Marjorie Hecht News
German researchers find heat stress in Rhodobacter sphaeroides bacteria causes dramatic changes in RNA without affecting protein levels
By Marjorie Hecht | May 11, 2022
Extreme stress can change cell dynamics in humans, animals and bacteria. In the case of Rhodobacter sphaeroides bacteria, a German-based research group discovered extreme heat stress caused production of lots of transcripts, but prevented translation from almost all of them.
Oxford researchers find path to partly restore fertility of male hybrid offspring
By Marjorie Hecht | Apr 8, 2022
The male offspring of hybrids--the product of mating between different species or subspecies-- are often sterile. The mule, a cross between a horse and a donkey, is a familiar example.
New York cosmologist leads study that uses AI analysis of one galaxy to infer properties of others
By Marjorie Hecht | Apr 1, 2022
Galaxies have many different features such as stellar mass, gas metallicity and star-formation rate. To study these properties, cosmologists have traditionally studied a wide diversity of galaxies.
Texas A&M, Hokkaido researchers detect how SARS-CoV-2 virus blocks body's immune response
By Marjorie Hecht | Mar 12, 2022
Understanding the mechanism of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus responsible for COVID-19, evades the body's natural immune system is key to devising targeted therapies to stop the virus.
Korean scientists design magnetically controlled capsule to deliver drugs for gastrointestinal cancer
By Marjorie Hecht | Feb 21, 2022
Korean scientists have designed a magnetically controlled wireless capsule that can efficiently and non-invasively deliver treatment drugs to patients who have gastrointestinal cancer.
California researchers use CRISPRi to devise new method for studying essential genes
By Marjorie Hecht | Feb 4, 2022
Although essential genes are only a tiny part of the genes of most organisms (about 5% to 10%), they are important because they are responsible for much of the organism's protein synthesis and because they are the targets of most antibiotics. Essential genes are notoriously hard to study, however, because their removal leads to the death of the organism.
Rare dinosaur bone found in western Massachusetts
By Marjorie Hecht | Feb 3, 2022
A Mount Holyoke College geologist looking for ornamental garden stones, chanced upon a dark-colored fossil bone, which he later identified as the distal (outer) end of the right humerus (long upper-arm) of a large neotheropod. The bone dates to the Lower Jurassic period, between 201 million and 174.1 million years ago.
Wisconsin scientists discover first Old World animal that shows biofluorescence
By Marjorie Hecht | Jan 3, 2022
Biofluorescence is present in the platypus and several other New World animals. Recently scientists documented it for the first time in an Old World mammal: the springhare.
Special magazine issue honors Murray's contributions to mathematical biology
By Marjorie Hecht | Dec 30, 2021
A special issue of the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, Dec. 4, celebrates the contributions of J.D. Murray, one of the modern founders of mathematical biology.
U.S. team studies what drives amphibian extinctions
By Marjorie Hecht | Nov 30, 2021
Emerging infectious diseases, in particular chytridiomycosis, are responsible for drastic declines in amphibian diversity around the world. Determining the factors that influence these pathogens and how they spread can help scientists understand the dynamics involved.
Harvard team designs soft robotic mechanism modeled from biology
By Marjorie Hecht | Nov 24, 2021
The chameleon's catapulting tongue and the bloodworm's burrowing proboscis inspired the creation of a soft touch robotic mechanism that can manipulate delicate objects without damaging them.
Israeli study probes if lipids came first in the origin of life
By Marjorie Hecht | Nov 16, 2021
A prevailing scientific scenario for the chemical origin of life focuses on RNA (ribonucleic acid) and proteins, biopolymers that without which there would be no life today. But a new study suggests that it's not plausible that these complex molecules could spontaneously appear prebiotically.
Harvey Mudd's virtual gopher study examines how detection of deliberate traps improves survival
By Marjorie Hecht | Nov 15, 2021
All human and animal life involves some level of risk assessment in daily life. Now a group of researchers, led by George Montanez, an assistant professor at Harvey Mudd College in California, has used computer simulations to quantify how the ability to calculate risk can affect survival.
Florida psychology professor views cognition as more than the brain
By Marjorie Hecht | Nov 1, 2021
Psychology increasingly characterizes cognition as the process of an individual acting in the environment in which he or she develops, instead of a kind of computational processing of information in the brain.
Nigerian study probes causes, consequences of teen pregnancies
By Marjorie Hecht | Oct 12, 2021
Nearly 10% of adolescent or teenage girls become pregnant annually, making teen pregnancy a major concern worldwide. A study of the problem in the Nsukka area of Enugu state in Nigeria probed the causes and consequences of teen pregnancies.
Duke engineering professor analyzes the physics of the Olympics
By Marjorie Hecht | Sep 22, 2021
"Watching physics at the Olympics," a short article by Dr. Adrian Bejan, made me wish the author had been my high school physics teacher, because he makes the subject fun, interesting and instructive.