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The Taste of Survival: How Maria Ylagan Orosa Used Nutritional Science to Combat Malnutrition, Colonialism, and Imperialism in the Philippines
STRENGTH FROM WITHINIn times of war and scarcity, hunger gnaws and fatigue sets in. In the Philippines during World War II, thousands of civilians, soldiers, and prisoners of war suffered from a disease that robbed them of their strength as they fought against Japanese imperialism: beriberi disease. This disease, caused by a deficiency of vitamin…
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Bioorthogonal Chemistry: A Revolution in Chemical Biology
INTRODUCTION Life is built on chemistry, but until recently, chemistry had to be studied outside of living systems. The development of bioorthogonal chemistry has completely revolutionized this. Bioorthogonal chemistry refers to a class of specialized reactions that occur inside living organisms without interfering with natural biochemical processes.2 First introduced by Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi, Professor of…
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The Very Hungry Astronaut
Orbiting Solutions for Better Post-Space Care Exploring space is made possible with the help of astronauts. Space travel allows humans to gain a clearer understanding of our planet and the other celestial bodies that surround us. Consequently, astronauts are exposed to ionizing radiation at anywhere from 50 to 2,000 millisieverts (mSv).1 Many units represent the…
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Where’s my umbrella? Thunder, Chaos, and Lorenz Attractors
Where’s my umbrella? Thunder, Chaos, and Lorenz Attractors Okay, you live in California, but there must have been at least one or two occasions when you’ve had to endure complaints against the weather–and the weather app. For example, perhaps an umbrella-less friend expected a sunny weekend before the skies decided to open itself on him…
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The Porcine Solution to Organ Transplants
Transplantation is essential for end-state organ failures such as kidneys, heart, lungs, and liver. With currently 110,000 individuals in the US on the waitlist for an organ donation, the shortage of organ donors severely limits the success of transplantations.1 Many individuals die before transplantation, and quality of life is severely diminished for individuals with organ…
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Breaking Barriers with BCIs!
Background For the first few years of my life, I had a minor speech disability classified as “PDD-NOS.” Personally, the disability did not inhibit most activities but made normal communication difficult. I was able to improve my speaking skills after receiving occupational and speech therapy. During my time in therapy, I saw many of my…
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Rising Temperatures, Rising Threats: The Impact of Climate Change on Maternal Health
In 2024, the global surface temperature was 2.32 °F above the 20th-century average. This ranks as the highest global temperature in the 1850–2024 period, surpassing 2023 by 0.18°F.1,2 Although seemingly small, this 18-degree difference is alarming because the average rate of temperature increase since 1850 has only been 0.11°F per decade. This means that the…
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Of Goldfish and Jellyfish
There may be some truth hidden in the classic American novel, The Fourteenth Goldfish. The fictional coming-of-age novel follows the story of a boy whose grandfather discovers a jellyfish and uses it to regress his age back to an elementary schooler. Though it may seem far-fetched that any being could rewind the biological clock, it…
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From Fever Dreams to Pharma Queens: How Plants Influenced Modern Medicine
A suffocating, burning sensation floods your body as your head pounds relentlessly and the world blurs in front of you—a fever. If you came down with one of these in the ancient days, the treatment suggested would vary across civilizations. In the 4th millennium BCE, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Chinese, and Indian cultures may have thought you…
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Breaking Barriers: CAR-T Therapy for Solid Cancers
Breaking Barriers: CAR-T Therapy for Solid Cancers A cure for cancer is a fallacy. At least, the idea of a singular cure for all cancers is impossible, as every type of cancer is distinct and thus many require unique therapeutic approaches. While people with cancer are living longer due to modern scientific advances, most therapies…
