NU Biology Students Association: Blog

Fun with RNA

2010-10-24T12:11:00.002-05:00

Want to get a dose of Sontheimer's research before going to hear him speak (this Monday at 5:00 in Tech L361)? Here's a paper on microRNAs in our favorite friends, Drosophila melanogaster. It's from 2007, so it's not the most recent article, but it's a really fun read.

(Not that the other articles from his lab aren't! You can check them out here.)

Dr. Thomas Meade? Wednesday? Tech LR5? 5:00? OH YES!

2010-10-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

Are you as excited as we are to hear what Dr. Meade has to say on Wednesday? (Of course you are.) Well, in case you can't wait another minute for Meade-related goodness (of course you can't), check this out. It's about improving contrast agents for MRI (and other imaging techniques), and it is just one of the many, many, many many many cool things to which Dr. Meade is up.

How Lack of Sunlight Will Affect the Trapped Chilean Miners

2010-09-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/14/surviving-the-darkness.html

This article discusses how living in darkness for an extended period of time will mess with the miners' circadian rhythms and what can be done to keep them healthy. Northwestern's own Fred Turek (director of the NU Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology) is quoted.

Dr. Turek is actually Ryan Lange's PI, so if circadian rhythms really rock your world, catch up with Ryan at the next BSA meeting and ask about the research they're doing over there.

Our Very Own Morimoto in the News!

2009-09-12T14:34:00.001-05:00

A new Northwestern University study reports that protein damage can be detected much earlier than we had thought, long before individuals exhibit symptoms. But the study also suggests if we intervene early enough, the damage could be delayed.

In studying seven different proteins of the worm C. elegans, the researchers discovered that each protein misfolds at the same point: during early adulthood and long before the animal shows any behavioral, or physiological, change. (Each protein had a minor mutation that affects folding.)

The misfolding coincided with the loss of a critical protective cellular mechanism: the ability to activate the heat shock response, an ancient genetic switch that senses damaged proteins and protects cells by preventing protein misfolding.

The results will be published online during the week of Aug. 24 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS).

"I didn't expect the results to be so dramatic, for these different proteins that vary in concentration and are expressed in diverse tissues to collapse at the same time," said lead researcher Richard I. Morimoto. "This suggests the animal's protective cellular stress response becomes deficient during aging."

Could the damaging events of protein misfolding be prevented or at least delayed?

To find out, the researchers gave the animals the equivalent of a vitamin, boosting the heat shock response early in the animal's development, prior to protein damage. Now, instead of misfolding around day four, the equivalent of early adulthood in the worm, the proteins didn't start misfolding until day 12. (Behavioral changes didn't appear for at least three days after misfolding. The average lifespan of the worm is 21 days.)

"Our data suggest that, in terms of therapeutics, you have to start early to prevent damage and keep cells healthy," said Morimoto, Bill and Gayle Cook Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. "When you see a loss of function, it's too late."

Genes that regulate lifespan were first discovered in C. elegans. The transparent roundworm is a favorite organism of biologists because its biochemical environment and fundamental mechanisms are similar to that of human beings and its genome, or complete genetic sequence, is known.

The title of the PNAS paper is "Collapse of Proteostasis Represents an Early Molecular Event in C. elegans Aging." In addition to Morimoto, other authors of the paper are Anat Ben-Zvi and Elizabeth A. Miller, both from Northwestern.

Study Shows Aspirin Blocks "Plant Pain"

2009-04-19T11:42:00.003-05:00

This is an old article stolen directly from ScienceDaily, but I found it to be really friggin' cool:

ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 1998) — It's not news anymore that plants may "cry in pain" when attacked or damaged by a hungry herbivore, but now we know that there is a way to stop all this vegetable "suffering" right in your medicine cabinet -- with simple aspirin.

Plants may not feel the pain of an injury as animals do, but they do have their own "alarm" reaction to tissue damage and, in an effect curiously similar to that in animals, this reaction can be short-circuited by aspirin and other similar drugs, according to a study recently published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The study was authored by plant biologists Zhiqiang Pan of Arizona State University; Bilal Camara of the Institut de Biologie Moleculaire des Plantes, Strasbourg, France; Harold W. Gardner of the United States Department of Agriculture; and Ralph A. Backhaus of Arizona State University and appeared in JBC's July 17 issue.

Aspirin, the researchers discovered, interrupts the production of a key compound that plants produce in response to physical injury in much the same way that it interrupts in animals the production of the compound that tissue produces when it is hurt, leading to the pain reaction.

The function of aspirin in animals is to block the production of prostaglandin, which triggers swelling and pain. Aspirin binds to the active site of the enzyme that is critical to producing prostaglandin.

"It essentially renders the enzyme dead and prevents prostaglandins from building up and creating a reaction," said Backhaus.

In plants, aspirin blocks the production of jasmonic acid by similarly binding a critical enzyme.

"Jasmonic acid is a hormone that is made when plants are in distress. It signals the production of plant-defense compounds -- it works a little like a shot of pain, warning the plant that it is under attack. It can also volatilize and warn nearby plants, a chain reaction that's like a warning signal to other plants. This seems to particularly apply to insect attack, as the alerted plants then produce specific compounds that produce insect gastro-intestinal distress.

"It turns out that aspirin will suppress the formation of this compound (jasmonic acid), so it suppresses the warning signal, like it suppresses pain in animals," Backhaus said.

While humans may want to tune out the pain "alarm" signaling that their body is under distress, it is hard to see what benefit aspirin's suppression could have in the plant reaction.

Unless you're a hungry insect ransacking a patch of plants, that is, and you want to shut off the neighborhood's burglar alarms... and have lunch.

How to Clean Out the Inside of a Peanut Butter Jar

2009-03-15T16:53:00.003-05:00

I found myself in a sticky situation the other day. I was in full study mode and was hoping to steal some peanut butter from my dining hall. The problem: no container! Well, as it turned out, I did have a container, but it had a bunch of old, expired peanut butter and I didn't wanna risk making myself sick before my Orgo final. So, what'd I do? I poured a dab of laundry detergent into the peanut butter jar with some hot water and shook it. Then *poof*--no more peanut butter in the jar!

You'd might guess that it's simple enough: the detergent just cleaned the peanut butter of out the jar... in that case, you'd be right. But maybe you'd try to use soap. Soap would probably work too, but not as well. So, what's the difference? As it turns out, this is a biochem problem. As anybody who eats peanut butter knows, it is full of proteins. So, to clean out a peanut butter jar, simply break don't all those proteins--which detergent does quite well. Why? Well, the active ingredient in detergent isn't just a really tough soap; in fact, it contains a tiny but potent amount of proteases--enzymes that digest and break down proteins. So the proteases (which are also heat-resistant) break down the proteins, and the hot water washes 'em away.

Hence I am left with a clean peanut butter jar in a jiffy. With that, I am off to steal some peanut butter!

Another Step Forward in the Fight Against Cancer

2009-01-11T15:16:00.001-06:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16391-implant-raises-cellular-army-to-attack-cancer.html

Harvard researchers have found a way to use a polymer cylindrical implant to reprogram immune cells to target cancer--90% of mice afflicted with melanoma were cured.

This is What the World Would Look Like if You Were Small: Click on the Picture and Zoom In

2009-01-06T23:45:00.003-06:00

Snipe Fly
This might be the most detailed photograph I have ever seen. You can make out the reflections of the fly in the raindrops. I would really like to see this camera, its reflection is probably in one of the drops as well.

Kelly Mayo Seminar and Gulf War Syndrome

2008-11-18T10:38:00.002-06:00

So, come to LR4 on Thursday @ 5pm! It'll be a sweet talk.

In sadder news, a new report announced that Gulf War Syndrome has officially been termed a real (and not simply psychological disease). Gulf War Syndrome probably affects 1 in 4 of the ~650,000 vets, with symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal problems, headaches, concentration difficulties, and other neurological problems. The prime suspects for this disease are pesticides and pills taken to provide protection against nerve gas.
Here's a link to the pills:
pyridostigmine bromide

Nerve agents work by blocking ACh-ase, slowing the breakdown of ACh in the synaptic cleft. The inability to breakdown ACh results in constant muscle contract, leading to death. PB works by preventing this blocking. It is taken in conjunction with other drugs to increase survival chances after exposure to a nerve agent, such as soman or sarin.
Read the CNN article: (article)

Drosophila Diseases

2008-10-30T19:28:00.006-05:00

I spent a couple of hours today counting flies, so here's a cool article about them:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn15082-malekilling-bacteria-provide-a-surprise-benefit-.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news3_head_dn15082

Summary:
A bacteria known for its sex-regulation abilities has been found to confer protection against viruses in Drosophila. In some species, the bacteria ensures that infected and non-infected and non-infected flies cannot make viable young.

Implications:
Speciation?
Cool bacteria like that in humans? (Bacteria are pretty important in several of body systems).
A good excuse for having all your flies die in BioLab. Bonus points if anybody can type that fly.

Articles of the Week

2008-10-13T17:31:00.004-05:00

Most of these are from NewScientist, because it is my favorite.

What's the best cruising speed for life?
Reference Note: Humans have a metabolic rate of ~4 W/kg

So exhausted from studying Orgo/Bio that you might've lost the ability to communicate with humans? Practice on this robot!

Desiring to be pessimistic about research?

Like to drink?

Think you are too vicious to be a bonobo? Think again.

And... new crabs!

Lethal Alleles and Cool Animals They Create

2008-09-13T15:34:00.004-05:00

A lot of you (well, a lot of the few people who are bored enough to read this) are familiar with the Manx cat example of lethal alleles: in feline genetics, having one copy of the gene gives you no tail, having two copies means you have no cat. The picture shows another example, which I had not previously heard of: the Chinese crested dog. Again, one copy of the bald and ugly gene will result in an ugly dog. Two copies of the bald and ugly gene will result in an ugly expired dog fetus. That being said, here's a genetics problem I adapted from a classic probability problem:

Two Manx cats have 4 babies, of which dies at birth due to combination of fatal alleles. The 3 surviving kittens are placed into boxes by the owner, who noted whether each kitten had a tail or not. You really like cats with tails. In fact, Manx cats freak you out. The owner allows you to select one unopened box, and he selects another box that he knows contains a Manx cat. He opens the box and shows you the cat. Should you open the box you selected, or select another box?

Shirt Idea

2008-09-06T10:42:00.003-05:00

So, I'm planning on distributing shirts at the Activities Fair and I need some help! The design is mostly plagiarized off of other shirts on the internet. So, PLEASE feel free to comment on the following:

Design:
Yea or Nay?
STAPH, Biology Students Association, or nothing on the back?
Color: should I go another color? Do we have too many purple n' white shirts? Maybe invert the colors?

Price:
What would you pay for the shirt on the range of $5-10? (Answer on the poll!)

Sizes:
What ratio of S, M, L, XL (XXL??) should I get?

Idea:
Is this even a good idea?

Obama/McCain Science Policies

2008-09-02T18:10:00.007-05:00

For those folk who happen to be both politically- and scientifically-minded, here's a pretty thorough and even-handed look at McCain and Obama's records, plans, and opinions on science policy:
McCain: http://sharp.sefora.org/people/presidential-candidates/john-mccain-presidential-candidate/
Obama: http://sharp.sefora.org/people/presidential-candidates/barack-obama-presidential-candidate/

For European viewers, the map above shows how genetic markers can be used to find your ancestors' countries of origin. The accompanying article: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14631-human-geography-is-mapped-in-the-genes.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=specrt11_head_Gene%20geography

One Heart, One Ho, Two Dead Husbands, and Major Histocompatibility Complexes

2008-09-01T19:37:00.007-05:00

Between painting benches and going to the paint store three times (I managed to get the wrong spray paint three times), I ran across an interesting article on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/09/01/affairs.of.the.heart.ap/index.html

For those of you too busy enjoying your lonely summer to check out this wild story of heart transplants, high expectations, and suicidal love (but not too busy to read this post), here’s a short, gritty summary:

Girl wants money. Girl meets boy. Girl marries boy. Boy can’t get her enough money. Boy off’s himself. Boy’s heart goes to old dude. Old dude meets girl. Old dude marries girl. Old dude can’t take it either. Bang!

So, what’s this have to do with biology? Well, there’s this segment of the genome found in all people that codes for proteins that identify self and non-self. Known as the Major Histocompatibility Complex, this gene family codes for proteins that play a big role in immunity. Interestingly enough, these genes also influence mate selection: having a different MHC is a huge turn-on for most animals. The evolutionary reasons behind this are pretty straightforward, as mixing up MHCs can result in offspring with tougher immune systems, similar to the way having a horse breed with a donkey results in a mule (who will be smarter, stronger, and less of a burden on daddy’s banking account—no need to buy mule condoms…which are probably huge and not biodegradable—I digress).

Anyways, due to its role in determining self and nonself, a donor and receiver’s degree of MHC similarity is also important for successful matching of transplant organs. Similar MHC’s correlate positively with high success rates. Since the transplant was a remarkably good match (Suicidal Spouse #2 survived for over a decade), we can guess that Suicidal Spouse #1 and #2 had similar MHC’s. A little math can show the rest of the story:

Let the MHC’s of Suicidal Spouse #1 and #2 = α and β, respectively.
Let Twice-Widowed Chick = ♀

By Law of Organ Transplant Success: α = β
By Law of Attraction: α ≠ ♀
Transitive Property: β ≠ ♀
Observed: α + ♀ = Death
Therefore: β + ♀ = Death

So, the moral of the story is: be careful.

Is it an ADHDaptation?

2008-08-31T14:43:00.005-05:00

Apparently easy access to Ritalin isn’t the only benefit of ADHD. I read a report on a study looked at a mutation that causes impulsive behavior linked to ADHD in Kenyan nomads. The study, in which NU Ph.D. student Dan Eisenberg took part, found that carriers were way more ripped than those lacking the mutation. Researchers surmised that the mutation tended to make carriers more spontaneous and meaner, personality traits which are apparently great for moving to the front of the Kenyan cafeteria line.

While anything concerning ways to get ripped will usually tend to catch my eye, I’ve always found genetic studies like these interesting because they show how some common traits which seem so adverse in today’s society actually possess adaptive value in some habitats. A classic example of this is the gene for sickle cell, which if heterozygous, provides resistance against malaria. However, in areas where malaria isn’t common, being homozygous (and thus affected by the trait) trait really blows, as it drastically reduces lifespan and causes a host of other really lousy effects. Yet, due to its heterozygous advantage, the gene prevails in frequency in malaria-infested regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean, and India. Fun.

Another sad example might include Huntington’s disease, an autosomal dominant trait that leads to death by middle age or so. I’ve heard that the frequency of the Huntington’s disease gene increased pretty steadily in the last century. The popular assumption is that carriers, knowing that their lives are short, tend to engage in riskier lifestyles which could potentially produce more offspring. However, the gene might somehow increase fitness in some other way. Those of you “House” fans who know about Thirteen might have some idea of what I’m getting at…

Hope this post wasn’t too speculative, but what’s a mind to do on a boring summer day? By the way, here’s the ADHD report on New Scientist:

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/dn14100-did-hyperactivity-evolve-as-a-survival-aid-for-nomads.html

NU-BSA Blog Launched!

2008-08-30T13:02:00.006-05:00

Howdy! This is the official Northwestern Biology Students Association Blog! We hope to have interesting biology-related news, commentaries, cool "how to" setups, meeting and event notifications, and all kinds of useful/crazy stuff here. Thanks for coming! Expect new posts soon!