Browse Articles

Characterization of a UPEC DegS Mutant in vitro and in vivo

Bradley et al. | Mar 16, 2015

Characterization of a UPEC <em>DegS</em> Mutant <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em>

DegS is an integral inner membrane protein in E. coli that helps break down misfolded proteins. When it is mutated, there is a large increase in the production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), which are thought to play a role in pathogenesis. This study used mutant strains of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) to characterize the role of DegS and OMVs on UPEC virulence.

Read More...

Plasmid Variance and Nutrient Regulation of Bioluminescence Genes

Uhler et al. | Dec 09, 2014

Plasmid Variance and Nutrient Regulation of Bioluminescence Genes

Numerous organisms, including the marine bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri, produce light. This bioluminescence is involved in many important symbioses and may one day be an important source of light for humans. In this study, the authors investigated ways to increase bioluminescence production from the model organism E. coli.

Read More...

Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: An Analysis of Drug Therapy Options through Interaction Maps and Graph Theory

Gupta et al. | Feb 04, 2014

Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: An Analysis of Drug Therapy Options through Interaction Maps and Graph Theory

Cancer is often caused by improper function of a few proteins, and sometimes it takes only a few proteins to malfunction to cause drastic changes in cells. Here the authors look at the genes that were mutated in patients with a type of pancreatic cancer to identify proteins that are important in causing cancer. They also determined which proteins currently lack effective treatment, and suggest that certain proteins (named KRAS, CDKN2A, and RBBP8) are the most important candidates for developing drugs to treat pancreatic cancer.

Read More...

An Investigative Analysis of Climate Change Using Historical and Modern Weather Data

Han et al. | Dec 02, 2013

An Investigative Analysis of Climate Change Using Historical and Modern Weather Data

Climate change is an important and contentious issue that has far-reaching implications for our future. The authors here compare primary temperature and precipitation data from almost 200 years ago against the present day. They find that the average annual temperature in Brooklyn, NY has risen significantly over this time, as has the frequency of precipitation, though not the amount of precipitation. These data stress the need for more ecologically-conscious choices in our daily lives.

Read More...

Determining the Habitable Zone Around a Star

Lee et al. | May 29, 2013

Determining the Habitable Zone Around a Star

Life requires many things, including a hospitable temperature, elements, and energy. Here the authors utilize Newton's laws of physics and information relating a star's luminosity and temperature to determine the minimum and maximum masses and luminosities of planets and stars that would support life as we know it. This work can be used to determine the likelihood of a planet being able to support life based on attributes we can measure from here on Earth.

Read More...

Pressing filtration for extraction of cabbage dietary fiber and soluble components

Xie et al. | Nov 16, 2025

Pressing filtration for extraction of cabbage dietary fiber and soluble components
Image credit: Shelley Pauls

Here the authors introduce pressing filtration as a novel, efficient, and low-energy method for extracting dietary fiber from cabbage, which successfully retains heat-sensitive nutrients and achieves a high fiber yield. The study demonstrates the scalability and economic viability of this technique for commercial use, highlighting that the resulting high-fiber cabbage powder can be incorporated into familiar foods like hamburger buns and beef patties without compromising taste or sensory quality.

Read More...