In a buzzing corner of campus, a group of students is pushing the limits of student-led space innovation. The newly established student organization, JHU CubeSat Club (HopSat), is gearing up to launch a nanosatellite powered by passive solar propulsion, with the ambitious goal of deploying the largest solar sail ever sent into space.
A chimera is an organism composed of cells from two or more distinct genotypes. Human-animal chimeras are a budding area of research and involve the introduction and growth of human tissues in an animal. Chimerism research holds great promise in improving the availability of organs for organ transplantation, which is a major issue due to the current severe organ shortage. Initial chimerism studies involved smaller organisms, such as one where researchers attempted to grow a rat pancreas in a mouse.
Neha Tripathi, a senior studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Public Health, is currently a member of the Matunis Lab. The lab, located at the School of Medicine, generally focuses on stem cell dynamics and regeneration. During an interview with The News-letter, Tripathi shared information about her research journey and described not only her role but also the greater importance of her research work.
The Department of Biology hosted Detlef Weigel, director at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen and member of the National Academy of Sciences, on Friday, Oct. 25. Weigel gave a talk titled "Imperfect plants in an imperfect world,” which explored his research group’s work on genetic variation in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana.
Becky Zheng, a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience and Chemistry and minoring in Writing Seminars, started doing research in high school and now continues at the School of Medicine. She is currently working in a lab under Dr. Lee J. Martin, who studies the onset of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Let’s dive into the latest in scientific news and explore recent breakthroughs, discoveries and advancements that are shaping our understanding of the world. This week’s column looks into an unanticipated effect of a type 2 diabetes treatment, explores a recent report in the field of public health and dives into updates in ecology.
The Department of Computer Science hosted Tommi Jaakkola, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Institute for Data, Systems and Society, on Tuesday, Oct. 15. In his talk, titled “Generative AI for (Molecular) Sciences,” Jaakkola highlighted the advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) for molecular science and material design.
We hope that the fall break was a good time to take a rest. Before diving back into the semester, catch up on the newest scientific discoveries! A team of researchers led by Manu Prakash at Stanford University collected water samples and observed the behavior of one phytoplankton species in particular, Pyrocystis noctiluca (P. noctiluca). Researchers learned that this species, which is most well-known for its bioluminescence, use cellular inflation to drive this migration.
As fall break looms ahead, let’s take a look at the recent scientific news. In the past week, laureates of the 2024 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Physiology or Medicine have been announced.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was increased hesitancy about vaccine effectiveness. One form of misinformation is deep fakes, which are becoming more prevalent and pose serious concerns for healthcare. Deep fakes are digitally altered videos or images that can use artificial intelligence to manipulate the words of popular figures, such as politicians or health experts, and can exacerbate global health issues like epidemics and pandemics.
The Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical & Translational Research hosted the 14th annual Henrietta Lacks Memorial Lecture on Oct. 5 to honor the lasting legacy of Henrietta Lacks. Her cells, taken without her consent in 1951 became one of the most important tools in biomedical research, leading to countless breakthroughs in science. However, her story also brings to light the intersection of medical ethics, race and the treatment of marginalized communities in research.
As of October 2024, there are more than thirty FDA-approved gene therapies, spanning a diverse array of diseases such as certain cancers, hereditary disorders and chronic diseases. There are multiple ways that new genetic material can have therapeutic value. One of the most direct ways is through the replacement of a gene.
From Sept. 24 through Sept. 29, Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast, causing over 200 casualties and a staggering $250 billion in damages. Millions of Americans were left without power, and the devastation in states like Florida and Georgia was clear — thousands of buildings were flooded or destroyed, and the land the storm ripped through looked like a wasteland.
On Sept. 30th, Michael Bernstein, an associate professor of computer science at Stanford University, presented a talk at the Center for Language and Speech Processing about current efforts to improve behavioral simulations. His talk was titled “Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior“ and spotlighted the simulated town, Smallville, which his team worked on.
Here are some of the most groundbreaking developments in science this week, ranging from a novel approach to rejuvenating brain cells using CRISPR, new insights to understand the link between the TET2 gene and cancer, the global impact of species loss and the discovery of single-electron covalent bonds in carbon atoms.
The Laboratory for Computation Sensing and Robotics hosted Kevin Chen, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Wednesday, Sept. 25. In his talk, titled “Insect-scale Micro-Aerial-Robots Powered by Soft Artificial Muscles,” Chen explores the development of robots, the size of insects and their potential applications in our world.
This week’s Science News in Review is filled with new discoveries. From advances in therapeutics for schizophrenia treatment to fish that can taste with their legs, news this week focuses on groundbreaking innovations but also provides a reminder to stay cautious when reading scientific literature.
A coding project that aims to challenge undergraduates to come up with creative solutions and present them to a panel of specialized judges. HopHacks — a competition that brings students passionate about computer science and engineering together — embodies all this. The competition fosters broad-scale innovation through its many tracks, from the open-ended general track to more specialized tracks such as the Patient Safety Technology Challenge and the Philanthropy Track.
The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has seen significant advancements, and this week’s review showcases some of the most groundbreaking developments in AI foundation models and their interdisciplinary applications. These highlights include a breakthrough in neuromorphic hardware that could improve energy efficiency in AI, AI surpassing humans in predicting odor, Google’s progress in detecting AI-manipulated images and promising uses of large language models (LLMs) for debunking conspiracy theories.
On Monday, Sept. 16, the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Bloomberg School of Public Health hosted Thomas E. Novotny, professor emeritus of epidemiology and biostatistics at the San Diego State University School of Public Health. In a talk titled “Paddling Upstream to Prevent Tobacco Pollution,” Novotny discussed the type of waste produced from tobacco as well as to regulatory actions that may prevent the continuation of mass pollution from tobacco products.
