Author: Gina Misra

Building the molecules of life in the lab A team of scientists developed a method for making self-replicating molecules in the lab to study how life might have emerged on Earth.

Posted on January 3, 2022November 29, 2021 by Josué Solórzano and Gina Misra 346 views

The hyperbranched polymer scaffold could have been the early primitive base for the emergence of life. @t_z_jia @CerberaOdollam @josue_nanotech

How do climate scientists make regional projections? A small team of researchers have challenged a long-held assumption about how scientists have been applying global climate models to specific regions.

Posted on October 7, 2021October 5, 2021 by Chirantan Ganguly and Gina Misra 981 views

A small team of researchers have challenged a long-held assumption about how scientists have been applying global climate models to specific regions.

First real-life trial of monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 A large trial of COVID-19 positive patients at increased risk of severe illness showed that two types of monoclonal antibody infusions did reduce the severity of their infection compared to controls.

Posted on September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 by Gina Misra 895 views

A large trial of COVID-19 positive patients at increased risk of severe illness showed that two types of monoclonal antibody infusions did reduce the severity of their infection compared to controls.

Giant dinosaur tracks found in a cave in France Sauropods were previously thought to have had their heyday in the Late Jurassic period. Recent fossil evidence says it was probably much earlier than that.

Posted on March 15, 2021April 2, 2021 by Dilara Kılıçarslan and Gina Misra 1k views

Sauropods were previously thought to have had their heyday in the Late Jurassic period. Recent fossil evidence says it was probably much earlier than that.

Hand Sanitizer squirting into hand, by Kelly Sikkema

Do hand sanitizers work on the coronavirus? Two companies got together to test Purell hand sanitizers in gel and foam format using a suspension experiment and found both sanitizers to be effective in reducing viable virus by 1000 times.

Posted on March 4, 2021April 1, 2021 by Gina Misra 499 views

Do commercial hand sanitizers work on coronavirus? In the lab, yes. Studies are needed using real human hands, which come with ethical challenges.

Laboratory methods behind the polio vaccine discovery In 1949, Harvard scientists established a few tissue culture tricks that not only allowed Jonas Salk to develop the polio vaccine, but also became standard practice when growing polio in the lab. His team was awarded a Nobel Prize.

Posted on September 24, 2020January 15, 2021 by Gina Misra 680 views

Poliomyelitis is the name of the disease caused by the poliovirus, and it mostly affects children under the age of 5, causing paralysis in a small percent of cases. The disease had been around since the 1800s at low levels, but became an epidemic in multiple countries between the 1910s-1960s. Because polio was killing…

People with complex-PTSD report less social support than those with PTSD Poor social support is a risk factor for PTSD, but it is unknown if poor social support is also a risk factor for Complex PTSD. This study found that those with CPTSD are less likely than PTSD to describe themselves as having a strong social support system.

Posted on September 3, 2020April 7, 2021 by Gina Misra 453 views

Poor social support is a risk factor for PTSD, but it is unknown if poor social support is also a risk factor for Complex PTSD. This study found that those with CPTSD are less likely than PTSD to describe themselves as having a strong social support system.

A new model for predicting human population growth Scientists at University of Washington have attempted to improve upon previous population models developed by the United Nations and the Austrian Wittgenstein Centre by using different calculation techniques for two key factors - fertility and migration.

Posted on July 17, 2020July 27, 2021 by Gina Misra 677 views

Scientists at University of Washington have attempted to improve upon previous population models developed by the United Nations and the Austrian Wittgenstein Centre by using different calculation techniques for two key factors - fertility and migration.

Disease-causing bacteria can grow on hydroponic microgreen mats Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes are two bacteria that can make you sick when eating contaminated produce. It turns out, some microgreen grow mats might be a breeding ground for these bacteria.

Posted on July 2, 2020April 7, 2021 by Gina Misra 1k views

Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes are two diarrhea-causing bacteria that can make you sick when eating contaminated produce. It turns out, soil-free growing mats used to produce microgreens might be a breeding ground for these bacteria. Peat or coco coir might be a safer choice.

Who figured out the structure of DNA? Watson and Crick pieced together decades of data to propose the double helix. Here's how they did it.

Posted on May 21, 2020September 3, 2021 by Gina Misra 432 views

Today, we know DNA is where we get our traits. We know we inherit our DNA from our parents, and that our DNA contains genes. We know that we can sequence DNA to learn about what genes we have, as well as the genes of plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, and more. We can even change the DNA of living things to change…