Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
May 28, 2023

Science & Technology



COURTESY OF QUEST2LEARN
The Quest2Learn team stands in front of the Undergraduate Teaching Labs. 

 

Hopkins funds undergraduate-led team to improve online lab courses

Quest2Learn is the only undergraduate-led group to win the Hopkins Digital Education and Learning Technology (DELTA) Award, an acceleration grant program for teams who are creatively implementing technologies that enhance the University’s teaching and learning enterprise. 


COURTESY OF ANDREW FOLKMANN
Liquid protein condensates (red) are stabilized by Pickering agents (green) that adsorb to the condensate surface.

Hopkins researchers discover protein clusters on biomolecular condensates

Geraldine Seydoux, the Huntington Sheldon professor in medical discovery at the School of Medicine, and her lab discovered protein clusters that adsorb to the biomolecular condensates in the gelatinous interior of a cell. These protein clusters, MEG-3 and MEG-4, mimic the function of lipid-bilayer membranes that encapsulate organelles. 






FOX_KIYO / CC BY-SA 2.0
Researchers Casten Prasse and Paul Ferraro have proposed a new way to ensure safe drinking water systems.

Hopkins researchers propose radical shift in water protection

Despite being essential, our water sources are filled to the brim with contaminants. From cancer-causing chemicals to endocrine disruptors, our drinking water is becoming more and more unsafe as myriad chemicals find their way into our infrastructure and treatment centers. Solving this problem has been Carsten Prasse’s life work.




COURTESY OF CAITLIN CAMPBELL
PETA protesters appeared in front of the University sign to protest barn owl experiments in the lab of Shreesh Mysore.

PETA stages protest against Hopkins owl lab at Orientation

New students attending Orientation Week watched as supporters representing People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a protest on Thursday, August 26. The protesters gathered in front of the Beach at 12 p.m. in opposition to research conducted by Shreesh Mysore, an assistant professor affiliated with the Department of Neuroscience and the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences.



COURTESY OF TASGOLA BRUN
PETA protesters, including an owl mascot, lined the entrance to the University’s commencement celebration on Thursday evening.

PETA protests Hopkins owl lab at commencement

Guests at the 2021 Commencement ceremony were greeted by several protesters representing the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Thursday, May 27. The protesters gathered outside Homewood Field at 6:30 p.m. in opposition to research conducted by Professor Shreesh Mysore.







STEVEN DEPOLO/CC BY 2.0

Cities with PFAS-contaminated water supplies may become entirely reliant on bottled water.

An overview of PFAS and how they impact our environmental health

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most people have been exposed to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The agency reports that human epidemiological studies have found increased cholesterol levels in exposed populations and instances of low infant birth weights, immunodeficiencies, cancer for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and thyroid hormone disruption for Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).


COURTESY OF JOTHAM SUEZ
Jotham Suez moved to Baltimore in January to start a new laboratory at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Suez lab explores the human microbiome at Bloomberg

When poet Walt Whitman wrote the famous line “I contain multitudes,” trillions of microbes were probably not what he had in mind. The analogy, however, is fitting for scientists studying the microscopic ecosystem that exists both on human skin and in the gut, referred to as the microbiome. Like fingerprints, every human has a slightly different microbial society taking root inside of them.