Some of the mouth’s microbial communities may promote good health, while others contribute to cavities, gum disease, and possibly even heart disease. Now, scientists are learning more about how genetic and environmental factors influence the mouth’s microbial makeup, and how … Continue reading
Journal Club
Highlighting recently published papers selected by Academy members
Author Archives: Helen Shen
Journal Club: Twin study elucidates environmental, genetic contributions to mouth microbiome and oral health
Categories: Genetics | Journal Club | Medical Sciences | Microbiology
Tagged bacteria, genes, heritability, microbiome, oral health, Streptococcus, twin study
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Journal Club: Neural circuits and social status spur zebrafish to swim or flee
Should I stay or should I go? In the zebrafish (Danio rerio), two competing neural circuits determine whether an animal swims or turns tail and escapes. Social status can tip the balance between these circuits, leading dominant and subordinate animals … Continue reading
Categories: Animal Behavior | Cell Biology | Journal Club | Neuroscience | Systems Biology
Tagged behavior, neural circuit, social hierarchy, social status, zebrafish
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Journal Club: Female flies fight back against mate-guarding by males
After mating, males of many species take steps to keep their partners from having sex with other males. But some females may have evolved tricks to foil these measures. Researchers studying the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have discovered that when … Continue reading
Categories: Developmental Biology | Journal Club
Tagged drosophila, pheromones, reproduction, sex
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Journal Club: Rule-breaking microbe lacks mitochondria
Mitochondria, organelles central to cellular metabolism and energy production, are typically a hallmark of the eukaryotic cells that make up plants, animals, fungi, and many other organisms. Now scientists report the first known example of a eukaryotic organism that lacks … Continue reading
Categories: Biochemistry | Cell Biology | Journal Club
Tagged eukaryotes, mitochondria, organelles
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Journal Club: Tasmanian devils hit with another contagious cancer
Cancers aren’t usually contagious, but a tiny number of them can spread when diseased cells move from one animal to another. One such cancer, an aggressive facial tumor, has wiped out large numbers of Tasmanian devils in Australia over the … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Ecology | Genetics
Tagged cancer, contagion, Tasmanian Devil
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