Category: Molecular Biology

Biology, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology, physiology

HP1𝛼: How DNA Unwrapping can Support Heterochromatin Maintenance

Author: Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Many have been led to believe that DNA contains all the information we need, but the regulation of the expression of genes encoded in DNA is also incredibly important. This differentiates humans from, for instance, gorillas, which otherwise share more than 98% genetic identity to humans. One level of regulation is at the level of chromatin, which results from … Continue reading HP1𝛼: How DNA Unwrapping can Support Heterochromatin Maintenance

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Biology, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology

Natural Antifreeze: Insights into Animals’ Adaptations to Extreme Cold

Author: Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Many organisms, like fish and insects, are capable of living in extreme conditions far outside of the viable range for humans. While some bacteria can live in hot geysers, others live in the extreme cold, relying on adaptations such as the expression of antifreeze proteins (AFP) to survive. These proteins help adapt to the cold by depressing the freezing … Continue reading Natural Antifreeze: Insights into Animals’ Adaptations to Extreme Cold

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Biology, Ecology, Environment, Molecular Biology

Tiny Plastics, Big Impact: How Microplastics Affect Earthworms and Soil Health

Author: Diego Javier, Class of 2026 A concern that is emerging worldwide is plastic contamination in agricultural soils. Farmers frequently use plastic mulching films in order to improve crop yields and control weeds. However, these films can break down into tiny fragments, called microplastics, which are then ingested by soil organisms like earthworms and can affect soil health. In order to better understand these effects, … Continue reading Tiny Plastics, Big Impact: How Microplastics Affect Earthworms and Soil Health

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Biology, Cellular and Molecular Science, Disease, Health, Medicine and Physiology, Molecular Biology

Watching Muscles Heal: A Zebrafish Model for Regeneration

Author: Diego Javier, Class of 2026 Muscle regeneration is a nuanced and important area of study in understanding how muscles recover from injury. Researchers have been trying to develop therapies for muscle-related diseases, and some have used zebrafish as a model organism given their ability to regenerate their heart and skeletal muscles. In order to study muscle regeneration. Eric Paulissen, in the lab of SBU … Continue reading Watching Muscles Heal: A Zebrafish Model for Regeneration

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Biology, Cellular and Molecular Science, Embryonic Development, Molecular Biology

GlycoSwitch: Signaling Tuner O-Glucosylation 

Author: Sajia Athai, Class of 2026 Looking through URECA presentations every year, posters detailing scientific protocols and findings of undergraduate students cover the corners of the room.  Undergraduate Advisor for Biochemistry and Animal Development Professor, Dr. Bernadette Holdener, leads her team of mentees in understanding how protein O-glucosyltransferase 2 and 3 (POGLUT2/3) is integral to separation of digits during limb development in mice.  Dr. Holdener’s … Continue reading GlycoSwitch: Signaling Tuner O-Glucosylation 

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Biology, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology

Genome Grazing: lcWGS Across Livestock and Agricultural Landscapes

Author: Sajia Athai, Class of 2026 Just as cells comprise the fundamental units that make up an organism, livestock acts as the core of agriculture—anchoring growth across the world. As providers of food security to sustainability, livestock is an integral part of economic prosperity and animal diversity. Livestock is assessed on measures in the agricultural industry such as disease screening, mobility, fertility, and birth weight. … Continue reading Genome Grazing: lcWGS Across Livestock and Agricultural Landscapes

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2024-25, Cellular and Molecular Science, Molecular Biology

Cysteine-Rich Îł-Crystallins Evolutionary Role in Lens Transparency and Function

Eimaan Bilal, Class of 2028 Cysteine (Cys) is a sulfur-containing amino acid found in crystallin proteins that compose our eye’s lens. When Cys is oxidized, it can lead to crystallin protein misfolding and unwanted disulfide bonding, causing light-scattering aggregation. Light-scattering aggregation in crystallin proteins is one of the main contributors to cataract disease, which clouds the lens and can even develop into blindness. Since Cys … Continue reading Cysteine-Rich Îł-Crystallins Evolutionary Role in Lens Transparency and Function

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2024-25, Genetics, Molecular Biology, physiology

Osmotic Stress Alters Circadian Rhythm

Asher Agarwal, Class of 2027 The circadian rhythm regulates many physiological processes via transcriptional feedback loops involving proteins such as Bmal1 and Clock. Circadian rhythm is closely tied to cell-cycle progression, and disruptions in one can affect the other. Hypoosmotic stress causes water to rush into a cell, triggering changes in gene regulation to adapt to the stress. Caveolae, protein invaginations in the cell membrane, … Continue reading Osmotic Stress Alters Circadian Rhythm

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2024-25, Biology, Cancer, Cellular and Molecular Science, Disease, Health and Medicine, Molecular Biology

Linking Stress with Poor Cancer Prognosis

Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Stress is a common response many experience amidst various physical, emotional, or psychological challenges. Beyond its significant short-term impacts, chronic stress has been demonstrated to impact cognitive function as well as the health of various systems within the body, including the immune system. Cancer patients in particular often fall victim to chronic stress, which, in turn, has been associated with … Continue reading Linking Stress with Poor Cancer Prognosis

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2024-25, Biology, Cellular and Molecular Science, General Neuroscience, Health, Health and Medicine, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience

Flavonoids to the Rescue: Combating Age-Related Neurodegeneration

Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Neurodegeneration, which is often associated with aging, leads to the development of serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, that afflict more than 50 million people worldwide. In addition to their devastating impact, neurodegenerative diseases are particularly problematic regarding their prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment. One of the primary factors underlying the development of neurodegenerative diseases is mitochondrial dysfunction. This … Continue reading Flavonoids to the Rescue: Combating Age-Related Neurodegeneration

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2024-25, Cellular and Molecular Science, Molecular Biology

From Cooking Up Lab Reports to Setting Up Petri Dishes

Sajia Athai, Class of 2026 All organisms possess a myriad of mechanisms associated with homeostasis and osmotic adjustment to regulate water flow and content. The Photosynthesis Lab Report —an integral component of the BIO 205 course—allows students to test different variables such as salinity on function of chloroplasts under osmotic stress. In a similar study conducted on a much larger scale, a group of researchers … Continue reading From Cooking Up Lab Reports to Setting Up Petri Dishes

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2024-25, Cognition, General Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience

Amyloid Burden in WTC Responders: Unraveling the Effects of Air Pollution

Tiffany Ang, Class of 2026 Amyloid-B (AB) proteins, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, have been linked to air pollution exposure, potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Kritikos and colleagues at Stony Brook University investigated whether exposure to particulate matter (PM), particularly from the World Trade Center (WTC) site following the 9/11 attacks, was associated with increased cerebral amyloidosis, a condition characterized by the accumulation of … Continue reading Amyloid Burden in WTC Responders: Unraveling the Effects of Air Pollution

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