Author: Young Investigators Review

The Young Investigators Review is Stony Brook University's undergraduate-oriented, all-inclusive science journal. Founded in 2008, our mission is to provide the student community with a way to learn more about the research currently being done on-campus by their faculty and fellow peers. We feature articles that span all fields, from Physics to Neuroscience, as well as original student research reports straight from the campus laboratories. Our journal offers aspiring talented future researchers and physicians a way to hone their science writing skills and spread word of their experiences to inspire incoming students to think about devoting their futures to the various fields of science.
2017-18

TRIM25 and its Role in the Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells

By Daniel Walocha ‘19 Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death. Metastasis is one of the largest determinants of survival for colorectal cancer; treatment before metastasis is crucial for survival. Targeting potential gene products that promote proliferation and invasion could reduce cancer metastasis and growth. TRIM25 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase found to be responsible for the polyubiquitination of retinoic acid … Continue reading TRIM25 and its Role in the Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Reactive Oxidative Species Sensitivity in Cancer

By Daniel Walocha ‘19 Cancer cells primarily use glycolysis to gain ATP and important intermediates for amino acid biosynthesis via the Warburg effect, even in the presence of readily available oxygen. This highlights a key distinction between cancer and normal cells: normal cells mainly utilize the electron transport chain for their ATP needs, while cancer cells do not. As a result, cancer cells build up … Continue reading Reactive Oxidative Species Sensitivity in Cancer

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Energy, Spin, and Charge All in One

Neomi Lewis ‘21 The field of economics is constantly making strides to better manipulate and strategically implement properties of charged particles. Charged particles play instrumental roles in devising electronic devices. Most particles that are commonly used, however, only retain one property that can be manipulated. Researchers from Duke University now have reason to believe that “trions,” a quasiparticle, can also be controlled in useful ways. … Continue reading Energy, Spin, and Charge All in One

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Exploring Saccadic Eye Movement

By Fatin Chowdhury ‘19 The nuances of eye movements form an overlooked part of human vision. Dr. Grace Edwards at Istituto Italiano di Technologia in Italy examined the effect of peripheral information near a saccade target. Saccading is the completion of rapid eye movement by healthy human eyes while being fixated on differing spatial points. Edwards hypothesized that the neural interpretation of a postsaccadic visual … Continue reading Exploring Saccadic Eye Movement

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

The Largest Map of the Milky Way Yet

Neomi Lewis ‘21 The glaring image of the Milky Way is the rotating galaxy that usually comes to mind when individuals think about outer space. However, this typical image is no longer useful in studying bodies within the galaxy. Images of the Milky Way captured in visible light are obscured by dust and clouds. To remedy the situation, astronomers have used a 45 m radio … Continue reading The Largest Map of the Milky Way Yet

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Effects of Clock-Shifting Wild Seabirds

By Fatin Chowdhury ‘19 Humans have been curious about animal navigation for millennia, but the strategies and adaptations used by non-human organisms to travel are still unknown. Oliver Padget, a doctoral student at Oxford University in England, recently published findings that examined the impact of solar orientation on pelagic seabird navigation patterns. The study suggested that by using the sun as a compass, animals can … Continue reading Effects of Clock-Shifting Wild Seabirds

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Using Stars to Find Dark Matter

Neomi Lewis ‘21 Astronomers and cosmologists continue the elusive search to understand the nature and existence of dark matter, a substance that is believed to be pervasive throughout the universe, including near our own planet. An international group of astrophysicists have published work in the journal Physical Review Letters this January that suggests that we may be able to better decipher the speed of dark … Continue reading Using Stars to Find Dark Matter

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Diagnosing Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections via CT Scans

By Fatin Chowdhury ‘19 Imaging technology has become more useful for preventing surgery and aiding in its success. Technologies such as CT (computed tomography) scans have expanded the breadth of diagnostic methodologies available to physicians. Dr. Myriam Martinez in Boston, Massachusetts, sought to pinpoint the usefulness of CT technology in allowing for necrotizing soft infections (NSTI) diagnoses. The researchers found that NSTIs could be examined … Continue reading Diagnosing Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections via CT Scans

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Genomic Analysis of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Gene Yang ‘19 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that infects approximately 90,000 people in the United States each year. This bacteria’s resistance to many common drugs, including penicillin, makes it a rising public health care threat, yet our understanding of MRSA at the genetic level is limited. In order to bridge this gap, scientists at the University of San … Continue reading Genomic Analysis of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators Review2 Comments
2017-18

Dandelions, Tulips, and Orchids: A Flower Metaphor for Human Sensitivity

By Maryna Mullerman ‘20 In humans, various responsiveness to external stimuli has been attributed to individual differences. Leading human environmental sensitivity theories suggest that heightened sensitivity to negative environmental influences correlates with elevated tendency to benefit from positive environmental influences. The novel orchid-dandelion metaphor describes more sensitive individuals as orchids and less sensitive individuals as dandelions. Francesca Lionetti and researchers from the Queen Mary University … Continue reading Dandelions, Tulips, and Orchids: A Flower Metaphor for Human Sensitivity

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Viral Gene Therapy Protects Tissue from Radiation

Gene Yang ‘19 Lentiviruses are a group of virus that cause deadly diseases, but these same viruses can be modified into harmless versions used in gene therapy, where the virus is used to transport a desired gene into an organism. Using this technique, scientists from The Institute of Cancer Research in London modified lentiviruses to deliver two genes into the tissue cells of rats. The … Continue reading Viral Gene Therapy Protects Tissue from Radiation

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
2017-18

Biological and Cultural Co-Evolution: The Takeover of Specialists

By Maryna Mullerman ‘20 A conventional view that humans acquired language skills solely through biological evolution was challenged by Bart de Boer and Bill Thompson, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands. Their study proposed a mathematical model in which biology and culture played important roles in language acquisition within finite populations. This alternative view argued that biological adaptation changes varied … Continue reading Biological and Cultural Co-Evolution: The Takeover of Specialists

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment