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How Errors in Divvying Up Chromosomes Lead to Defects in Cells
Note to our Biomedical Beat readers: Echoing the sentiments NIH Director Francis Collins made on his blog, NIGMS is making every effort during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep supporting the best and most powerful science. In that spirit, we’ll continue to bring you stories across a wide range of NIGMS topics. We hope these posts offer a respite from the coronavirus news when needed. Mitosis is fundamental among all organisms for reproduction, growth, and cell replacement. When a cell divides, it’s vital that the two new daughter cells maintain the same genes as the parent. In one step of mitosis, chromosomes are se...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 25, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Susan Johnson Tags: Genes Cellular Processes Chromosomes Source Type: blogs

Explore Our Virtual Learning STEM Resources
If you’re looking for engaging ways to teach science from home, NIGMS offers a range of resources that can help. A SEPA-funded resource about microbes. Credit: University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Our Science Education and Partnership Award (SEPA) webpage features free, easy-to-access STEM and informal science education projects for pre-K through grade 12. Aligned with state and national standards for STEM teaching and learning, the program has tools such as: AppsInteractivesOnline booksCurricula and lesson plansShort movies Students can learn about sleep, cells, growth, microbes,...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 20, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Matt Mills Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Genes Biological Clocks Cellular Processes Cool Videos Regeneration Scientific Process Source Type: blogs

PECASE Honoree James Olzmann Investigates the Secrets of Lipid Droplets
Note to our Biomedical Beat readers: Echoing the sentiments NIH Director Francis Collins made on his blog, NIGMS is making every effort during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep supporting the best and most powerful science. In that spirit, we’ll continue to bring you stories across a wide range of NIGMS topics. We hope these posts offer a respite from the coronavirus news when needed. A cell nucleus (blue) surrounded by lipid droplets (yellow). Credit: James Olzmann. Within our cells, lipids are often stored in droplets, membrane-bound packages of lipids produced by the endoplasmic reticulum. For many years, scientis...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 19, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Susan Johnson Tags: Being a Scientist Molecular Structures Cellular Processes Source Type: blogs

Revealing a Piece of Cilia ’ s Puzzle
A partial model of a doublet microtubule. Credit: Veronica Falconieri. Cilia (cilium in singular) are complex organelles found on all of our cells except red blood cells. Their rhythmic beating moves fluid or materials over the cell to help transport food and oxygen or remove debris. For example, cilia in our windpipe prevent bacteria and mucous from traveling to the lungs. Some pick up signals like antennae, such as cilia in our ears that help detect sounds. One component of cilia is the doublet microtubule, a major part of cilia’s skeleton that gives it strength and rigidity. Thanks to advances in cryo-elec...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 11, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Molecular Structures Cool Videos Cryo-Electron Microscopy Modeling Source Type: blogs

Pathways: The Circadian Rhythms Issue
Cover of Pathways student magazine. NIGMS and Scholastic, Inc., bring you the third edition of Pathways, a collection of free resources that teaches students about basic science and its importance to health, and exciting research careers. Pathways is designed for grades 6 through 12. The topic of this unit is circadian rhythms, the “schedules” our bodies follow over the course of a day. These rhythms influence processes like hunger and the sleep-wake cycle. You’ll find information about: How the brain’s “master clock” and other bodily “clocks” drive circadian rhythm...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 4, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Biological Clocks Source Type: blogs

PECASE Honoree Sohini Ramachandran Studies the Genetic Foundations of Traits in Diverse Populations
Sohini Ramachandran, Brown University.Credit: Danish Saroee/Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study. Recent advances in computing enable researchers to explore the life sciences in ways that would have been impossible a few decades ago. One new tool is the ability to sequence genomes, revealing people’s full DNA blueprints. The collection of more and more genetic data allows researchers to compare the DNA of many people and observe variations, including those shared by people with a common ancestry. Sohini Ramachandran , Ph.D., is director of the Center for Computational Molecular Biology and associate professor of...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 26, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Genes Computational Biology Diseases Evolutionary Biology Genomics Source Type: blogs

Sepsis: Using Big Data to Cut a Killer Down to Size
View the full infographic [PDF] for more facts about sepsis. Sepsis is a serious medical condition caused by an overwhelming response to infection that damages tissues and organs. It’s unpredictable, progresses quickly, can strike anyone, and is a leading cause of hospital-related deaths. In the U.S. alone, nearly 270,000 people die each year from sepsis. Those who survive sepsis often end up in the hospital again, and some have long-term health complications. Early treatment is key for many patients to survive sepsis, yet doctors can’t easily diagnose it because it’s so complex and each patient is different...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 19, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Injury and Illness Bacteria Infectious Diseases Sepsis Systems Biology Viruses Source Type: blogs

The Chemistry of Chocolate
Chocolate is a Valentine’s Day must-have and popular among people with a sweet tooth. Many also claim it lifts mood or even acts as an aphrodisiac, and we’ve all heard someone say it’s habit forming. The compounds in chocolate that allegedly have positive effects come from the cacao bean, so the darker the chocolate, the more of these compounds it contains. Milk chocolate has less than dark chocolate, and white chocolate has nearly none because it includes no cocoa solids, only cocoa butter. Chocolate contains upwards of 800 chemical compounds, just a handful of which are explored in this infographi...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 12, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Source Type: blogs

Crowdsourcing Science: Using Competition to Drive Creativity
Credit: iStock. Historically, crowdsourcing has played an important role in certain fields of scientific research. Wildlife biologists often rely on members of the public to monitor animal populations. Using backyard telescopes, amateur astronomers provide images and measurements that lead to important discoveries about the universe. And many meteorologists use data collected by citizen scientists to study weather conditions and patterns. Now, thanks largely to advances in computing, researchers in computational biology and data science are harnessing the power of the masses and making discoveries that provide valuable...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 5, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Tools and Techniques Diseases Genomics Scientific Process Training Source Type: blogs

Quiz Yourself to Grow What You Know About Regeneration
Regeneration is the natural process of replacing or restoring cells that have been lost or damaged due to injury or disease. A few animals can regrow entire organs or other body parts, but most have limited abilities to regenerate. Scientists in the field of regenerative medicine study how some animals are able to rebuild lost body parts. By better understanding these processes and learning how to control them, researchers hope to develop new methods to treat injuries and diseases in people. Take this quiz to test what you know about regeneration and regenerative medicine. Then check out our Regeneration fact sheet a...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - January 29, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Genes Cellular Processes Regeneration Source Type: blogs

PECASE Honoree Michael Boyce on Sugar ’ s Role in Cell Signaling and on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Scientific Workforce
Michael Boyce, associate professor of biochemistry at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Credit: Michael Boyce. Sugars aren’t merely energy sources for our cells. They also play important signaling roles through a process called glycosylation, where they attach to proteins and lipids as tags. Although these sugar tags, called glycans, impact many cellular processes, they have long been understudied due to technical challenges. Now, advances in analytical tools like mass spectrometry are enabling scientists to examine the enormous complexity of glycans. Other advances also allow researchers to synthesize com...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - January 15, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cellular Processes Glycobiology Proteins Source Type: blogs

Looking Back at the Top Three Posts of 2019
Over the past 12 months, we’ve explored a variety of topics in genetics, cell biology, chemistry, and careers in the biomedical sciences. As we ring in the new year, we bring you our top three posts of 2019. If your favorite is missing, let us know what it is in the comments section below! Amazing Organisms and the Lessons They Can Teach Us Hawaiian bobtail squid. Credit: Dr. Satoshi Shibata. Studying research organisms, such as those featured in this post, teaches us about ourselves. These amazing creatures, which have some traits similar to our own, may hold the key to preventing and treating an array of c...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - December 31, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Genes Chromosomes Cool Creatures Genomics Profiles Research Organisms Source Type: blogs

The Meat of the Matter: Learning How Gut Microbiota Might Reduce Harm from Red Meat
Microbiota in the intestines. Credit: iStock. Research on how diet impacts the gut microbiota has rapidly expanded in the last several years. Studies show that diets rich in red meat are linked to diseases such as colon cancer and heart disease. In both mice and humans, researchers have recently discovered differences in the gut microbiota of those who eat diets rich in red meat compared with those who don’t. This is likely because of a sugar molecule in the red meat, called N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), that our bodies can’t break down. Researchers believe the human immune system sees Neu5Gc as foreign. T...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - December 11, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Matt Mills Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Bacteria Biofilms Cellular Processes Microbes Source Type: blogs

Fabulous Fats in Your Holiday Feast
Happy Thanksgiving! During this time of year, family and friends gather to enjoy rich foods and good company. Even if you typically follow a healthy diet, it can be hard to make wholesome food choices during occasions like these. Our previous post, Five Fabulous Fats, highlighted essential fats made in our bodies. Here we discuss five important fats our bodies can’t make on their own, the foods that contain them, and why you should include a healthy dose of each in your diet. Geranial Credit: iStock. Geranial, a fat some people may not know about, is present in the oils of several citrus plants such a...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - November 26, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Matt Mills Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Cellular Processes Source Type: blogs

Block an Enzyme, Save a Life
Vern Schramm, professor of biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Credit: Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Enzymes drive life. Without them, we couldn’t properly digest food, make brain chemicals, move—or complete myriad other vital tasks. Unfortunately, in certain cases, enzymes also can trigger a host of health problems, including cancer, bacterial infections, and hypertension (high blood pressure). Understanding how enzymes work has been the research focus of Vern Schramm for more than 4 decades. “When we started our work, we were driven not by the desire to find...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - November 26, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cellular Processes Diseases Precision Medicine Source Type: blogs