Image Credit: Toby Morris @xtotl — featured on The Spinoff Yesterday, the U.S. experienced our largest daily COVID-19 death toll with over 800 deaths. President Trump rightly implemented another 30 days of social distancing in the face of the grim reality of the virus. Further, the White House Task Force now says we may have…
Category: Biology
Why does it take so long to make a vaccine for COVID-19?
Image Credit: Ted S. Warren, AP With all the (mis)information out there, vaccines are definitely one of the most widely misattributed subjects. Regarding the current COVID-19 pandemic, why can’t we just make a drug or compound that cures or vaccinates anyone from infection? Vaccine varieties The problem isn’t making a new drug or compound to…
COVID-19 paralysis by analysis
Image Credit: New York Times (Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Spread of the Outbreak) The U.S. is approaching 2000 known cases of COVID-19, and as of Friday afternoon, 41 total deaths. Countless conferences, sports conferences, and events have either been cancelled or postponed. And this afternoon, President Trump declared a National Emergency, enacting the Stafford Act…
The implications of viral strains
Image credit: Alissa Eckert/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / AFP – Getty Images Much is unknown about the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Recently, a Chinese laboratory published preliminary results about two strains identified in patients: one ancenstral strain known as the “S” strain, and another mutated strain designated as the…
How to most effectively achieve your goals and keep your New Year’s resolutions
It’s that time of year where New Year’s resolutions are plentiful, and especially meaningful this year as we start a new decade. Although it is fun to celebrate new beginnings, it is also important to be reminded of our successes and failures of our past, for instance, how well did you stick to your New…
How do monarch butterflies know where and when to migrate south for winter?
Monarch butterflies might be the coolest Lepidopteran (moths and butterflies) species for several reasons: First, they are poisonous to eat as caterpillars and butterflies because of the toxins they develop from feeding on their food source, milkweed. Second, other Lepidopterans want to be them and mimic their look, like the Viceroy. Lastly, they can fly…
ASTMH Day 2
Speaker: Dr. Maria Luise Simoes Title: CTL-4 gene knockout to block Plasmodium infection in mosquitoes BACKGROUND: When the Anopheles mosquito becomes infected with malaria parasites, it attempts to use its innate immune response via a process known as melanization to kill the parasites. The process of melanization in a mosquito is regulated by what are…
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygeine (ASMTH) Day 1:
This week I am attending the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygeine (ASTMH) conference in National Harbor, MD. The conference features many of the most recognized scientists in infectious disease, and offers an opportunity to present novel data, establish scientific collaborations, and networking opportunities with exhibitions. I will be giving a presentation about my…
What happens to your body during an Ultramarathon?
Earlier in the week I introduced the two main muscle fiber types so eloquently labeled as Type-1 and Type-2 that are utilized for aerobic and anaerobic activities, respectively. As I mentioned in the post, I ran a 50 mile ultramarathon last Saturday and pondered that my muscle composition most likely became a Type-1 biased system…
The Main Muscle Fibers in Your Body and How They Differ
Last weekend I ran a 50 mile ultramarathon. It took me just over 9 hours to complete. Leading up to the race, I switched my training from competitive CrossFit to more endurance, long run training sessions. During this time, I lost 15lb over 4 months, most of which was muscle (my pants and shirts are…