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What Is Pharmacology?
Credit: iStock. Pharmacology is the study of how molecules, such as medicines, interact with the body. Scientists who study pharmacology are called pharmacologists, and they explore the chemical properties, biological effects, and therapeutic uses of medicines and other molecules. Their work can be broken down into two main areas: Pharmacokinetics is the study of how the body acts on a medicine, including its processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Pharmacodynamics is the study of how a medicine acts in the body—both on its intended target and throughout all the organs and tissue...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - August 14, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Common questions Genomics Medicines Miniseries Source Type: blogs

Copper Keeps Us Going
Copper pipes, copper wires, copper…food? Copper is not only a useful metal for conducting electricity, but it’s also an essential element we need in our bodies for a variety of important activities—from metabolizing iron to pigmenting skin. (Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - August 9, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Molecular Structures Cellular Processes Element Proteins Source Type: blogs

Investigating the Secrets of Cancer-Causing Viruses
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Mandy Muller. While she was in graduate school, Mandy Muller, Ph.D., became intrigued with viruses that are oncogenic, meaning they can cause cancer. At the time, she was researching human papillomaviruses (HPVs), which can lead to cervical and throat cancer, among other types. Now, as an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst, Dr. Muller studies Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), which causes the rare AIDS-associated cancer Kaposi sarcoma. A Continental Change Dr. Muller has come a long way, both geographically and professionally, s...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - August 1, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Infectious Diseases Microbes Profiles RNA Viruses Source Type: blogs

Why Am I So Tired?
Circadian rhythms control the timing of many daily changes in your body. Credit: iStock. If you struggle to wake up in time for school or work or feel drowsy during a trip abroad, your circadian rhythms may be out of sync with your environment. Circadian rhythms are your internal timekeepers, and almost all organisms, from bacteria to plants and animals, have them. You can’t see them, but you can feel their effects—they control when you get sleepy, when you wake up in the morning, and when you feel hungry. Among other signals, the brain uses sunlight to keep time. Changing Circadian Rhythms Exposure to ligh...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 26, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Biological Clocks Common questions Source Type: blogs

Career Conversations: Q & A With Biomedical Engineer Elizabeth Wayne
Courtesy of Dr. Elizabeth Wayne. “It’s so fun to try to make meaning from a confusing experimental result and talk to other scientists who are excited by the same questions you are,” says Elizabeth Wayne, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We talked to Dr. Wayne about her career trajectory, research on immune cells, and belief that scientists can change the world. Q: How did you first become interested in science? A: I was introduced to atoms during 6th grade science class. The idea that we’re ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 19, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cellular Imaging Profiles Source Type: blogs

In Other Words: What ’s It Mean to Be Organic?
The word organic is often used to talk about fruits and vegetables that have been produced in a specific way, typically without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But to chemists, organic refers to carbon-containing compounds that are the basis for all living organisms. Ironically, the chemicals prohibited in the farming of organic produce are usually organic molecules. Credit: NIGMS. Organic chemists study, create, and explore carbon-containing molecules. Most organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, but they can also include other elements like nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and more. Organic comp...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 12, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology In Other Words Source Type: blogs

Science Snippet: Antioxidants Explained
Many types of fruits, vegetables, and legumes are rich in antioxidants. Credit: iStock. While at the grocery store, you’ve likely noticed foods with labels saying they contain antioxidants, but what does that mean? In short, antioxidants are substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Many foods, including fruits and vegetables, naturally produce antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium. Our bodies also naturally produce antioxidant molecules such as alpha-lipoic acid, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10. Antioxidants are united by their ability to donate electrons, whi...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 5, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Science Snippet Source Type: blogs

Building a Digital Immune System
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Tomas Helikar. The power of computer code has been a longtime fascination for Tomas Helikar, Ph.D., a professor of biochemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). In college, when he learned he could use that power to help researchers better understand biology and improve human health, Dr. Helikar knew he’d found his ideal career. Since then, he’s built a successful team of scientists studying the ways we can use mathematical models in biomedical research, such as creating a digital replica of the immune system that could predict how a patient will react to infectious microorganisms ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - June 28, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Tools and Techniques Bioinformatics Computational Biology Cool Tools/Techniques Modeling Profiles Source Type: blogs

Pump Up the Potassium
The element potassium plays a pivotal role in our bodies. It’s found in all our cells, where it regulates their volume and pressure. To do this, our bodies carefully control potassium levels so that the concentration is about 30 times higher inside cells than outside. Potassium works closely with sodium, which regulates the extracellular fluid volume and has a higher concentration outside cells than inside. These concentration differences create an electrochemical gradient, or a membrane potential. Potassium is the primary regulator of the pressure and volume inside cells, and it’s important for nerve transmiss...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - June 21, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Molecular Structures Cellular Processes Element Proteins Source Type: blogs

Career Conversations: Q & A With Physiologist Elimelda Moige Ongeri
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Elimelda Moige Ongeri. A career path in science is rarely clear cut and linear, which Elimelda Moige Ongeri, Ph.D., can attest adds to its excitement. She went from working in animal reproductive biology to studying proteins involved in inflammation and tissue injury. Dr. Ongeri is also currently dean of the Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences and professor of physiology at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) in Greensboro. In this interview, she shares details of her career, including a change in research focus to human physiology; her goals for the f...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - June 14, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Profiles Proteins Source Type: blogs

Slideshow: Breathtaking Brains
The average human brain is only about 3 pounds, but this complex organ punches well above its weight, acting as the control center for the whole body. Many of the brain’s intricacies still aren’t fully understood. To gain more insight into brain processes, scientists often peer into the brains of research organisms such as fruit flies and mice. These organisms have shed light on how our brains maintain circadian rhythms, how neuropsychiatric disorders develop, and more. Here, we feature images and videos that NIGMS-supported researchers have created while investigating the secrets of the brain in research organi...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - June 7, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Cells Cool Images Cool Videos Research Organisms Source Type: blogs

Investigating Bacteria ’ s CRISPR Defense System to Improve Human Health
Credit: Adrian Sanchez Gonzales. The earliest Andrew Santiago-Frangos, Ph.D., remembers being interested in science was when he was about 8 years old. He was home sick and became engrossed in a children’s book that explained how some bacteria and viruses cause illness. To this day, his curiosity about bacteria persists, and he’s making discoveries about CRISPR—a system that helps bacteria defend against viruses—as a postdoctoral researcher and NIGMS-funded Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) scholar at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman. Becoming a Biologist...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - May 31, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Bacteria Cellular Processes COVID-19 DNA Profiles Source Type: blogs

Using Robots and Artificial Intelligence to Search for New Medicines
Courtesy of Dr. Adam Gormley. Adam Gormley, Ph.D., describes himself as a creative and adventurous person—albeit, not creative in the traditional sense. “Science allows me to be creative; to me, it’s a form of art. I love being outdoors, going on sailing trips, and spending time adventuring with my family. Research is the same—it’s an adventure. My creative and adventurous sides have combined into a real love for science,” he says. Dr. Gormley currently channels his passion for science into his position as an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. Lea...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - May 24, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Tools and Techniques Bioinformatics Computational Biology Medicines Profiles Source Type: blogs

In Other Words: Media —Getting the News and Growing Cells
The word media may make many of us think about media outlets where we get our news or social media where we keep up with friends. But to biomedical researchers, media is a nutrient-rich liquid that fuels cell cultures—groups of cells grown in a lab. Scientists grow many types of cultures in media, from bacteria to human cells. They use these cultures to learn about basic biological processes and to develop and test new medicines. Credit: NIGMS. The Basic Needs for Life Like all of us, cultures need specific nutrients and conditions to survive. A cell culture’s media provides those nutrients and is an ideal ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - May 17, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Cells In Other Words Microbes Research Organisms Source Type: blogs

Career Conversations: Q & A With Biochemist Prabodhika Mallikaratchy
Credit: CUNY School of Medicine. “One of the biggest things I hope for in my career is that in 20 years, I still feel the same joy and enthusiasm for research and training that I feel now,” says Prabodhika Mallikaratchy, Ph.D., a professor in the department of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine. Dr. Mallikaratchy talks with us about her career path, research on developing new immunotherapies and molecular tools using nucleic acids, and her belief in the importance of being passionate about your career. Q: How did you first become interested in ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - May 10, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Tools and Techniques DNA Medicines Profiles Proteins Source Type: blogs