Biology

An Overview of Oncology Treatments

An Overview of Oncology Treatments

Lead Authors: Dina Rabadi1, Sarah Matatov2 Co-Authors: Carolina Guerrero1, Nina Klee1,Whitney Nicanor Mabwi3, Bamlak Messay1, Yu Quan Ng4, Melanie Prakash1, Andrew Sasser1, Jillian Troth1 Dartmouth College1, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign2, Moi University3, Williams College4 Cover Figure: A clipboard surrounded by various drugs and delivery methods to treat cancer, showing the vast options and challenges …

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Like Owls, These Tiny Desert Dinosaurs Hunted in the Dark

Figure 1: Animated drawing of the extinct theropod Shuvuuia Source: Wikimedia Commons, Michael B.H James Neenan, a paleontologist at the University of Oxford, was looking at internal ear within the fossilized remains of an extinct non-avian flesh eating theropod dinosaur, Shuvuuia deserti, or the ‘desert bird’, when he found that it had an unusually long …

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UV-Vis Spectroscopy: A Step in the Light Direction

Executive Board Advisor: Nishi Jain Co-Authors: Daniela Galvez-Cepeda, Katherine Faulkner, Sonia Fung, Alexandra McOsker, Sarah Matatov, Arooba Ahmed, Lina Lew, Maria Clara Trajano, Sreya Roy, Carolina Guerrero, Anahita Kodali, Maeen Arslan, Aadhishre Kasat Figure 1: UV Spectroscopy is a powerful tool that’s emerging in a wide array of academic labs to characterize molecules, chemical compounds, …

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PCR: Captivation Through Replication

Executive Board Advisor: Nishi Jain Co-Authors: Vivek Babu, Collins Kariuki, Carolina Guerrero, Alex MckOsker, Daniela Galvez-Cepeda, Anahita Kodali, Sonia Fung, Maeen Arslan Figure 1:PCR is a widely used technique that was developed in the 1970s to replicate DNA for experimental purposes Source: Pixabay DNA has long been an enigma, evading the understanding of scientists for …

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The Chernobyl Accident — A Natural Experiment for the Effects of Radiation on Humans

Figure 1: A monument (front left) to the meltdown at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant that occurred in Reactor Number Four (back right) Source: Wikimedia Commons, Tiia Monto In April 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the town of Pripyat in the former USSR (and present-day Ukraine) experienced an uncontrolled chain reaction in Reactor …

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How the Plague Changed Our Genes

Figure 1: An image of the Yersinia pestis bacterium that caused the Black Plague. The image was taken with a scanning electron microscope using a sample collected from the digestive tract of an infected flea Source: Wikimedia Commons, Rocky Mountain Laboratories Some use the word “plague” to mean any infectious disease that infects many people, but …

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Another Genetic “Letter” Found in Viruses

Figure 1: A schematic of the double helix of DNA  Source: Wikimedia Commons, National Human Genome Research Institute DNA is made of nucleotides, which consist of a deoxyribose sugar bound to a phosphate group along with a nitrogen base, joined together with bonds between their sugars and phosphate groups. Most organisms contain 4 different nitrogenous …

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Balancing Blood Sugar: The Evolution of Glucose Monitoring

Balancing Blood Sugar: The Evolution of Glucose Monitoring

Figure 1: Many people diagnosed with diabetes often rely on blood glucose monitoring technologies such as electronic blood glucose meters to manage their blood sugars, ensuring that insulin and glucagon levels remain at homeostatic levels Source: Dennis Klicker, Unsplash Introduction In the midst of a global pandemic, it may be easy to lose sight of …

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Staphylococcus epidermidis capable of 6-HAP production reduce host UV-induced tumors

Figure 1: The human microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that live in and on us and contribute to our health and wellbeing Source: Leja, 2016 Being amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be easy for us to fear all forms of microorganisms. However, not all microbes cause disease and many organisms can actually be …

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Calling All CARs: Redesigning CAR-T Cancer Immunotherapy

Calling All CARs: Redesigning CAR-T Cancer Immunotherapy

Figure 1: This image displays microtubules – green fibre-like structures of the cell’s cytoskeleton – in human breast cancer tissue. Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that induces the immune system to fight back against tumors. Although it has been a successful form of therapy, there are still several challenges that limit the effectiveness …

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