The people who spread new and controversial ideas—changes in diet, exercise routine, political leaning, or even attitudes about vaccination—may not be the Kim Kardashians and Paris Hiltons. According to a recent study in Nature Communications, those with the most actual … Continue reading
Journal Club
Highlighting recent, timely papers selected by Academy member labs
Well-connected members of tight-knit groups spread controversial ideas much more readily than “influencers”
Categories: Journal Club | Social Sciences
Tagged complex contagion, COVID-19, network science, simple contagion, social network, sociology, vaccines
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Prion-like protein acts as water sensor in seeds
The sprouting of a seed is clearly a crucial stage in a plant’s life. Yet one part of the process has long been shrouded in mystery: How do seeds know when there’s enough water to germinate? Researchers recently reported the … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Genetics | Journal Club | Plant Biology
Tagged Arabidopsis, FLOE1, germination, prion, seeds
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Study suggests mask-wearing reduces the odds of self-infection with SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19 typically turns deadly when the virus infects the lungs. Hence, how exactly SARS-CoV-2 gets deep into the respiratory tract has been a pressing question since the pandemic started early last year. One pathway is well known: Most people catch … Continue reading
Categories: Immunology | Journal Club | Uncategorized
Tagged coronavirus, COVID-19, lung, SARS-Cov-2, self-infection, virus
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Degradable plastic polymer breaks down in sunlight and air
Plastic trash chokes shorelines and oceans, in part because plastic polymers do not easily decompose. But a new kind of environmentally degradable plastic could help change that: It breaks down in about a week in sunlight and air, according to … Continue reading
Categories: Chemistry | Journal Club
Tagged biodegradable, materials science, plastic, plastic waste
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Emotional associations, more than knowledge, determine how much people care about the deep sea
With new technological advances in deep-sea mining, the ocean floor’s trove of valuable metals and rare earth elements is coming within reach of commercial mining operations. The impending reality of this practice, and its associated environmental risks, raises the question … Continue reading
New culturing techniques track crucial stage of embryo development
The second week of gestation is crucial for human development, as the growing embryo needs to implant in the mother’s womb to survive. Many early pregnancies fail at this point, but it has been difficult to determine exactly why. Lacking … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Developmental Biology | Journal Club | Reproductive biology
Tagged embryo, fibroblast growth factor, gene expression, gestation, human development
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Harmful social behaviors are the toughest to shift
Social norms changed dramatically during the pandemic. Six-foot distancing and mask wearing became de facto rules in some communities, while elsewhere, wearing a mask was seen as an invitation for harassment. A new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society … Continue reading
Easily made, robust chemical reagents could be game changer for developing world science
Enzymes and other chemical reagents are crucial for all sorts of life sciences research. Typically, they’re produced in industrial processes by modified bacteria; then they’re extracted and purified. But scientists in many parts of the world struggle to access such … Continue reading
Categories: Biochemistry | Cell Biology | Journal Club | Medical Sciences
Tagged cell-free biology, COVID-19, developing world, PCR, reagents
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A popular household fern may be the first known eusocial plant
Staghorn ferns are popular houseplants, sporting long, antler-like fronds that poke out from a brown, tissue-papery base. They may also be the first known example of a plant that exhibits a type of social organization—that is, the first plant thought … Continue reading
Categories: Ecology | Evolution | Journal Club
Tagged behavioral ecology, eusociality, social behavior, social insects, staghorn fern, tropical dry forest
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Newly observed forces help geckos stick to surfaces
Even the most advanced glues can’t match the remarkable toe of the gecko: Its impressive stickiness can be quickly deactivated and can support much more than the animal’s weight as it runs across surfaces smooth or rough, wet or dry, … Continue reading
Categories: Animal Behavior | Applied Biological Sciences | Chemistry | Journal Club
Tagged acid-base interactions, chemical bond, gecko, van der Waals
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Opinion: How to ensure regulations don’t stymie much-needed COVID-19 point-of-care testing
Clare Rocka,1 and Jonathan Zenilmana a Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has raged for more than a year in the United States, upending … Continue reading