monicascicom

The measure of a spider’s silk

As anyone who has unwittingly walked into a web can attest, spider silk is among the strongest yet stretchiest fibers known. Standardized by weight, it is five times stronger than piano wire. Its exceptional mechanical properties make spider silk of great interest in materials science. Yet our understanding of these characteristics is limited because theContinueContinue reading “The measure of a spider’s silk”

Inspired by mussels, a strong adhesive

Bivalve mollusks, such as the blue mussel Mytilus edulis, inhabit coastal waters, attached firmly to rocks and other fixed substrates despite the wet environment and continual, sometimes intense, tidal and wave action. Mussels achieve this remarkable feat by secreting unique protein-based adhesive materials that cement them to their chosen surfaces. These adhesives cure quickly andContinueContinue reading “Inspired by mussels, a strong adhesive”

STIMulating a new treatment for sepsis

Sepsis is a complex, serious condition that affects more than 400,000 people in the US each year. It begins when a bacterial infection produces endotoxins called lipopolysaccharides that bind to endothelial cells lining the insides of blood vessels. This binding causes oxidative stress and an influx of calcium, activating the endothelial cells and increasing theContinueContinue reading “STIMulating a new treatment for sepsis”

Vampire bats go with the flow

Desmodus rotundus is one of only three species of bats that feed exclusively on blood. Commonly called vampire bats, these nocturnal flying mammals have a body length of roughly 3 in and a wingspan up to 15 in. They usually weigh 20–50 g and live up to 12 years in the wild. Their short furContinueContinue reading “Vampire bats go with the flow”

An old therapy takes new flight

Before penicillin was discovered and became the standard treatment for bacterial infections, physicians sometimes used fly larvae to treat severe, infected and chronic wounds. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT), as it is now called, has recently returned to clinical practice in the wake of increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Lab Anim. (NY) 42, 40 (2013). viewContinueContinue reading “An old therapy takes new flight”

Predicting cardiac event risk in silico

Long QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1) is an inherited disorder in which mutations cause a loss of function of the gene KCNQ1. Electrocardiography of affected individuals shows a longer than normal QT interval, representing a prolonged repolarization of the heart wall during the cardiac cycle. This prolongation results in a greater risk of developing arrhythmiasContinueContinue reading “Predicting cardiac event risk in silico”

Immune recovery after hibernation and HIV infection

At first blush, the idea that hibernation and treatment of HIV infection have common characteristics seems unconventional at best. But a collaboration between scientists Carol Meteyer from the US Geological Survey (Madison, WI) and Daniel Barber and Judith Mandl of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Bethesda, MD) has produced evidence thatContinueContinue reading “Immune recovery after hibernation and HIV infection”

Streamlining vaccine production using mRNA

The creation and production of vaccines has come a long way since Edward Jenner developed the first known vaccine in 1796. Jenner used cowpox, a mild relative of smallpox, to induce immunity to smallpox. Today’s vaccines typically use inactivated forms, attenuated forms or purified immunogenic components of the causative pathogens as active agents. For example,ContinueContinue reading “Streamlining vaccine production using mRNA”

63rd AALAS National Meeting

The Program Committee for the 63rd annual meeting of the American Association for Laboratory Science (AALAS), chaired by Sonja Chou, chose trauma recovery research as a spotlight topic. This theme was reflected in the keynote address by Major General James K. Gilman during the Opening General Session on Sunday, November 4. Major General Gilman discussedContinueContinue reading “63rd AALAS National Meeting”

Two steps forward in treating spinal cord injury

Two studies presented at Neuroscience 2012, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (13–17 October 2012; New Orleans, LA), reflect current advances in understanding and treating spinal cord injury (SCI). More than a quarter of a million people in the US live with SCIs, which can be debilitating because they limit movement or feeling,ContinueContinue reading “Two steps forward in treating spinal cord injury”