocean were warming at least four times as fast as the global average“. While there is no single cause of the phenomenon, one of the most frequently cited causes is the loss of sea ice. The loss of sea ice reduces the albedo, or ability to reflect heat rather than absorb it, as the dark ocean absorbs more heat than the reflective ice. The warmer temperatures will also prolong the period of ice melt, extending summers in the Arctic.

Located on the southern edge of Canada’s Arctic, Churchill, and the lives of its polar bear inhabitants have been severely altered due to the prolonged summers. Polar bear’s ideal food is the fat of seals, which provides them with the required energy to maintain their mass. However, they typically catch the seals best on ice, which can be hard to come across. While some believed that polar bears could harness the abilities of their relatives, the grizzly bear, Washington State University’s research on 20 different polar bears proved the notion far from the truth.

While some of the polar bears simply rested to conserve energy, in a similar fashion to hibernation, other bears actively searched for food. While some females spent as much as 40% of their time foraging, including a 175 km swim from one bear, their expenditure was simply not worth it. The bears could not eat their findings while swimming, nor bring them back to land. Because they had to travel so far, they had to spend even more energy than they would catching seals, while consuming far less energy.

A starving polar bear whose habitat is melting.

As the study shows, prolonged ice-free periods will increase starvation amongst polar bears, impacting the size of their population. During the study, the experienced weight loss, on average, was 2.2 pounds or 1 kilogram per day. In addition, when other researchers surveyed the polar bears in 2021, they “estimated there were 618 bears, compared to the 842 in 2016, when they were last surveyed.” It’s likely the bears had starved, as they are being forced onto land earlier, cutting into their typical period of gathering energy.

Remember, there are still ways we can help to combat climate change. You can reduce your carbon footprint by conserving energy at home, like turning off the lights when not in use. Using public transportation more often or switching to an electric car can reduce the CO2 emissions from your personal vehicle. Renewable energy, such as solar, is also effective in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Let’s take action today, and help make our planet more suitable for all of its inhabitants.

Alien Earthworms Invade! North American Ecosystems are Threatened

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

The invasion of non-native earth worms poses a complex ecological threat to North America. Earthworms are an integral part of agriculture, aerating and letting water and other nutrients penetrate the soil with the underground tunnels made, and fertilizer from their waste products. Earthworms also produce net decrease of CO2. As a result of the services earthworms provide, people looking to capitalize off of them have brought earthworms from all over the world to North America.

The non-native species have successfully enhanced the agricultural economy in some places, however there are other cases where the alien earthworms have dramatic impacts on ecosystems. The alien earthworms are more likely to consume above ground leaf litter which harms the plants, amphibians, and insects. “Leaf litter provides many nutrients for the plants and animals” on the lower ends of the food chain, like primary and secondary consumers. These earthworms can also change the microbiomes of the soil, which can cause serious harm to the plants in the area and indirectly affect other animals. Microbiome changes appear in pH shifts, nutrients, and even texture, all leading to poorer plant quality and health. Without the main players, producers, functioning at peak performance, the ecosystem can begin to waver.

To make things even worse, some female alien earthworms can reproduce without fertilization from a male. Faster reproduction, independent of males, contributes to better ecological fitness. Different species of earthworms exhibit varying levels of fitness. This is not due to their gym habits, but rather because they have evolved to survive and reproduce more effectively than others. Additionally, as a byproduct of climate change, there is new inhabitable land ripe for the alien earthworms to dig their way into.

“Despite all this, only a limited number of studies have documented alien earthworms’ spread, and none have covered colonization dynamics over a large spatial scale or a large number of species.” A new database using records from 1891 to 2021 of native vs. alien earthworms, was used in tandem with another database of U.S. border interceptions of alien earthworms between 1945 and 1975. The new technology powered by ‘machine learning’ aimed at finding the non-native earthworm introduction and spread. Researchers have found that in Canada the alien earth worm population is three times greater than the native population, and in the US and Mexico there are 2 native earthworms for every non-native earth worm.

In AP Biology, we have explored ecology, including concepts such as trophic levels, food webs, and ecological fitness. Trophic levels and food webs directly related to the Alien earthworm threat because a dip in low trophic levels, especially producers, have catastrophic effects on the ecosystem of a certain place. For context, a trophic level of an organism is the number of steps away from producers it is, ex a primary consumer in NYC are crickets because they only eat grass a producer, and a food web consists of all the food chains of an ecosystem. An important thing to note with food webs and trophic levels is each trophic level only can gain ten percent of the energy of the last trophic level. So, if an ecosystem lost significant plant growth or biomass, the trophic levels above it would have less energy and the population sizes of the organisms living in the ecosystem would shrink. The harmful alien earthworms damage ecosystems by targeting plant mass and soil nutrients which gives each trophic level less energy, effectively shrinking the entire ecosystem.

This topic intrigued me because of how closely related it is to what I have been learning in class. I also enjoyed learning and writing about how such a seemingly small change in an ecosystem can have impacts much larger than themselves. I also find human impacts on ecosystems interesting to learn about. I found this one to be especially interesting because of course something like the industrial revolution had huge long term impacts on the ecology of the world, but you wouldn’t immediately think something trivial like earthworms would have much of an impact on anything, or be so different from one another that they can change the pH of the soil! What do you think: are alien earthworms worth paying attention to? Is there anything to do against the spread of these alien earthworms? Why does Canada have so many more alien worms than the United States and Mexico?

Teaching Cancer to Fight Itself

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Many of us know someone who has suffered from cancer and we have watched loved ones undergo the harsh treatments for it. With treatments such as chemotherapy, the side effects are hard to bear. So, what if your body could be taught to treat cancer on its own without having to experience the hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and anemia that external treatments can cause.

Cancer cells are very different from normal cells as they hide from the immune system which usually eliminates damaged or abnormal cells. Cancer cells also trick the immune system to help cancerous cells stay alive and grow. But, what if these cancer cells could be altered to teach the body’s immune system to fight the cancer that the cells come from?

In an experiment done by Stanford Medicine researchers used mouse leukemia cells to train T cells to recognize cancer in a way that could mimic the natural occurrence in the body, similar to vaccines. T cells recognize pathogens due to special antigen presenting cells (APCs) gathering pieces of the pathogen to show to the T cells what to attack. In cancer, the APCs would gather up the many antigens that characterize a cancer cell so T cells could be trained to recognize cancer antigens and wage a multi-pronged attack on the cancer.

The researchers programmed mouse leukemia cells to be induced to transform themselves into APCs. When they tested the cancer vaccine strategy on the mouse immune system, the mice were able to clear the cancer. The immune system was able to remember what the cells had taught them and when they reintroduced cancer to the mice 100 days they were able to have a strong immunological response to protect them. Additionally, they tried to see if the tactic used with leukemia would work with solid tumors so they used the same approach by using mice fibrosarcoma, breast cancer, and bone cancer. They found that the solid tumor transformation was not as efficient to that of leukemia, but it still had a positive result. With all three cancers, there was significantly improved survival rates.

They then went back to leukemia, but this time they studied acute leukemia in human cells. When the human leukemia cells APCs were exposed to human T cells from the same patient, they observed all of the signs that indicated the APCs were teaching the T cells how to attacked the leukemia.

This relates to what we have learned in AP Biology because we learned about cell division and how cancer differs from normal cell division. Cancer is a disease where some of the body’s cells divide and grow uncontrollably. This can start anywhere but also spread to other parts of the body very quickly. In its normal process, human cells grow and multiply through interphase and mitosis to form new cells as the body needs. Interphase is the phase in the cell cycle that prepares for cell division by growing cells and undergoing the process of DNA replication. The body has checkpoints that regulate the G1, S, and G2, phases of interphase. There are also checkpoints for mitosis, which is the division of cells that results in two daughter cells. When the cells become old or damaged, they die and new cells are regenerated. When this process breaks down and abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply when they’re not supposed to, the body goes through a process called metastasis where cancerous tumors are formed. Cancer cells ignore the checkpoints and continue to divide and multiply.

This research has introduced a new way that could eventually treat cancer in a more harmless way while also ensuring that the body can fight off recurrence. So do you think that this will be the new treatment for cancer?

A New Way To Treat Genetic Epilepsy?!

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have discovered a promising treatment for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD). CDD is a form of epilepsy that affects children. Some symptoms included seizures, impaired cognitive development, and repetitive body movements. CDD is a devastating condition that can make a family’s life very difficult. Furthermore, it is a complicated disorder to manage. CDD was first identified in 2004 and as of now, the only treatment is medications to manage the symptoms. That is why this possible new method to treat the disorder is so interesting to me. A possible cure would change many lives. This video tells the story of a family with a child diagnosed with CDD.

CDD is an X-linked disorder. X-linked disorders refer to genetic conditions that are associated with mutations in genes on X chromosomes. This means that if a male is carrying this mutation, they will be affected because a man typically only has one X chromosome. A woman, on the other hand, typically has two X chromosomes so if she has a normal gene on the other X chromosome then she would likely be unaffected by the mutation, but has the risk of passing it on to her child. The ratio of boys affected by CDD to girls affected by CDD is roughly 8 to 1 according to PubMed Central.

CDKL5 stands for cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 which is a gene located on the X chromosome. CDKL5 is involved in the “formation, growth, and movement of nerve cells” (MedlinePlus). We know from AP Biology that a kinase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of phosphates groups. This enzyme transfers a phosphate group to different proteins that alter specifically brain function. We know that kinases are involved in signaling pathways which makes them essential for coordinating cellular responses. Specifically in AP Bio, we looked at tyrosine kinase receptors. In this case, the kinase removes a phosphate from ATP to add it to tyrosine to created a fully activated phosphorylated dimer which will control cell growth and cell division. CDKL5 codes for an enzyme that plays a role in brain function and is responsible for the synthesis of proteins that help the brain develop.

Researches had the idea to boost another enzyme’s activity to make up for the lack of CDKL5. They looked at mice who lacked the CDKL5 enzyme. Scientists measured the level of a molecule that is targeted by the CDKL5 enzyme called EB2. In the mice that did not produce CDKL5, researches still found that EB2 was being phosphorylated so there had to be a different enzyme similar to CDKL5 that was phosphorylating EB2 by transferring phosphates. EB2 was still getting phosphorylated because CDKL2 (cyclin dependent kinase like 2) was identified instead. Researches now aim to increase the level of CDKL2 in people who lack CDKL5 to see if this can stop symptoms of CDD from occurring. Increasing levels of CDKL2 could “uncover better treatments that could truly make a difference in the lives of the children with this devastating condition” (Margaux Silvestre).

My hope is that this research will not only help children with CDD, but also inspire research on other kinases and help find alternative kinases to cure more diseases.

After 50 Years, Ancient Fish Finally Named

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

The Australian Outback is one of the most hostile environments on planet earth. Covering a land mass of nearly twenty two times the size of the United Kingdom, this dry landscape is a formidable and unforgiving adversary for the species that have adapted to inhabit it. But The Outback wasn’t always as dry as it is today. Millions of years ago, it was a lush, green biome that had rivers running in all directions. A recent archeological excavation has presented a team of scientists with a unique opportunity to name a fossil fish. Dr. Brian Choo of Findlers University and a team of researchers named the fish Harajicadectes zhumini after developing a more comprehensive understanding of the species. While fragments of Harajicadectes were discovered in 1973, a nearly complete specimen was unearthed by Flinders University in 2016, when they began constructing a comprehensive profile of the species.

By observing the skeletal remains, the team was able to reconstruct a hypothesized anatomy of the animal. One of its striking features was a series of large openings at the top of its head. “These spiracular structures are thought to facilitate surface air-breathing, with modern-day African bichir fish having similar structures for taking in air at the water’s surface,” commented Dr. Choo. In light of these findings, the team began to consider how the supplementary breathing apparatuses contribute to our evolutionary heritage. “The ability to supplement gill respiration with aerial oxygen likely afforded an adaptive advantage,” added Professor Long. Harajicadectes is a member of those intrepid water dwellers who brought life to land. Elpistostegalians gave way to limbed tetrapods in the evolutionary family tree.

The evolutionary edge that supplementary breathing gave Harajicadectes is not to be underestimated. It is widely understood that oxygen sustains life, but its immense significance can only be realized when looking at the molecular level of respiration. Mitochondria are one of the most ancient organelles and, according to the endosymbiont theory, preceded eukaryotic cells as aerobic bacteria. In the final and most powerful stage of Cellular respiration – oxidative phosphorylation – oxygen plays an essential role in ensuring that ATP is churning. Oxidative phosphorylation takes place in the mitochondrial inner membrane, where proton pumps transport hydrogen protons from the mitochondrial matrix to the intermembrane space where a gradient builds. Then, through simple diffusion, protons cross through the ATP synthase complex back into the matrix where they bind with O2 molecules, forming H2O as a byproduct. If Harajicadectes didn’t have access to oxygen on land, it would have only been able to leave the water for brief periods of time. This would have greatly reduced its competitive advantage on the shores and reduced the likelihood of limbed tetrapod evolution.

I think the field of paleontology is an underappreciated field of biology and science. Just as the field of history provides context for the problems of today, paleontology better helps modern biologists understand how, when, and why species evolve as they do. This naming of the animal has been fifty years in the making, but thanks to the team of Australian scientists, we understand our evolutionary beginnings slightly better. I find the mapping of ancient biomes fascinating, and as more advanced chemistry develops, maybe one day scientists will be able to bring these prehistoric animals back to life.

To kill one, you must kill them all

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Throughout your life, I bet you have heard hundreds of people mention the words cancer and chemotherapy, but have you ever wondered what this treatment does inside your body? Chemotherapy is a treatment method for cancer that involves the use of powerful drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing and dividing. These drugs can be administered orally, intravenously, or through other routes and may cause various side effects due to their impact on rapidly dividing cells throughout the body. Doctors have not yet found a way to target only cancer cells. This means that chemo will attack all rapidly dividing cells including hair, the digestive system, and more. Finally, a recent study has found that chemo does not work the way that doctors have thought for many years.

Before I get into the discovery, I want to explain the process of mitosis and how cancer cells can divide so rapidly. In AP bio, we learned that mitosis is a fundamental process in cell division where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells. It consists of several stages: prophase, Prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, followed by cytokinesis. During prophase, the chromosomes condense, the nuclear envelope breaks down, and spindle fibers form; in metaphase, the chromosomes align at the cell’s equator; in anaphase, sister chromatids separate and move towards opposite poles; finally, in telophase, new nuclei form around each set of chromosomes, completing the division process. In a normal cell, the rate of division is controlled by chemical signals from special proteins called cyclins. However, Cancer cells can divide without a signal; resulting in an extremely fast and dangerous pace of reproduction. For decades, researchers have believed that a class of drugs called microtubule poisons treat cancerous tumors by halting mitosis, or the division of cells. Now, a team of UW-Madison scientists has found that in patients, microtubule poisons don’t stop cancer cells from dividing. Instead, these drugs alter mitosis — sometimes enough to cause new cancer cells to die and the disease to regress. Beth Weaver, a professor in oncology and cell and regenerative biology found this discovery quite shocking. When hearing about this discovery she said “For decades, we all thought that the way paclitaxel works in patient tumors is by arresting them in mitosis. This is what I was taught as a graduate student. We all ‘knew’ this. In cells in a dish, labs all over the world have shown this. The problem was we were all using it at concentrations higher than those that get into the tumor.” With this discovery, scientists were inclined to see if other microtubule poisons work the same way. This led to an experiment conducted by Mark Burkard.

In Burkard’s experiment, he used tumor samples from breast cancer patients who had received standard anti-microtubule chemotherapy. They measured how much of the drugs made it into the tumors and studied how the tumor cells responded. They found that while the cells continued to divide after being exposed to the drug, they did so abnormally. This abnormal division can lead to tumor cell death. In normal cell division, a cell’s chromosomes are split into two identical sets. Shockingly, weaver and her colleagues found that microtubule poisons cause abnormalities that lead cells to form three, four, or even five poles during mitosis while still only creating one copy of chromosomes. This then forces the chromosomes to be pulled in more than two directions causing the genome to scramble.”So, after mitosis you have daughter cells that are no longer genetically identical and have lost chromosomes,” Weaver says. “We calculated that if a cell loses at least 20% of its DNA content, it is very likely going to die.”. This experiment was crucial to the development of cancer treatment because it was able to take the scientists off the path of attempting to completely stop mitosis and instead has them attempting to screw it up. With this new finding, what else do you think scientists have missed in some of their treatments?

Where Did Father’s Mitochondrial DNA Go?

By andrewsarchus

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

Evolving from free-swimming bacteria engulfed by forms of humans’ earliest ancestors billions of years ago, almost every human cell is powered by mitochondria, which use oxygen to create usable energy for our body’s daily needs. Originating from free-floating bacteria, mitochondria have unique DNA different from the 23 pairs of chromosomes in our body. Although our chromosomes come from both parents, 23 each, nearly all humans’ mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) comes from the mother’s egg. What about the mtDNA in the sperm cell then?

Scientists figure that sperm’s mitochondria are soon broken down by molecular processes after fertilization in other animals, but the reason behind why this happens to humans has been unknown. Now research has found that human sperm’s few mitochondria contain virtually no DNA at all. This mtDNA elimination process might play a role in human infertility and mitochondrial diseases, according to molecular biologist Dmitry Temiakov of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Coming up with the same conclusion, Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., director of the Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy at OHSU, said, “We found that each sperm cell does bring 100 or so mitochondria as organelles when it fertilizes an egg, but there is no mtDNA in them.” Using molecular biology, researchers found that sperm’s mitochondria did contain some DNA, along with an important protein called mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) that acts to protect that DNA. But after the sperm cells mature, chemical changes happen which prevent TFAM from entering mitochondria, and as it enters the nucleus instead, it no longer prevents the mtDNA from degrading. The fact that DNA damage in sperm from oxidative stress is common could be another reason why mitochondrial DNA disintegrates. Having mitochondrial DNA doesn’t help fertility either; if the sperm’s mitochondrial DNA sticks, it could become a source of infertility. Previous studies showed that sperm cells with elevated amounts of mtDNA experience decreased sperm counts and motility. A new study found that other animals “show multiple mechanisms that may contribute to maternal mitochondrial inheritance in different organisms,” said Xinnan Wang, a mitochondrial cell biologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. This study connects to our lesson in AP Biology on the concept of genetics and how our DNA is passed on from our parents. Specifically, we previously learned how our mitochondrial DNA is almost completely from our mother, as the egg contains way more mitochondrial DNA than the sperm, allowing us to track ancestry by maternal mitochondrial DNA. This study expands our understanding of this concept. According to Temiakov, there are probably other unidentified mechanisms in sperm cells that regulate mtDNA, as a future area for research as it is crucial to better understand mitochondrial diseases and how to treat them. What do you think would happen if the mtDNA is passed on equally from both parents?

The Ant Who Stole the Lion’s Dinner

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

In the African savanna ants are changing the diet of lions, but how? The introduction of an invasive ant has disrupted what seemed to be an insignificant mutual relationship within the intricate web of life in the savanna.

The invaders of the savannah are the big headed ants, and the native ants are the acacia ants. The big headed ants overpower and kill of the native ants. The acacia ants protect the whistling thorn trees from the elephants. The ants protect these trees by biting the elephant when it gets close. The acacia ants biting the elephant prevent the elephant from uprooting the tree. When the elephants do this there is less cover for the lions to hunt for their preferred meal, the zebra. As a consequence, lions shift their focus to hunting buffalo instead. How would you feel if you were no longer to have your favorite food?

African Sunrise, Amboseli National Park (30385097358)

Elephants in African Ecosystem

The relationship between the acacia ants and the whistling thorn tree is mutualistic, where both species benefit from the interaction. Imagine it as you are each other’s best friends. The tree provides shelter and sustenance to the ants through specialized structures called domatia and extrafloral nectaries, while the ants protect the tree from herbivores like the elephant, as well as competing plants by aggressively defending it against potential threats.

Acacia drepanolobium-- Whistling Thorn (25396927222)

Whistling Thorn Tree

Scientists tracked the activity and kills of lionesses in a conservancy in kenya, while also conducting experiments on big-headed ants and those under the influence of the native ants. The invasion of big-headed ants, believed to have been introduced from imported produce.

The researchers did not have the budget to use drones or satellite imagery. So the researchers measured tree cover by tracking lions and the visibility near their kills. The results stated that areas with big-headed ants exhibited significantly higher visibility. This allows for lions to see their prey better but also the prey can see the lions allowing them to escape.

“Over the three years of the study, zebra dinners decreased from 67 percent to 42 percent of lion kills” “Buffalo kills increased from zero to 42 percent of kills over the study period” By lions switching to buffalo is more risky for the lion since the buffalo are more likely to be injure the lion over the zebra.

This study in relation to AP Bio relates to the topic of ecology. If you had to guess what one of the most important things to take away form this study is? You are right if you said the disruption of mutualism can have cascading effects on other species in a community. The ants were able to change the food web of the whole ecosystem. It is important to keep the food web in balance because an imbalance will create major effects on the populations of some species. As seen in the study, the population of zebras in crease while the population of buffalo and lions decrease. Symbiotic pairs are able to keep ecosystems in check when one organism has the other to rely on. The loss of one partner could trigger cascading effects, reshaping entire ecosystems. The study of the lions change in diet offers valuable insights into the delicate balance of nature.

The Power Of Artificial Photosynthesis

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

In AP Biology, we learned that photosynthesis has evolved in plants as a means of converting water, sunlight energy, and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen, but also into plant biomass and the food we eat. Therefore we also know that the photosynthesis process, especially in C3 plants, is highly inefficient as only about 1% of sunlight energy is actually incorporated into the plant. Researchers at the University of Riverside and the University of Delaware have actually discovered a new way to bypass the reliance on biological photosynthesis and have devised a method of using artificial photosynthesis to produce food independent from sunlight. Isn’t that amazing!

The artificial photosynthesis process involves a two-step electrocatalytic procedure that transforms carbon dioxide, solar panel-generated electricity, and water into acetate, which is a salt and chemical compound (C₂H₃O₂⁻). (Electrocatalysis is a catalytic process that requires oxidation and reduction reactions through the transfer of electrons). Food-producing organisms consume the acetate in the dark to grow. This method significantly increases the conversion efficiency of sunlight into food, achieving up to 18 times greater efficiency. An integral component of this process is the electrolyzer device, which employs electricity to convert carbon dioxide into essential molecules for the food-producing organisms.

Green algae, yeast, and fungal mycelium were among the various food-producing organisms cultivated in the dark, confirming the efficacy of the artificial photosynthesis process. The production of algae using this technology is about four times more energy-efficient, while yeast production is approximately eighteen times more energy-efficient than growing it with the traditional biological photosynthesis methods.

Artificial photosynthesis offers a potential solution to the challenges posed by climate change in agriculture. By freeing crops from reliance on sunlight, artificial photosynthesis opens the door to possibilities for growing food under difficult conditions such as climate-related issues like drought, floods, and limited land availability. Isn’t the establishment of artificial photosynthesis an amazing feat! Feel free to leave a comment on my post and, if you do, list one fact that you found really interesting about artificial photosynthesis!

“4′-FlU” – The Future of Flu Fighting!

On February 27, 2024

In Student Post

This study conducted by researchers at Georgia State University’s Center for Translational Antiviral Research examined the effectiveness of a new potential antiviral drug, 4′-fluorouridine (4′-FlU), against influenza A viruses. Research had shown promise for 4′-FlU in combating different strains of influenza, including seasonal and pandemic viruses, in cell cultures and animal models.
The researchers investigated whether influenza viruses could develop resistance to 4′-FlU and the impact of such resistance on the virus’s ability to spread. They found that while some influenza strains developed resistance to the drug, these resistant variants were significantly weakened in animals, particularly in their ability to cause severe respiratory infections and transmit between hosts.

In connection to our class, the concept of natural selection, which is a fundamental principle in evolutionary biology, is evident in the development of resistance to 4′-FlU by the influenza viruses. Through the process of random mutations shown by the drug, resistant variants of the virus emerge, highlighting the role of genetic variation in evolutionary processes. Secondly, the study underscores the importance of understanding molecular genetics, specifically the structure and function of DNA and RNA. The identification of specific genetic mutations in the influenza virus that create resistance to 4′-FlU demonstrates how changes in nucleotide sequences can lead to altered genetic characteristics, such as drug resistance. The study identified specific genetic mutations in the influenza virus that became resistance to 4′-FlU, but the researchers determined that these mutations were unlikely to have significant clinical implications. They also discovered that administering 4′-FlU at certain doses could effectively overcome moderate resistance and prevent lethal infection in mice.

The study shows the urgent need for new influenza therapeutics, given the limitations of current antiviral drugs, which often face challenges with viral resistance. The research provides valuable insights into the development and potential effectiveness of 4′-FlU as a treatment option for influenza, suggesting hope for improved battle against future influenza outbreaks or pandemics.

(Post includes edits suggested by Grammarly)

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén