Category: news
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Symbiosis.. Or is it really?
While researching about the different interactions that exist in the Amazonian rainforest for an Environmental Science Biomes project, I came across the “symbiotic” relationship between lycaenid species caterpillars and cocktail ants. (1) The Amazon rainforest is a crucial biome to our planet, storing 76 billion tonnes of carbon while also releasing 20 billion tonnes of…
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“Bioengineered” is the New Label for GMO foods, according to new food labeling laws in the U.S.
Just recently on January 1rst, the United States Department of Agriculture released new regulations regarding the labeling standard for genetically engineered food — “GMO”s to “bioengineered” or “derived from bioengineering” will be the new labels placed on foods that have been genetically modified in artificial ways. This change has taken several years in implementing. The…
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Fungus lures male flies into mating with dead females
1 NOV 2021, 5:10 PM BY ERIK STOKSTAD If you see a dead housefly on a windowsill surrounded by a ghostly halo of tiny white spores, it’s a death trap. The insect was invaded by a fungus that took over its brain, manipulating the fly to find the highest perch it could. From there, the…
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Debunking the Idiosyncratic Korean Electric Fan Death Myth
As summer has ended, I thought it would be quite hilarious to debunk the extremely idiosyncratic Korean myth called the “Fan Death”. There runs a quite popular myth among Korean people that running an electric fan on in a confined room with closed windows/sleeping with a fan too close to your face will kill you.…
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Stanford researchers develop an engineered ‘mini’ CRISPR genome editing system
Bioengineers have repurposed a “non-working” CRISPR system to make a smaller version of the genome engineering tool. Its diminutive size should make it easier to deliver into human cells, tissues and the body for gene therapy. BY TAYLOR KUBOTA The common analogy for CRISPR gene editing is that it works like molecular scissors, cutting out…
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‘Mind blowing’: Grizzly bear DNA maps onto Indigenous language families
By Rachel Fritts, Aug. 13, 2021 , 1:25 PM The bears and Indigenous humans of coastal British Columbia have more in common than meets the eye. The two have lived side by side for millennia in this densely forested region on the west coast of Canada. But it’s the DNA that really stands out: A…
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Stanford survey suggests climate change has reduced the presence of invasive Argentine ant
a nearly 30-year survey, conducted at Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, has found that the distribution of Argentine ants has shrunk as a result of climate change. Meanwhile, native species are faring better. “In 1993, Stanford University biology professor Deborah Gordon and her first graduate student, Katy Human, began a survey of ants at Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological…
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Defending Yourself By Overexposing Yourself : Predator Satiation and It’s Mechanisms
Predator satiation is quite a rare type of defense mechanisms only utilized by a few species, including but not limited to wildebeest, caribou, many plants, and the periodical cicada. Instead of hiding themselves or utilizing camouflage, these species deliberately over reproduce sporadically. The purpose behind this mechanisms to provide the predator with a superfluous supply…
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Stanford Researchers Improve CRISPR to Transform into a Nanoscale Control Agent that Can Switch Genes On and Off
Recently, researchers at Stanford University attached biological nanobodies to the CRISPR tool to enhance the practicality of the technology. By using the fundamental concept of CRISPR’s process in repairing genes, the researchers realized they could use CRISPR to locate and replace certain genes. “What we did was attach CRISPR to nanobodies to help it perform…
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100% Biodegradable N95 Mask Filter Developed
The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology recently reported to have developed a 100% biodegradable N95 mask filter that decomposes in dirt. Using a biodegradable mask filter than can be replaced after every few uses( the filter itself is also reusable) will definitely reduce plastic usage as plastic masks themselves do not need much replacement.…
Biochemistry Science Blog! 