Students present projects at Research Symposium

The annual Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), sponsored by both the Hopkins Undergraduate Society for Neuroscience (Nu Rho Psi) and the Hopkins Office for Undergraduate Research (HOUR), took place last week on Oct. 8. 

How the germ theory of disease developed

In the 19th century, polished white rice was increasingly sought after in Japan. Advances in technology allowed grains to be mechanically milled rather than processed by hand, with the outer and inner husks removed and the remainder polished to a glossy white. This rice was easy to store, lasted longer than its predecessors and, to some, probably tasted better. 

Antibody therapy can suppress HIV infections

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus capable of infecting vital organs and CD4 cells, a type of lymphocyte, that comprise the human immune system. Once transmitted, the virus grows and progresses in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is a drug therapy that either prevents HIV infection or slows down the spread of the virus. These antiretrovirals include several types of inhibitors. 

An ancient virus infection linked with addiction

Many regions in the human genome are composed of “junk DNA” that do not code for proteins in the cell.  While these DNA codes are generally viewed as redundant and seemingly serve no particular function in the human body, some codes could be evidence of evolutionary scars left behind from ancient viral infections from the time of our primate ancestors.

HOUR hosts third Student Seminar Series

The Hopkins Office for Undergraduate Research (HOUR) hosted the third lecture in the Student Seminar Series on Oct. 1.  The series provides a venue for undergraduates to present their research.

Two women awarded Nobel Prizes in scientific fields

This year, two women won Nobel Prizes in scientific disciplines. Donna Strickland, an optical physicist, invented chirped pulse amplification with her co-awardee Gérard Mourou. Strickland is only the third female physicist to receive the award and the first in 55 years.

Court rescues last abortion clinic in Kentucky

The last abortion clinic in Kentucky can stay open after a federal judge ruled that a state law on licensing agreements was unconstitutional.

Hopkins team develops a fast STD diagnostic tool

Ancient virus infection is linked with addiction

Many regions in the human genome are composed of “junk DNA” that do not code for proteins in the cell.  While these DNA codes are generally viewed as redundant and seemingly serve no particular function in the human body, some codes could be evidence of evolutionary scars left behind from ancient viral infections from the time of our primate ancestors.

Dachshund receives 3D-printed skull replacement

Patches, a nine-year-old dachshund, is now cancer-free thanks to a group of researchers.  Veterinary surgical oncologist Michelle Oblak from the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College and Cornell University’s small-animal surgeon Galina Hayes were the researchers who accomplished this veterinary first. 

HOUR hosts third Student Seminar Series event

The Hopkins Office for Undergraduate Research (HOUR) hosted the third lecture in the Student Seminar Series on Oct. 1.  The series provides a venue for undergraduates to present their research.

The rate of babies born with syphilis is rising

Syphilis was nearly wiped out in the United States under the leadership of Gail Bolan, the director of the Division for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, in the last four years, syphilis has made a comeback and it has particularly been affecting newborns at high rates.

Wrap up: the latest in technology

Amazon and Apple deny their information was compromised A Bloomberg Businessweek report claimed that Amazon, Apple and 30 other U.S. companies had their technologies compromised by Chinese espionage. The report declared that Chinese spies infiltrated multiple companies by installing microchips into their servers.

3D printed phantom head aids in MRI studies

Safer testing options of magnetic resonance technology are now readily available with the successful development of a 3D phantom head by Sossena Wood, a postdoctoral candidate in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Five women of color who transformed STEM fields

A 2015 study from the Harvard Business Review found that nearly half of African-American and Latina women in U.S. STEM careers reported being confused for administrative or janitorial staff. 

Trojan Horse method could treat a rare blood disorder

Remember the tale of the Trojan Horse?  The Greeks gift Troy a large, wooden horse as a peace offering. Then, at night, soldiers spill out of the belly of the gift and open the doors to Troy, laying waste to the city and effectively ending a 10-year war. It may be ancient Greek mythology, but the medical field had something important to learn from it: Attach medicine to a vehicle that can take it directly where it needs to go, then unleash it to do what medicine should. It’s not the same as decimating an entire population, but it’s just as important when human lives can be saved.

Nanotherapy offers hope for renal cell carcinoma

Kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in both men and women. In adults, renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. The American Cancer Society predicts that there will be 65,340 new diagnoses and 14,970 deaths due to renal cell carcinoma in 2018. A novel treatment has been developed that may be able to reverse drug resistance in renal cell carcinoma, using nanotherapy in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. 

Biomarker is discovered for study of Alzheimer’s

An estimated 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. In comparison to more well-understood diseases like cancer and heart disease, Alzheimer’s is difficult because there aren’t any tools that easily diagnose it or any medications to effectively treat it.

New study reveals four major personality types

As early as Hippocrates’ time, people have pondered on the best way to classify personalities. In fact, Hippocrates came up with one of the oldest personality type systems in the world, where he defined four personality types based on a person’s “humor” or the proportion of bodily fluids in one’s body. The predominant form of fluid determines the person’s appearance, behavior and psychological type.