dfmiller's blog

Our aims for this experiment include the following: 1) A better understanding of the Physarum Polycephalum species of slime mold, 2) Performing the entire breadth of the experimental process, including proposal, setup and performance of the experiment, and subsequent data analysis, 3) Successfully investigate a process of the model organism. Through this methodology, we believe this pathway of experimentation to be an easy, inexpensive method of modeling the full process of scientific experimentation.

    This research proposal would reinforce students’ time management skills, laboratory experience, knowledge of non-mammalian life cycles and maintaining cultured species. It also allows students to go through the process of modern science, including the phases of proposal, experimentation, and data analysis and conclusion. For those in a career path involving biological research, or research in general, this project will enable students to practice their scientific writing skills and deepen their understanding of performing proper science. We believe that through our methodology of experimentation, students will be able to experience this through an inexpensive, straight-forward pathway and present their findings through a poster presentation to the class.

Arthropods are among the most diverse groups in eukaria. However, due to a rise in land-usage globally, arthropod biomass in these ecosystems is currently on the decline. Seibold et al. used anually sampled grasslands to measure biomass, abundance, and number of species of arthropods, discovering that these numbers have declined by 67%, 78%, and 34% respectively¹. These losses are not isolated to grasslands, however, as declines in forests were also observed. According to the study, policy reform regarding land use must be a priority of these losses are to be counteracted.

(1)https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1684-3

In the human body, DNA is stored as chromatin when not being actively transcribed. Chromatin refers to the wrapping of DNA around histone proteins to control tangling, proper spatial storage of DNA, and regulation of gene expression. In order for these histones to open, exposing the DNA to RNA polymerase, transcription factors, and other necessary transcriptional hardware, acetyl-CoA is required. This acetyl CoA is derived from the metabolism of acetate by the enzyme ACSS2. Mews et al. have discovered that, through the consumption of alcohol, a rapid increase in levels of blood acetate occur resulting in rapid acetylation of histones in the brain¹. The findings of this study show that alcohol consumption directly results in changes in gene expression in the brain, including those in neuron cells.

(1) Mews, P., Egervari, G., Nativio, R., Sidoli, S., Donahue, G., Lombroso, S. I., … Berger, S. L. (2019). Alcohol metabolism contributes to brain histone acetylation. Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1700-7

The mitigation of biological damage by economic and physical development is imperative as a method of conservation. As a biology major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I am well versed in the concepts of biodiversity and ecology. Through this experience, I have become familiar with the concept of a biodiversity index. This index is easily calculable, simply dividing the number of species in a set area by the number of individuals within that area. A simple calculation before a project is undertaken, followed by remediation of biodiversity to match or surpass this index after completion would be an easy regulation to enforce. Some, however, would rather tie biodiversity to an economic value, gaining conservation credits that they can then sell to biodiversity offsetting brokers. Not only is this method needlessly elaborate, it ultimately yields poor results and, as economical ecologist Clive L. Splash (2015) commented, "requires that society start bulldozing biodiversity"(p. 544). Tying biodiversity offsetting to a simple biodiversity index is not only a simpler, effective method of compensating for environmental damage to diversity, but vital if we truly seek to reverse the damage industry has done to our environment.

Spash, C. L. (2015). Bulldozing biodiversity: The economics of offsets and trading-in Nature. Biological Conservation, 192, 541–551. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.07.037

Journal:

Duncan A, Heyer MP, Ishikawa M, Caligiuri SPB, Liu X-an, Chen Z, Di Bonaventura MVittoria M, Elayouby KS, Ables JL, Howe WM, et al. Habenular TCF7L2 links nicotine addiction to diabetes. Nature [Internet]. 2019 ;574(7778):372 - 377. Available from: http://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-xhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-x.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-x.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-x

Review:

Yammine L, Kosten TR, Pimenova M, Schmitz JM. Cigarette smoking, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists as a potential treatment for smokers with diabetes: An integrative review. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice [Internet]. 2019 ;149:78 - 88. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30735771

Nicotine has a largely negative health connotation due to its prevalence in cigarettes and vaporizer products. It has long been a consensus that the nicotine itself was not dangerous, but rather the other contents in its delivery method. That includes flavorings and chemicals in vaporizers as well as tar from cigarette smoke. However, Duncan Et Al. have demonstrated that nicotine consumption in rodents results in diabetes-like symptoms, including failure to regulate blood glucose levels¹. This discovery comes at a time of societal panic over nicotine-based products, and is sure to impact future conversations.

(1) Duncan A, Heyer MP, Ishikawa M, Caligiuri SPB, Liu X-an, Chen Z, Di Bonaventura MVittoria M, Elayouby KS, Ables JL, Howe WM, et al. Habenular TCF7L2 links nicotine addiction to diabetes. Nature [Internet]. 2019 ;574(7778):372 - 377. Available from: http://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-xhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-x.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-x.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1653-x