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Figure 1.  Although there have not yet been any clinical trials to prove that stem cell treatments are effective – and to demonstrate that they are safe – there are many companies offering treatments for a wide array of diseases and conditions.  Unlike…

Stem cells have been the object of much excitement and controversy amongst both scientists and the general population. Surprisingly, though, not everybody understands the basic properties of stem cells, let alone the fact that there is more than one type…

Biologists have long touted the promise of embryonic stem (ES) cells.  These cells are pluripotent, meaning they can be coaxed to form nearly any cell type of the body.  However, the enormous promise of these cells is overshadowed by moral and technical…

In the year 2013, there has been a plethora of advances made in the use of stem cells to regenerate organs, which offer promises in the treatment of human diseases. Among them is the identification of a population of stem cells in zebrafish that can…

Primary Immune Deficiencies When you meet with Dr. Luigi Notarangelo, the first sign that he is at work today comes from hearing the sounds of frantic typing emanating out of his office at Children’s Hospital Boston. Without breaking stride, he senses…

A DNA sequence from a hominin in Northern Spain 400,000 years ago reveals the diversity of human-like species living in Eurasia just prior to the evolution of modern humans. Excitingly, the specimen is more similar to the Denisovans, previously thought…

Facing the devastating impacts of global warming and energy insecurity, the US has mandated blending biofuels into its transportation fuel supply through the Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) program. At current projected gasoline and diesel consumption…

Just a few weeks ago, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists: Dr. Randy Schekman, Dr. Thomas Südhof, and Dr. James Rothman. These three men were rewarded for their work on a curious organism we encounter in our everyday…

The Nobel Prize is named after a scientist, Alfred Nobel, who established the prizes in his will in 1885. Alfred Nobel is famous for inventing dynamite. However, he mistakenly believed that his invention would bring about a more peaceful world. He is…

Our culture generally assumes that human beings are a monogamous species, with two people committed to one another for a long-term relationship. Scientifically, the existence of monogamy seems counter-intuitive. One of the principles of evolution is that…