The Phage Playlist

Songs about finding my phage

Sniffing Out The Opposite Gender

May1

Just today a research article was released on the study of chemical cues humans use to identify the opposite gender. It seems that as humans we have similar chemical cues as pheromones. Apparently just using our nose we can smell androstadienone (in males) and estratetraenol (in females) on an unconscious level. After smelling these hormones a person can identify of judge if the walk of a certain person is more feminine or masculine. However, this doesn’t mean that a woman can smell another woman’s estratetraenol and think her walk is more feminine. The study shows that only males smell the estratetraenol and judge the walk to be feminine. Similarly, the women can smell the androstadienone in men and judge the walk as being masculine, whereas men cannot do it. The article is linked below.

Humans Have a Nose for Gender

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Living Organ Regenerated for the First Time

April21

This past month scientists at the University of Edinburgh regenerated the thymus gland of a living mouse. They did this by increasing levels of FOXN1, a protein produced by the thymus, which helps to control how important genes are switched on. This could mean so much for the future of medicine. The same team’s research suggests that targeting the same pathway in humans may improve thymus function. Not only does this impact elderly patients, whose thymus has deteriorated with time, but it also affects those born with an underdeveloped thymus. Furthermore, if scientists can regenerate a thymus by just targeting a single transcription factor, then could they regenerate important organs, such as the heart, through the same or similar processes? This new research opens up an entire world of opportunities for doctors and patients alike. If you would like to read the article, it is linked below.

Regeneration of the aged thymus by a single transcription factor

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Giant Turtle Bones Found Centuries Apart

April8

In 2012 an amateur paleontologist found a broken half of an ancient sea turtle humerus. What’s interesting about this fossil is that it’s other half was found in 1849. The two halves of the same fossil were found over 160 years apart! Not only was it astounding that the two halves fit, but the missing half drastically changed the size estimations for its species, Atlantochelys mortoni. Now scientists estimate this sea turtle was about 10 ft. long from tip to tail, making it one of the largest sea turtles ever known. However, this find did not just change the size estimations of the Atlantochelys mortoni. The finding one half of this fossil 162 years after the other half was discovered has changed scientists believe about the longevity of fossils. No one believed that the other half could have been discovered after being exposed to the elements for at least 162 years, but this fossil proved them wrong. Now scientists are revising their beliefs about how long exposed fossils can survive. Just one half of a ancient sea turtle humerus had the power to change not only scientists beliefs about the animal itself but also about the survival of fossils in general. The article is linked below.

Paleontologists Assemble Giant Turtle Bone from Fossil Discoveries Made Centuries Apart

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Inbreeding possible cause of woolly mammoth extinction

March30

Researchers recently examined the remains of two woolly mammoth remains found in the North Sea. What they found is quite interesting. Both specimens, who were most likely the last woolly mammoths in this area, had cervical ribs (ribs attached to the vertebrae in the neck). Upon further analysis, researches discovered that around one third of the total population of found woolly mammoth remains have this condition. This number is very high compared to their modern day relative, the elephant, in which this event only occurs in about 3% of the population. What could cause this high percentage of abnormal bone structure? In humans, cervical ribs are caused by inbreeding and adverse environmental conditions during pregnancy. Researches believe that the same is true here. Perhaps disease, famine, or the extreme cold  caused a decline in the woolly mammoth population size, causing a higher percentage of inbreeding. Or, perhaps the population size was small from the beginning, causing inbreeding to be a large factor throughout their existence. Either way, this discovery sheds new light on the vulnerability of the woolly mammoth species.  The article is linked below.

Extraordinary incidence of cervical ribs indicates vulnerable condition in Late Pleistocene mammoths

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The “chicken from hell”

March22

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Recently, the remains from three different specimens have been put to together to almost completely reconstruct the skeleton of the Anzu wyliei, pictured above. The remains show some shocking findings. This bird-like dinosaur stood roughly  5 feet tall and 11 feet wide at the hip. Think about it: the hip of the Anzu was about as all as my entire body. Resembling a giant, flightless bird, the Anzu had a toothless beak, feathers, and long, slender legs like an ostrich. However, it also had large claws at the tip of its forelimbs. The finding of the Anzu has proven that caenagnathids form a natural grouping within Oviraptorosauria, a theropod group composed of caenagnathids and oviraptorids. Furthermore, the scaring and healing of some of the bones of the Anzu seem to suggest that they were able to withstand quite a bit of trauma. 

However, what I find most interesting about the recent discoveries in the dinosaur way of life is their resemblance to birds in both physical and behavioral attributes. Recently, I was watching a documentary on the evolution of dinosaurs, and the new theories fascinated me. The documentary said that it is believed that dinosaurs, like the Anzu, laid eggs in a nest and protected them much like birds do today. Furthermore, they suggested that the father  may have also played a large role in raising and protecting his children. This new family dynamic is a very interesting discovery, and I cannot wait to see what else science will unveil from the lives of the dinosaurs.

Link to article: Nearly complete ‘chicken from hell,’ from mysterious dinosaur group

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Neanderthal Lineages

March2

Since we are currently studying evolution, I thought I would post about some recent discovers in our own lineage. Recently, some scientists from the University of Washington put the mystery of the Neanderthal extinction to rest. By sequencing modern human genomes, the scientists discovered that more than 20% of the Neanderthal genome survives today through contemporary humans. This proves that humans and Neanderthals interbred somewhere along the line. What I find most interesting is the selection from these genes. It appears that the Neanderthal genes for skin pigmentation were more fit for local conditions at the time (due to the high amount of Neanderthal DNA present in the genes known to contribute to skin pigmentation). Moreover, the genomes appeared to have been mismatched at certain points, due to the low concentration of Neanderthal DNA in other parts of the contemporary human genome. For example, a strong depletion of Neanderthal DNA was found in a gene that is thought to play an important role in human speech and language. If you wish to read the article, it is linked below.

Neanderthal lineages excavated from modern human genomes

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Stem Cell Research

February11

Last week my group presented on the present and future implications of stem cell research. One things we talked about was induced pluripotent stem cells. Recently researchers in Japan developed a technique that allows adult blood cells to return to their embryonic state. This process only takes about thirty minutes, a significant decrease in time compared to past methods, and the results are even better than expected. This research brings humankind one step closer to the main goal of limb regeneration, even anti-aging. Linked I have a brief video that talks about the process of and hope from this research.

http://www.euronews.com/2014/02/06/organ-regeneration-moves-closer-with-stem-cell-breakthrough/

 

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DNA from caveman reveals interesting physical traits

January30

Recently, DNA from the wisdom tooth of a hunter-gatherer in a cave in Spain was analyzed and the data revealed some interesting new finds. The man exhibited a darker toned skin, although the exact shade is unpredictable due to many environmental factors. This is surprising, because it was thought that the Europeans of this time has already developed lighter skin. Furthermore, the man has blue eyes. The blue eye gene wasn’t thought to have developed for some time after this man lived. In many respects the analysis of this caveman’s DNA has changed the way we view people from the Neolithic time period. For more information about the DNA analysis you should definitely check out the article below.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12960.html

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Royals

January23

(to the tune of Royals by Lorde)

I’ve never been an infection in the flesh

I put my DNA in amoebas of the Acanthamoeba genus

And I’m not proud of my assets,

With no ribosomes, only replication envy

 

But every virus is like sneezing, coughing, trippin’ in flu season

Weight loss, fever, look its AIDS,

We don’t care, we’ve got 1100 genes.

But virus is like fever, soreness, causing humans panic.

Headache, skin rash, infecting bacteria.

We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in their infection affair.

 

And we’ll never be royals.

It don’t run in our genes,

That kind of luxe just ain’t for us.

We crave a different kind of buzz.

Let me be your ruler,

You can call me queen Pandoravirus

And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule.

Let me live that fantasy.

 

My friend and I—we’ve cracked the code.

We count our micrometers on the way to the amoeba.

And everyone who knows us knows that we’re huge like this,

We didn’t come from era.

 

But every virus is like sneezing, coughing, trippin’ in flu season

Weight loss, fever, look its AIDS,

We don’t care, we’ve got 1100 genes.

But virus is like fever, soreness, causing humans panic.

Headache, skin rash, infecting bacteria.

We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in their infection affair.

 

And we’ll never be royals.

It don’t run in our genes,

That kind of luxe just ain’t for us.

We crave a different kind of buzz.

Let me be your ruler,

You can call me queen Pandoravirus

And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule.

Let me live that fantasy.

 

Ooh ooh oh

We’re bigger than they’ve ever dreamed,

And I’m in love with being queen.

Ooh ooh oh

Life is great without a care

We aren’t caught up in their infection affair.

 

And we’ll never be royals.

It don’t run in our genes,

That kind of luxe just ain’t for us.

We crave a different kind of buzz.

Let me be your ruler,

You can call me queen Pandoravirus

And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule.

Let me live that fantasy.

 

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Roar

December5

(Since I named my phage BabyTiger, I think this song fights quite well. This one is to the tune of Roar by Katy Perry)

I used to grow in soil and kill bacteria
Couldn’t leave the ground of my own choice
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
Then you picked me up and brought me here
I let you grow me in a petri dish
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything

You froze me now, but I got out (HEY!)
Already brushing off the frost
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You froze me know, but I got out (HEY!)
Get ready ’cause I’ve had enough
I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, eating all the agar
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar

Now you’re isolating my own DNA
Well you can’t have it, because it’s mine
I went from zero, to my own hero

You froze me now, but I got out (HEY!)
Already brushing off the frost
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You froze me know, but I got out (HEY!)
Get ready ’cause I’ve had enough
I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, eating all the agar
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’ll hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar…

Ro-oar, ro-oar, ro-oar, ro-oar, ro-oar

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, eating all the agar
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’ll hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar…

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