In May 2025, a group of 140 bright minds from all over New Jersey came together at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. They were there for the annual spring meeting of the Theobald Smith Society. This wasn't just any meeting. It was a two-day event celebrating the amazing world of microbiology. The group was a mix of students, teachers, and professionals from differen...
Imagine meeting beings from another planet. What would we talk about? Science, probably. It's the one thing that connects all life, no matter where it is in the universe. Human concerns like politics or social issues might not even make sense to them. They'd likely admire their own versions of great scientists, like we do with Newton or Einstein. Science is special ...
Cancer is a tough opponent. It's sneaky, hard to catch early, and even harder to treat. But scientists are always on the hunt for new ways to fight it. One exciting area of research is tiny bits of RNA called microRNAs. These little guys might hold the key to better cancer treatments and earlier detection. One microRNA, called miRNA-1303, is getting a lot of attenti...
Politics and biology are two different worlds. One deals with power and decisions. The other is about life and how things work. But sometimes, they meet and cause problems. Think about laws on health. Politicians make rules based on what they think is best. But what if they don't understand science? This can lead to bad decisions. For example, some people might igno...
Cancer is a complex puzzle, with each type having its own set of rules. To crack this code, scientists need to understand how genes and the immune system interact. This is where TCGAimmunosurv comes in. It's a tool designed to make sense of vast amounts of data from cancer patients. This tool does something special. It looks at the big picture and the tiny details. ...
Plants have a clever way of knowing when to flower. They use a special protein called florigen, made in the leaves, to tell other parts of the plant it's time to bloom. But how does this protein move around, and what happens when it's cold outside? Scientists wanted to understand how florigen travels within the plant, especially in the shoot apical meristem, which i...
Ever wondered how seals can swim so deep and for so long without passing out? Scientists wanted to know too. They thought it had something to do with carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the seals' bodies. After all, in humans, high CO2 levels trigger the urge to breathe. But seals don't seem to have this problem. So, researchers decided to study six grey seals in a speci...
In the highlands of Southern Tibet, Nepal, and the Indian Himalayas, certain plants have been cherished for centuries. These aren't just any plants; they're deeply rooted in the traditions of Tantric Buddhism. People here burn branches of Juniperus indica Bertol and Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don. Why? Because these plants are believed to bring peace and purity to th...
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has changed the game in studying tiny structures. It's faster and can handle bigger samples than before. But there's a catch: getting the samples ready is still tricky. The ice thickness can be uneven. Particles might stick to the support or line up in the same direction. This can make it hard to get clear, high-resolution images. ...
Life needs RNA and fats. But could life exist with just these two? RNA does more than just carry information; it can also speed up reactions. This idea has led scientists to think about a time when life might have started with just RNA. But RNA needs help to stay organized and work properly. That's where fats come in. Fats can form tiny bubbles that might have helped...