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Category archives for Life Science
The American Physiological Society…125 years later
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 11, 2013 In honor of the 125th anniversary of The American Physiological Society, a history of its founding was just published in Advances in Physiology Education. It reads like a Who’s Who list of some of the most important contributors to our understanding of modern physiology. Where would physiology research be in this country without this important…
Jellies, jellies everywhere!
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 11, 2013 I just came across two blogs dedicated to all things jellyfish: JellyBiologist Jellyfish Aquarist Who knew there were so many people interested in jellyfish to warrant such wonderful blogs! I admit spending a lot of my free time this weekend on these blogs reading about these fascinating creatures. I found the JellyBiologist blog on Beroe…
Caffeine buzzzzz
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 8, 2013 Apparently humans and honeybees share something in common when it comes to caffeine. Dr. Geraldine Wright (Newcastle University, England) discovered that bees are more likely to return to flowers that produce nectar containing caffeine. Their data suggest caffeine improves memory in bees. Caffeine is present in higher concentrations in the leaves and other tissues of the plant where…
Antimicrobial insect wings
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 7, 2013 The animation below from Nature shows a bacteria rupturing after landing on nanopillars present on the surface of a clanger cicada (Psaltoda claripennis) wing. Dr. Ivanova (Swinburne University, Australia) and colleagues showed that nanopillars rupture the bacteria by straining the cell wall. Some scientists see this as an opportunity to create anti-bacterial surfaces in public…
Bees can sense electrical fields
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 3, 2013 New research from Dr. Daniel Robert and colleagues at the University of Bristol shows that bees are not only attracted to the bright colors and smells of flowers, they can also sense their electrical field. It has been known that bees develop positive charges as they bump into small charged molecules during flight, resulting in…
Eating Insects to Save the World
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on February 27, 2013 I read an interesting article today on how eating insects may save the world. The rationale: eating insects are not only nutritious (high in protein and fat), but would also help to save the Earth’s resources as the human population continues to expand. According to Aaron T. Dossey, a biochemist, entomologist, and founder and owner…
Why dentists may have rats to thank
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on February 20, 2013 What does tooth decay have to do with rats? For Neandertals, tooth decay was a rare occurance. Research suggests that tooth decay became more prominent with the development of agriculture. Dr. Ordaz, Stanford School of Medicine, and colleagues analyzed common strains of bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) responsible for causing cavities. They found that the bacteria began expanding exponentially around 10,000…
Gene therapy cures dogs of type 1 diabetes
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on February 18, 2013 Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar. The cause of high blood sugar differs for people with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes. For type 1 diabetics, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, the hormone responsible for lowering blood sugar. For type 2 diabetics, tissues in the body are not responsive to insulin, termed…
How using the restroom may be harmful to fish
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on February 15, 2013 Dr. Tomas Brodin (Umea University, Sweden) and colleagues have discovered that trace amounts of the drug oxazepam that ends up in rivers and streams (from toilets) greatly effects local fish. The drug is used to treat anxiety in humans and also calms fish. However, for wild perch, which normally hunt in schools, the antisocial effects of the drug in fish…
Understanding Peer Review
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on February 11, 2013 Ever wonder how to tell if “scientific” information that you find on the internet is believable or just plain bogus? I came across a website called Sense About Science that explains how research is published and how to determine if it is credible. They also give advice and answer questions about claimed scientific evidence. Here is a synopsis…