Category Archives: Biology

Robotics kits can be found in many classrooms across the country, giving kids an introduction to engineering and coding. However, fun and hands-on biology experiment kits are harder to come by. Stanford researchers have now found a way to integrate life sciences into this learning experience by modifying a Lego Mindstorms robotics kit so that it can perform automated liquid handling tasks at a low cost. The best learning comes if students are self-interested and have room to explore themselves, hands-on, senior study author Ingmar Riedel-Kruse, assistant professor of bioengineering, told Laboratory Equipment. Riedel-Kruse has worked with Stanfords School of Education for educational research projects in the past, such as building a cloud lab where students could do experiments remotely, for prototyping purposes, and he had previously built machines out of Legos to run experiments. The idea was how could we simplify this whole concept such that even children could basically replicate something like this in a traditional school or after school environment, Riedel-Kruse said. It didnt hurt that he also enjoyed tinkering with Legos as a child himself. The modifications to the Lego Mindstorms robotics kit are fairly simple and only require minimal, inexpensive add-ons. For the simplest experiments, … Continue reading →

New Mexico State Universitys 2017 Fungal Biology class will bring science to the kitchen during the upcoming Mushroom Cooking DemonstrationThursday, April 13. The event, free and open to the public and the NMSU community, is a joint venture between the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, both in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. The presentation will be fostered through Soum Sanogo, instructor for the Fungal Biology course. As Chef John Hartley of HRTM demonstrates how to cook mushrooms, students in the Fungal Biology class will present information on the nutritional and medicinal benefits of mushrooms. The event is part of the discovery and experiential learning module on Fungi: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The event will be from10:20 to 11:35 a.m.in the rotunda of Skeen Hall. Professor Sanogo said this course is offered every other spring semester. The Mushroom Cooking Demonstration was included starting in the spring of 2011. The class emphasizes experiential learning, Sanogo said, and the Mushroom Cooking Demonstration provides one of the opportunities for engaging students in experiential learning. Sanogo said students learn about the Good side of fungi, especially how … Continue reading →

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (press release) Twelve Cheetah Cubs Born at Smithsonian Conservation Biology ... Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (press release) The start of spring brought a cheetah cub boom to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, where two large litters were ... 10 cheetah cubs welcomed at Smithsonian Va. facility (Photos)WTOP Video: Smithsonian Institute Had A 'Cheetah Cub Boom' In MarchDCist.com Twelve cheetah cubs were born at the Smithsonian Institute, we can't handle the cutenessFOX 5 DC all 19 news articles » Here is the original post: Twelve Cheetah Cubs Born at Smithsonian Conservation Biology ... - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (press release) … Continue reading →

J. Craig Venter is one of the people we'll be discussing in our package on synthetic biology. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Greetings, Future Tensers, Its a new month, which means a new Futurographythe series in which we at Future Tense introduce you to the technologies that will define tomorrow. Each month, we choose a new tech topic and break it down, and Aprils topic will be synthetic biology. Jacob Brogan gets us started with a conversational introduction explaining what synthetic biology is exactly and a cheat sheet to guide us through the key players, the big debates, and the lingo we should know. In the past week, we also wrapped up the Futurography unit on the new space race, with pieces on why the United Arab Emirates is building a space program from scratch and how international collaborations in space reflect politics on Earth. Once youve read everything from the unit, you can test your knowledge by taking our quiz and then share your thoughts on the topic by completing our reader survey. Other stories we read this week while imagining what fun could be had with a Cards Against Humanity expansion pack inspired by members of Congress browser histories: Watching … Continue reading →

A team of scientists and cave divers has discovered and described the first European cave fish a loach of the genus Barbatula. Loaches Barbatula sp. Top: two cave loaches in their natural habitat. Center: adult male loach with typical adaptations to living in caves: reduced eyes, enlarged barbels and pale body coloration. Bottom: typical epigean loach from the surface population in the Danube. Image credit: Jasminca Behrmann-Godel et al, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.048. The cave fish occur in Southern Germany, near the Swabian Alb, home to an elaborate karst region that includes many famous caves. The fish were found in the 250 sq. km underground karst water system embedded in the limestone formation of the White Jura known as the Danube-Aach system, which formed 400,000-450,000 years ago. The cave fish were found surprisingly far in the north in Southern Germany, said Dr. Jasminca Behrmann-Godel, a researcher at the Limnological Institute, the University of Konstanz, Germany, and lead author of a study on the cave fish published this week in the journal Current Biology. This is spectacular as it was believed before that the Pleistocene glaciations had prevented fish from colonizing subterranean habitats so far north. The cave loaches were first observed and … Continue reading →

Scientists have tried to produce glowing plants through synthetic biology. Its not easy. Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by iStock. So, apparently scientists are working to synthesize the genome of yeast? Is this, like, the first step toward better bread or something? Maybe! But in the short term, theyre doing it in the service of synthetic biology more generally. Its a discipline that brings together the insights and methodologies of computer science; engineering; and, of course, biology. It encompasses genetic engineering, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and molecular chemistry. But, in practice, it involves futzing about with the fundamental building blocks of life itself: reworking DNAsometimes even writing it from scratchand other molecular processes to engender new applications. And yes, if you believe its most ardent evangelists, it might help us set up shop on Mars, resurrect the woolly mammoth, and stop global warming. If we want to get really basic, the field (if thats even the right term for this diverse set of inquiries and methodologies) has two main goals at the moment. First and most prominently, scientists are working to build new life forms, assembling them from their fundamental chemical components. Second, they are trying to use biotechnology to produce substances … Continue reading →

The field of synthetic biology, or engineering new forms of life, is less than two decades old, but its pioneers are responsible for some of the most interesting projects coming out of labs today: inscribing lines of James Joyce onto a synthetic genome, reproducing the smell of a rose without actually needing a rose, and possibly bringing back the extinct woolly mammoth. So how did this field get started? Where do synthetic creatures belong on the family tree? And how does the language we use when we describe synthetic biology shape the field? The Verge spoke with Sophia Roosth, a historian of science at Harvard University who spent years studying the culture of synthetic biology for her new book, Synthetic: How Life is Made. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. The grand ideas of synthetic biology like bringing back the woolly mammoth seem very far away. But oftentimes I find that ideas that seem futuristic are already around us, like having a cochlear implant or an IUD technically can make you a cyborg. Are there any examples like this for synthetic biology? Right, a lot of people think of synthetic biology as something very futuristic. Thats common … Continue reading →

US-based venture capital fund Data Collective has announced that it is partnering with SynBioBeta to launch a new synthetic biology venture fund. Data Collective will join forces with SynBioBeta founder John Cumbers to launch the DCVC SynBioBeta fund, a pre-seed and seed VC fund to invest in synthetic biology startups. John Cumbers, an expert on the synthetic biology industry, will support the fund to make early-stage synthetic biology investments. Cumbers, originally from the UK, founded SynBioBeta in 2012, and since then it has grown to become the leading synthetic biology network. The SynBioBeta conference in London was kicked-off this morning, where Cumbers also announced his new partnership with DCVC:Im going to be the eyes and ears for DCVC for new and innovative things in synbio. Our Editor Evelyn is currently at SynBioBeta in London. Here are some pictures fromthe opening remarks. The synthetic biology industry, driven by advances in computational biology and related tool chains, now resembles the Silicon Valley semiconductor business right at its sharp takeoff in the 80s and 90s, said Matt Ocko, co-Managing Partner, DCVC. Synthetic biologyapplications range from the production of biologicals such as insulin or therapeutic antibodies, to the genetic engineering of microorganisms or plants … Continue reading →

We sat down with Christina Agapakis, Creative Director of Ginkgo Bioworks, who'll be speaking at our PSFK 2017 conference, to discuss positioning biotechnology as the evolution of industrial design In todays day and age, we swoon overthe latest sparkly high-tech gadgets so much so that we now want them to be conjoined to us like anotherlimb. Case in pointElon musk is taking it so far as to create a computer interlace for your brain, don a VR headset you can now watch shows in a virtual living room with your friends and press a button on your kicks to orderyour fave pepperoni slice.But what if you took your eyes away from your VR headsetor sneakers for just one moment and peered outside your very window? Perhaps youd see a dilapidated,graffiti-ridden building across the street that has been left to its own devicesfor 25 years, but mother nature has taken its hold, with vines clamberingup the outer walls and plants sprouting from the sidewalk cracks below. If you had go-go gadget x-ray vision, youd see something incredibly powerful within each plant: photosynthesis and regenerative powers.Thats right, if you thought the heroes of X-Men or Transformers had killer superpowers, think again. Biology … Continue reading →

Well-researched stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors ofJSTOR Daily. The deadly fallout from Californias illegal grow sites (bioGraphic) by Julian Smith In Californias wild and beautiful forests, illegal marijuana growers use poisons capable of bringing down a lion to protect their crops from gnawing animals. Biologists are studying the results, which are causing sickness and death on a massivescale among the regions wildlife, and potentially contaminating the water supplies of downstream cities and towns. But investigating the grow sites is dangerous work. Changing our minds, with circuitry (Wired) Big-name Silicon Valley players want to integrate computers into the human brain, letting us upload and download thoughts, and augmenting our mental functions. But what have neuroscientists actually figured out about how to understand and alter our brains? Life lessons at school (The Atlantic) by Victoria Clayton Beyond reading, writing, and rithmetic, schools are trying new programs to help students stay organized, take responsibility for their work, and understand their own emotions. Studies suggest they have promise for achieving academic goals, and beyond. Understanding rape (Aeon) by Sandra Newman Do some men rape because they have extraordinarily … Continue reading →