News Items

Meiosis is the process by which our bodies create sex cells (egg and sperm).  It involves a reshuffling of the genetic deck, so to speak.  One step in meiosis, known as DNA recombination or "crossing over," contributes significantly to the widespread diversity we see in human traits.  A nice description of the process by which egg and sperm are formed can be found at this National Institutes of Health website.

The basic process has been understood for some time, but now researchers at the University of Chicago and in Iceland have revealed new insights into exactly how and where on our chromosomes the genetic reshuffling process occurs.

A sharp rise in visitors to the Galápagos Islands and the accompanying economic development are threatening the islands' fragile ecosystem.  Since 1990, the number of visitors to the islands has more than tripled.  Non-native plants brought to the islands now outnumber native species.

Called a "living museum" by UNESCO, the Galápagos are where Charles Darwin made historic observations key to the theory of evolution.

A report from the Charles Darwin Foundation on the health of the Galápagos can be found here.

Scientific American features an interesting article on the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator being built 100 meters underground near Geneva, Switzerland.

When complete, the particle accelerator will enable physicists to study sub-atomic particles, explore new forms of matter, and test theories about our universe and the fundamental physical laws of nature. You can learn more about the United States' involvement in this international project at this beautiful website.

How does a particle accelerator work? From the LHC website: "Inside the accelerator, two beams of particles travel at close to the speed of light with very high energies before colliding with one another. The beams travel in opposite directions in separate beam pipes – two tubes kept at ultrahigh vacuum. They are guided around the accelerator ring by a strong magnetic field, achieved using superconducting electromagnets. These are built from coils of special electric cable that operates in a superconducting state, efficiently conducting electricity without resistance or loss of energy. This requires chilling the magnets to about ‑271°C – a temperature colder than outer space! For this reason, much of the accelerator is connected to a distribution system of liquid helium, which cools the magnets, as well as to other supply services."

Closer to home, Fermi National Laboratories operates a particle accelerator in Batavia, IL. The Fermilabs website has information on tours and outreach events.

A research group from the University of Minnesota reports in Nature Medicine that they have grown a bioartificial heart using cells from a newborn rat and the "scaffolding" of a rat cadaver heart.  Although this work is still many years away from the clinic, it clearly boosts the prospects of repairing and possibly even regenerating complex organs using cell-based therapies.

An interview with Dr. Doris A. Taylor, the head of the Minnesota research group, and video of the beating heart, can be found here.