Category Archives: Biology

Biology

Jessica Cottrell and Biology Student Mahika Ganguly Awarded STEM Undergraduate Research Award – Seton Hall University

Jessica Cottrell, Ph.D.

At the beginning of this year, Biology Chairperson Jessica Cottrell, Ph.D., and 2nd-year biology major in the joint B.S./M.D. program, Mahika Ganguly, were awarded a competitive STEM Undergraduate Research Award for their study, "The Effects of Vape Juice Additives on Chondrogenesis." Alternative forms of smoking continue to proliferate, but there is inadequate existing research detailing the potential harmful effects of these alternatives on cartilage cells. Cottrell and Mahika's research focuses on investigating how the flavorings found in vape juices, commonly used in e-smoking alternatives, influence chondrocyte (cells that make cartilage) proliferation and function. The study delves into the impact of popular vape juice flavors like cinnamon, strawberry, and mint on this biological process.

With this goal in mind, they are studying ATDC5 chondrocyte cells, a standard model for cartilage cellular sciences. To determine the effects that vape juice additives have on chondrogenesis, the two have examined the cellular response to increased concentrations of vape juice flavorings for up to 28 days. Because Cottrell and Mahika are studying the exclusive effects of the vape juice additives, not nicotine, they are examining how the growth of chondrocytes is impacted when nicotine is not present. When examining the growth of chondrocytes, Cottrell and Mahika measure the calcium deposition of these cells as a signifier for cellular function, that is, as evidence that the chondrocytes are properly functioning. So far, they have been able to observe that vape juice additives do have a negative impact on chondrogenesis, but they are trying to further determine if this reduced growth is a result of inflammation. Now that Cottrell and Mahika have observed the negative impacts, they will continue their study to identify at what concentration of vape juice additive cells result in the induction of an inflammatory response. This next step will be completed, by measuring the gene expression of these chondrocytes after vape juice exposure.

Mahika Ganguly, second-year biology student.

At the conclusion of this study, Cottrell and Mahika hope to bring attention to the harmful effects of vaping and electronic cigarettes, particularly on adolescents and young adults whose bodies should be growing. Additionally, the pair hope to continue their work into the summer and present their findings at the 2025 Petersheim Academic Exposition and the American Association of Immunologists. Ultimately, their goal is to present at the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Conference.

Lab work is teamwork. Through the course of working together, Cottrell and Mahika have developed a mutual respect and appreciation for each other that extends beyond the lab. Cottrells ability to connect with students such as Mahika develops a deeper connection with biology. Cottrell enjoys working with undergraduates, especially because she gets the privilege of "allowing them to be inquisitive on their own and making them life-long learners."

Seton Hall has a robust Department of Biological Sciences with a wide range of faculty researching in microbiology, virology, immunology, and other areas. The Department offers both the Masters and Doctoral degrees, and Seton Hall is excited to announce a new 3+2 B.S./ M.S. Program that will enable students to earn a B.S. in Biological Sciences and an M.S. in Molecular Bioscience in just five years. Students interested in STEM research should contact Associate Dean Mitra Feizabadi and students interested in STEM graduate programs should contact Associate Dean Michael Dooney.

Categories: Research, Science and Technology

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Jessica Cottrell and Biology Student Mahika Ganguly Awarded STEM Undergraduate Research Award - Seton Hall University

Biology

Meet Our Pygmy Slow Loris Babies | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute – Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology…

How are Naga and Pabu adjusting to parenthood?

Pygmy slow loris mothers are the primary caregivers of their offspring. Naga is a first time mom. Initially, she seemed a bit confused but eventually settled into her new role. It took her some time to figure out how to carry the babies and decide where to put them down for the night. Over time, she became much more confident and is displaying all the natural behaviors we expect to see. Naga responds to the babies when they vocalize and will put them down and park them in a spot while she goes off to explore and eat.

Up until recently, she had been walking around with them riding on her stomach. Now, they are too large for her to carry. The babies have learned to move around on their own, so she is now free to leave and let them explore.

In the wild and in zoos, fathers occasionally interact with offspring, depending on their personality and past experience with babies. Pabu has proved to be an attentive and patient father. He has even carried the babies a few times. We often found him sitting with the babies. He seems very interested in them, but is not above stealing a snack from them.

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Meet Our Pygmy Slow Loris Babies | Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology...

Biology

Student athlete Vinny DOnofrio 24 excelled in biology and chemistry at PLU – Pacific Lutheran University

How did soccer impact you?

I think it helped me grow as a person. I gained confidence in myself that I did not think I had at times, because people around me provided that backbone.

Tell me about your two majors.

I first started as just a biology major. I pursued pre-med classes. In my junior year, I took analytical chemistry, and the professor [Brian Naasz] said, You are pretty good at this. Why dont you take that plus year and stick around for next year and get the major too?

Who are your mentors?

I would say Dr. [Tina] Saxowsky, she sparked what I was most interested in. Dr. [Matt] Smith was my first biology professor. Dr. [Andrea] Munro helped me get the classes aligned to pursue the chemistry degree.

What did you learn as a biology TA and chemistry stockroom worker?

As a TA, I found myself learning new ideas from students that I might not have thought of, on the same question I had a couple of years ago. I love working with Maryls [Nesset], she puts me on dish duty, but that is what I choose to do. It humbles you. If I did not do this, people would not be able to do their lab experiments.

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Student athlete Vinny DOnofrio 24 excelled in biology and chemistry at PLU - Pacific Lutheran University

Biology

Obituary: Stan H. Braude, professor of practice in Arts & Sciences, 62 – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis

Stan Braude, a professor of practice in biology and in environmental studies in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died at home Saturday, June 1, 2024, after a short illness. He was 62.

Braude earned his bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in biology at the University of Michigan, spending summers at the universitys Biological Station in northern Michigan. He worked in Kenya for more than 20 years, becoming a world expert on naked mole-rat ecology, evolution and behavior in the wild. He also worked in Argentina, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda and locally in Missouri.

In addition to his naked mole-rat research, Braude published articles and textbook materials on many different topics in ecology, evolution and conservation biology over the years, including elephant behavior, rhinoceros inbreeding and the evolution of dogs, as well as his research on dragonflies, tuco-tucos, giant pouched rats and cave salamanders. Braude was also interested in human biology publishing research on Barr Bodies, differential blood counts and the evolution of humor, for example and proposed several theories on medically relevant topics including testosterone levels, inflammatory bowel disease and the oncoprotective fever hypothesis.

Braude began his teaching career at Washington University in 1992 as a lecturer in University College, now known as the School of Continuing & Professional Studies, and started teaching full time in the Department of Biology in 1997.

He taught classes in human anatomy and physiology; advanced wilderness medicine; Missouris natural heritage (an Ampersand program class); and the woody plants of Missouri, among others. When teaching about the biology of dog breeds, Braude brought his oversized dogs to campus to participate in classes.

Braude received multiple national awards for teaching, including the 2004 College Biology Teacher of the Year award from the National Association of Biology Teachers and the 2011 Distinguished Teacher Award from the Animal Behavior Society. Locally, Braude was honored with the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022 and the Arts & Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award in 2019.

Dr. Braude taught me to take ownership of how I act. He also showed me the importance of recognizing the impact of my actions in addition to my intentions, Alison Leslie, a 2017 alum, told a writer who profiled Braude and his effectiveness in the classroom in 2019. I truly believe that getting to know him through his courses has made me not only a better student but also a better person.

Stan was a consummate teacher, said Ram Dixit, a professor and chair of biology. He brought passion and creativity to the multitude of courses he taught in the biology department and in the University College program. His love of the outdoors and hands-on inquiry have had a lasting impact on many generations of students.

Braude was an active participant and mentor for research projects sponsored by the Living Earth Collaborative, the Institute for Public Health and Tyson Research Center, WashUs environmental field station. He was an animal trapper, fisherman, carpenter and gardener. He made his own camping gear and he foraged for wild edibles, a talent and skill that he taught to WashU undergraduates and younger scouts in the St. Louis area.Most recently, his knowledge of local foods led to collaborations with Bulrush restaurant and the universitys Buder Center for American Indian Studies.

For the last eight or nine years, weve been tapping the maple trees on campus and then boiling down all that sap into syrup for a pancake breakfast, Braude told the Humans of Tyson project in 2020. I make a fire outside and boil the sap over it. The last couple of years, I would start at around 6 in the morning and invite people from the Pathfinder class around 11, when we would have the first batch of syrup ready.

Certified as an EMT, wilderness medicine educator and arborist, Braude was the first curator of the Washington University arboretum, which attained Morton Arboretum Level II certification during his tenure. He initiated the love letters for trees event and continued the life of the oldest campus tree.

Braude had recently traveled to Cambridge, U.K., to trace the journey of Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who crafted the first plan for the WashU campus in 1895. With the support of a Newman Exploration Travel Award, he was seeking inspiration for the design of green spaces around the new Arts & Sciences building west of Olin Library.

Braude is survived by his wife, Nancy E. Berg, a professor of Hebrew language and literature in Arts & Sciences; children and extended family.

Services were held June 4. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to One Tree Planted, a local food pantry or a charity of your choice.

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Obituary: Stan H. Braude, professor of practice in Arts & Sciences, 62 - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis

Biology

Men and Women’s Different Biology Supports Their Different Roles – Answers In Genesis

The news cycle is consistently filled with articles about gender, sex, male, and female, in addition to a whole new dictionary of terms like nonbinary, two-spirit, cis-gender, pansexual, and so on. Our culture is obsessed with the idea of so-called sexual or gender identity. Rather than embracing Gods purposeful and unique design of male and female, they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worship the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). The alphabet mafia chooses to ignore Gods definitions and to redefine (or in many cases not define!) what it means to be male and female. They see the key to equality is for there to be NO differences between the sexes. In their view, we all just need to be the same.

We see examples of this in stores where clothing is no longer designated as mens OR womens and toys are no longer boys OR girls. We see it in sports where biological men are allowed to compete against biological women because the men identify as women. Courts are ruling that the male-only military draft may not be constitutional. A lawyer representing the National Coalition of Men said, Either they need to get rid of the draft registration or they need to require women to do the same thing that men do.1 At the 2023 American Anthropological Association (AAA) conference, a session about skeletal differences between males and females was canceled because it was considered transphobic. The AAA stated, There is no single biological standard by which all humans can be reliably sorted into a binary male/female sex classification.2 As a PhD geneticist, I can confidently say this is scientifically absurd, and as a Christian, I can say its biblically wrong as well.

God created males and females equalbut different. Thats not to say we dont have some sameness. We both bear the image of God (Genesis 1:2627). We both are sinners in need of salvation (Romans 3:23), and when we receive Christ as our Savior, we are one in Jesus (Galatians 3:28). But we are also different!

Women and men are both made in the image of God, but we have unique character qualities that cause us to bear that image differently. Elisabeth Elliot eloquently said, These two people [Adam and Eve] together represent the image of Godone of them in a special way the initiator, the other the responder. Neither the one nor the other was adequate alone to bear the divine image.3

Women tend to be caring and nurturing. God displays this characteristic vividly in Matthew 23:37, where Jesus speaking of the Israelites says, How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Men tend to be protectors and fight to protect those in their care. God displays this characteristic in Isaiah 42:13 where Isaiah says, The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; . . . he shows himself mighty against his foes. Women and men bear Gods image differently and that is part of Gods good design. We are equal but different. Im not saying that certain character qualities of God are exclusive to one sex or the other, but we tend to see certain characteristics more often or more clearly in one sex than the other, and that is good!

Men and women also have different functions and roles especially within marriage and the church. God created Eve as a helper to Adam (Genesis 2:18), and wives are to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22). This doesnt imply an inferior/superior relationship within marriage; rather, it reflects different roles. We see this reflected in the Trinity as Jesus submits to the Father yet is equal to the Father. Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies and as Christ loved the church by dying for her (Ephesians 5:2528). These different roles are an earthly reflection of the heavenly reality of the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). Again, men and women are equal but different, and that is good!

Men and women are also biologically unique, and sometimes, we can even see directly how that biological design is related to our different character qualities and functions/roles. Gods design is truly purposeful! In this article, well explore some of the genetic and cellular differences between men and women.

Contrary to what the AAA said, there IS a single biological standard by which all humans can be reliably sorted into a binary male/female sex classification. Its called our sex chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome. I have an easy saying to help people remember this: No Y, no guy! The Y chromosome has the sex-determining region Y gene (SRY for short) that inhibits female anatomical growth and induces the formation of male anatomy during embryo development. Some will argue there are sex chromosome abnormalities that make sex determination at birth or even puberty challenging. While these abnormalities are real in our fallen world (and these parents and children need compassion and support), it is never right to argue for normal from the abnormal.

Many of the genes on the Y chromosome (like SRY) are unique and dont have any match on the X chromosome. But there are some genes for basic cellular functions that exist on both the X and Y. Genes for basic cellular functions usually do not differ much within the human population because these are functions that all human cells must perform for people to live. However, scientists have discovered a gene, named RPS4, that has different versions on the X and Y chromosomes.4 This gene has the instructions for a ribosomal protein, and ribosomes assemble proteins in our cells. This means that male and female ribosomes are different. This blew my mind! The biological classification of mammals, which includes humans, dont really differ much in their ribosome makeup, yet God has seen fit to design male and female humans with different ribosomes. Why? I have no idea! Im excited to see more research that determines why this difference is important.

Although females have two X chromosomes, one of them is inactivated. Males only have one X chromosome and females in essence only have one active X chromosomeor so we thought. It turns out that 1523% of the genes on the so-called inactive X may still be active in that proteins are made from the genes.5 Many of those genes are thought to be related to the immune system, and as a result, women may have a more robust immune system. Women have higher circulating numbers of white blood cells and nearly every immune system response in females is higher.6 This relates well to a womans function/role in caring for children who often harbor a lot of germs! Also, women tend to have the character quality of being social and being in groups of people more often than men.b The gene activity on the inactive X may offer a protective mechanism against exposure to harmful bacteria and viruses often found in these social interactions. It also may mean that man flu is a real thing!

A 2017 gene activity study looked at 18,000 genes in 45 tissues to see if there were differences in activity between males and females.7 The researchers expected only a few hundred of these genes would show a difference. However, they found a whopping 6,500 genes (1/3 of those studied) have different activity levels!8 Some genes are active in men or women only, while some are much more active in one sex or the other. Much of the difference in activity levels is thought to relate to sex hormone differences. Testosterone in males and estrogen/progesterone in females likely causes genes to be read differently, resulting in different outcomes. One journalist in discussing these differences said, True equality is about respecting difference, not trying to erase it . . . . To be equal, men and women dont have to be the same. Which is just as well, because theyre not.9 Equality of the sexes should not, does not, and cannot mean sameness on a biological (or biblical) level. Thinking otherwise can have dangerous repercussions.

Differences in male/female genetics and their outcomes play a significant role in disease development, diagnosis, and treatment. For example, in males, fatty deposits in coronary arteries tend to be at specific locations, whereas in females, the deposits tend to line the artery more evenly, which makes heart disease harder to detect in females.10 Often, women are not included in clinical trials for the study and treatment of disease. This may explain why drugs that are effective at treating disease in men sometimes do not work in women. Its very likely that men and women metabolize drugs differently (because of sex chromosome and sex hormone differences), and what is an effective treatment in one sex may not be in the other.

Dr. Paula Johnson, founder and former executive director of the Connors Center for Womens Health and Gender Biology, stated, Today, we know that every cell has a sex. . . . And what it means is that men and women are different down to the cellular and molecular level. It means that were different across all of our organs, from our brains to our hearts, our lungs, our joints.11 Yes and amen! In part 1, weve learned some of many, many genetic and cellular differences between males and females. In part 2, well delve into the anatomical and physiological differences to understand more about how Gods unique biological designs of men and women relate to their character qualities and functions/roles. It truly is purposeful design!

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Men and Women's Different Biology Supports Their Different Roles - Answers In Genesis

Biology

Integrating system biology and intratumor gene therapy by trans-complementing the appropriate co-stimulatory … – Nature.com

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Integrating system biology and intratumor gene therapy by trans-complementing the appropriate co-stimulatory ... - Nature.com

Biology

Meet the 29-year-old biology teacher who will compete at Pinehurst – Yahoo Sports

Thirteen years ago, Ben Crenshaw and his design partner, Bill Coore, completed a $2.5 million restoration of Donald Ross Pinehurst No. 2. The project, among many aims, eliminated over 35 acres of irrigated turf, and 650 irrigation heads, while reintroducing natural areas of sand, wiregrass and pine straw.

It was a massive push toward sustainability that Colin Prater can appreciate.

Prater, a 29-year-old mid-amateur whose day job involves teaching biology to over 120 ninth graders at Cheyenne Mountain High in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will often integrate his two passions, science and golf. Discussing ecosystems? Golf courses such as Pinehurst are great examples, Prater says, of the positive impact humans can have on the planet.

The kids love it, Prater jokes, because Ill just keep talking and we wont get anything done, and theyre like, Oh, Prater talked for 45 minutes today about a lake on a golf course.

Just wait until next school year, kids.

Prater will soon have quite the story to tell, about how the former D-II standout and now educator and high-school golf coach qualified for his first major championship and then competed alongside the best players in the world at next weeks 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

He just doesnt know exactly how that story is going to play out yet.

I feel like its going to be crazier and more awesome than even Im dreaming about, Prater said via phone Wednesday evening, two days after he earned one of two spots out of the final qualifier at Pronghorn Resorts Nicklaus Course in Bend, Oregon; he got up and down on each of the final two holes to edge Trevor Simsby by a shot. I think I kind of know what to expect, but I still dont know how Im going to react. Like what if some kid wants my autograph? Thats not a question Ive ever been asked. Do I carry my own Sharpie? Or what if I walk out on the range and just see Tiger Woods? I dont know if Im going to lose it or what.

As a youngster growing up in Colorado Springs, Prater would wear red on Sundays just like Woods. Hed do everything else like either his grandfather, legendary high-school football coach Carl Fetters, or Dow Finsterwald, the late PGA champ who tied for third at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills. Fetters, who has coached in the Colorado Springs area for over six decades now, was a member at The Broadmoor when Prater was first learning the game, and on some days, between baseball practices, hed sit Prater on the range a few spots from Finsterwald and tell his grandson, Just watch him.

As Fetters explained in a video honoring Prater as the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Person of the Year in 2021, the suggestion was because of how smooth he hit the ball, and every swing was the same.

Prater remembers Finsterwald always stressing about grip pressure, how a tight grip led to tight arms, tight shoulders and, worst of all, a tight head.

Hed tell me something, Prater said, and for the next two weeks thats the only thing wed focus on, whatever the heck Dow said.

Prater was a three-sport athlete at Palmer High, the oldest high school in Colorado Springs, playing golf, baseball and basketball for the Terrors, who donned school colors of brown and white. He gave up the latter two sports, however, after dislocating his right collarbone and injuring his right elbow during his junior year.

Never a primary focus, golf suddenly became a ticket to college for the undersized Prater, who started at D-II Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction and captured the Phil Mickelson Award as D-IIs national freshman of the year. He then transferred to Colorado State-Colorado Springs, which offered him the full ride that the University of Colorado didnt, and he ended up capping his collegiate career as a four-time All-American and with 14 individual victories.

I got lucky a couple times, Prater contends, modestly.

Added Praters longtime swing coach, Todd Laxson: Colin has a confidence about him that youre not ever going to hear. He is never afraid of the result of a golf shot that he hits.

When he graduated in May 2019, Prater made plans to move to Phoenix and begin his professional golf career. Hed found a place to live, acquired some financial backing and locked in a job to pay for the rest. But first hed need to complete his student-teaching requirement that fall at Doherty High in Colorado Springs.

Before he finished the semester, he realized he no longer wanted to chase golf professionally.

I really fell in love with teaching, said Prater, whose now-wife but girlfriend at the time, Madi, whom also transferred to UCCS after a year, also didnt want to leave family in Colorado Springs. So, Prater stayed put, accepting a full-time position at Doherty.

For the last few years, Prater has taught and served as the assistant boys and girls golf coach at Cheyenne Mountain High, where most of his family went and where his granddad coached for most of his career; Fetters was the schools first Hall of Fame inductee. Prater married Madi in October 2021, and the couple, which has a 20-month-old daughter, Blake, is expecting a second child in about six weeks.

I 100% would make the same decision again, Prater said. I really love teaching. I really love coaching. I really love having a family now. Being a husband and a dad is the coolest thing on planet earth. Golf is just a hobby.

Albeit a hobby that hes excelled at. Prater is one of just two players to have won Colorados state amateur (twice), mid-amateur (twice, each of the past two years) and match play. During a six-week stretch in Summer 2020, he captured the amateur, match play and took home low-amateur honors at the Colorado Open. Hes competed in three U.S. Amateurs, including at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2019 and last year at Cherry Hills, where he advanced to match play as dozens of family members and students came to watch.

Still the best golf swing Ive ever made in my life, Prater says of the 4-iron he hit for his third shot on the par-4 finishing hole to save bogey and force extra holes against Arizona States Ryggs Johnston, whod go on to win in overtime.

And a couple weeks ago, Prater and partner, Air Force assistant Jimmy Makloski, qualified for the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Philadelphia Cricket Club.

Not bad for a guy who is lucky if he can sneak away for a couple hours of uninterrupted practice once per week at Cherokee Ridge, a public facility on the west side of town that features nine regular holes and nine par-3 holes.

I probably practiced more in the two days leading up to the Four-Ball than I did the first five months of the year, Prater said.

That said, he intentionally didnt plan on touching a club on Thursday, a day after he got home from Bend at 1 a.m. local time and later fielded about a half-dozen interview requests while also squaring away his travel and lodging for his major debut. Exhausted, Prater instead planned to spend a day with his daughter, going to the park and getting ice cream, before he leaves town again this weekend.

Blake will stay home next week with Madi, who, Prater says, will be glued to the TV.

Shell probably be a nervous wreck if I make a bogey or something, Prater said. I already told her thats going to happen. Its Pinehurst.

Regardless of how many bogeys he ends up carding, Prater is just happy to be fulfilling a lifelong dream a dream, he admits, was probably a dream that you pretty much think is out of reach.

Only now it is.

Prater was already thinking about potential practice-round pairings. He would especially love to play with reigning U.S. Open champion and Colorado native Wyndham Clark, whom Prater competed against when he was younger.

I dont know, Im going to be starstruck by 60 of the dudes who are there, Prater said. Maybe Ill just wait on the first tee for hours and see if theres an opening.

He'll have plenty for conversation.

And who knows? Maybe he'll teach the pros a thing or two.

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Meet the 29-year-old biology teacher who will compete at Pinehurst - Yahoo Sports

Biology

Internal clock helps cyanobacteria sustain life on this planet – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis

Most organisms on this planet rely on an internal circadian clock to function properly. New research published by biologists at Washington University in St. Louis investigates the function of the clock in nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria: microbes that exhibit unique metabolic traits but that have been difficult to pin down because of their genetic complexity.

Cyanobacteria have been around for billions of years. They played a large role in changing the Earths environment from oxygen-free to oxygen-rich. These organisms are of immense importance in the global carbon and nitrogen cycle, according to Himadri Pakrasi, a George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor in biology in Arts & Sciences.

Up until now, researchers have been unable to dissect the clock function in cyanobacteria. But a new study from the Pakrasi lab published in May in Nature Communications uses a particular nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Cyanothece 51142, that can be genetically manipulated to study the effects of circadian cycles.

The researchers findings reveal how internal clocks in cyanobacteria help them separate the seemingly conflicting processes of photosynthesis a process that requires sunlight and produces oxygen from nitrogen fixation, which needs an environment without oxygen.

Photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation are two fundamental bioenergetic processes that are crucial for the sustenance of life on this planet, Pakrasi said. These pioneering findings have certainly paved the way for further research in this direction.

Read more on the Department of Biology website.

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Internal clock helps cyanobacteria sustain life on this planet - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis

Biology

NSF Awards $12.5M to Duke Researchers and Colleagues to Explore Polyploidy – Duke University School of Medicine

A new $12.5 million National Science Foundation grant was awarded to Duke University School of Medicine researchers and colleagues to investigate biology common to cancer, agriculture, biodiversity and more.

It's called polyploidy, and only within the last few years have biologists begun to recognize its significance across the tree of life.

Polyploidy packs cells and organisms with extra sets of genetic material. Its found in organisms all over the planet and in the cells of essentially every human organ system, said Don Fox, PhD, professor of pharmacology & cancer biology and cell biology who leads Dukes effort in the multi-institution project.

Fox is one of 18 scientists working to establish the Polyploidy Integration and Innovation Institute. The grant is part of a broader initiative by the NSF to bring together scientists from disparate areas of expertise to work on pressing problems in biology.

The University of Florida and the Florida Museum will lead the project, collaborating with institutions including Duke, Cornell University, University of Kentucky, University of Minnesota, University of Mississippi, University of Pittsburgh, and the Ghent University and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research.

Foxs laboratory will study polyploidy in an animal model -- the fruit fly.

We dont know much about how polyploidy impacts biological processes. To answer this fundamental question, we needed a team approach, Fox said.

This NSF award enables Fox to combine his efforts in flies with colleagues in the U.S. and Europe, who will add studies in plants, algae, and fungi to the collaborative effort. Polyploidy is a perfect topic for this sort of integration, said plant biologist Pam Soltis, PhD, a curator at the Florida Museum and lead investigator on the project. Researchers with the institute will study the effects of polyploidy in plants and animals, from entire ecosystems down to organs and cells.

We want to conduct a set of experiments that is consistent across organisms, said Doug Soltis, PhD, professor at the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Department of Biology at the University of Florida. This is the first time well be able to determine whether there are consistent rules that govern polyploidy.

The institute will use new and unique data management tools and prioritize community engagement to gain as much insight as possible, with eventual applications to agriculture, medicine, and conservation.

The institute will guide high school curriculum development and teacher training, provide research experiences for undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral researchers and offer training in science communication, while hosting local and international research conferences, said Pam Soltis.

At its most basic, polyploidy just means having more than the normal pair of matching chromosomes. Typically, when plants and animals undergo sexual reproduction, two sets of chromosomes one from each parent combine to create a new organism.

Humans have been aware of this concept since the Austrian monk Gregor Mendel established the foundation of genetic inheritance by conducting experiments with pea plants. But occasionally, this process goes awry, and instead of a pair of chromosomes, offspring are endowed with additional chromosome sets in a process called genome duplication.

This happens frequently in plants, and for several decades, botanists were the only ones who took a significant interest in the subject. The process can be so prevalent that some plants carry around eight or more chromosome pairs packed tightly in their cells. What is the utility of all this extra genetic material? Scientists once thought it didnthave much use at all. Then they discovered it was one of the most common ways new species are formed.

According to Soltis, theyre still learning this. My own view is there are hundreds of thousands of cryptic polyploid species that we have never recognized or scientifically named.

For reasons that remain unclear, polyploidy also seems to be stratified on a global scale. There are fewer known polyploid species in the tropics than there are in colder regions, and the incidence of genome duplication appears to be higher at increased elevations.

It may also have serious implications for how well plants are able to cope with rapid climate change.

Biologists later discovered that polyploidy wasnt just restricted to plants. Animals had it too. Nearly everything with a backbone can trace its origin to double genome duplication events that took place more than 450 million years ago. Similar duplications have occurred in fish, worms, insects, arachnids and mollusks.

Polyploidy is everywhere, Soltis said. Its a giant iceberg, and were at the very tip.

Scientists next discovered that polyploidy did much more than increase biodiversity. Its also an important part of the way many plants and animals function or malfunction. Polyploidy is present in roughly 37% of cancer types in humans. In other types, scientists think induced polyploidy may even provide a cure.

Polyploidy pops up in various organs as well, where it plays a significant role.Weve contributed to the finding that polyploidy promotes significant organ regeneration said Fox, who co-directs Dukes Regeneration Center. And recently we collaborated with Dawn Bowles, PhD, in the Duke Department of Surgery and Nenad Bursac, PhD, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering to show that polyploidy shapes the chambers of the heart in both flies and humans. This means that polyploidy may play a critical role in sculpting not only the heart but many other organs.

The medical community began realizing the importance of polyploidy in the early 2000s, but they were largely unaware that other biologists had been intently focused on the topic for many decades. A series of scientific conferences devoted entirely to polyploidy helped bring everyone together.

Its a case of not seeing what you dont look for. We were all siloed, and there was a lot of surprise when people learned about what others were doing, Soltis said.

Just as genetics became its own field of study that transcended biological boundaries after Mendel laid out the laws of inheritance, polyploidy is poised to become a new specialty, one ripe for discovery and innovation. The Polyploidy Integration and Innovation Institute will help make this happen.

In addition to Duke, the University of Florida, and the Florida Museum, other collaborating institutions are Cornell University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Minnesota, the University of Mississippi, the University of Pittsburgh, Ghent University and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research.

Content adapted from University of Florida.

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NSF Awards $12.5M to Duke Researchers and Colleagues to Explore Polyploidy - Duke University School of Medicine