By The Abstract Editors: Kiarah Geertsema, Natalie Co, and Adele Lopes, in partnership with McGill’s Office of Science Education.
Ten interviews with Building 21 scholars at the Undergraduate Science Showcase.
Category: g – Research News
For pieces about novel discoveries in the research world.
Can animals think about thinking?
An overview of metacognitive studies in non-human animals. This may make you feel guilty about killing that insect crawling on your wall at 1A.M.…
The genetic AND POSTAL lottery: A review of sleep inequality
Shedding light on sleep inequality, an unknown concept, as one of the leading causes of poor health and wellness.
Mini brains in petri dishes
Neuroscientists are engineering “cerebral organoids” using pluripotent stem cells to mimic human brain development, potentially aiding in the study of neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors.
Genetics: The key to humanity’s past and future health
Understanding our ancestors’ genetic makeup to help us understand how our immune systems work today.
HeLa cells – The story behind the first immortal cells
by Louise Durand, Contributing Writer Most people in science have heard of HeLa cells at least once. They are the … More
The first woman cured from HIV: What is waiting in the future?
by Selina Zhao, Contributing Writer In February, a woman* was reported as the third person ever to be cured of … More
Are biodegradable plastics the solution to the plastic crisis?
by Pauline Hughes, Contributing Writer As you make efforts to be a more environmentally-conscious consumer, labels like ‘biodegradable,’ ‘compostable,’ ‘sustainable,’ … More
What’s worth curing? An investigation into the allocation of research funding
by Julia Hukowich, Contributing Writer It’s obvious that we would be nowhere in modern medicine without spending billions of dollars … More
How a nucleic acid could hold the secret to preventing preeclampsia
by Sofia Reynoso, Co-Managing Editor My introduction to preeclampsia came from binge watching Downton Abbey in middle school, when (spoiler … More
Controversy and pending approval of Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm
by Athina Sitou, Contributing Writer Alzheimer’s disease can often have heartbreaking effects on families. It ceases to be abstract when … More
Life-saving science: The 5 most important inventions of all time
by Julia Hukowich, Contributing Writer What comes to your mind when you hear the words “important invention”? I asked a … More
Happy bacteria, happy epithelia: How gut microbiota help suppress inflammation
by Pauline Hughes, Contributing Writer Your intestines are teeming with microorganisms. But, not to worry; these microorganisms, known as the … More
Laughter improves immunity, no joke
by Daniel Mendelson While you laugh at your uncle’s corny dad jokes at the Thanksgiving table, your immune system is … More
Parkinson’s disease: Neurons, autoimmunity and gut infections, oh my!
by Angela Nelson Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of dopamine-producing cells – dopaminergic neurons … More
Nanopillars found on insect wings may solve macro-problems in antimicrobial resistance
by Bridget O’Brien If you press a thumbtack into a balloon, it pops. In a similarly destructive manner, many winged-insects … More
Making new brain cells to fight cell death in Alzheimer’s Disease
by Alina He Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and affects an estimated 50 million worldwide … More
Let’s get ethical
by Sofia Reynoso Recently, I watched a documentary series called Unnatural Selection on Netflix. The show details how an emerging … More
Evidence that new doctors cause increase in mortality rate in the UK
In England, there is a commonly held belief that it is unsafe to be admitted to the hospital on “Black … More
This month on the PDB: December
Hi everybody! 162 structures were released from November 28th to December 5th, ranging from the typical Homo sapiens proteins to … More
This week on the PDB: November 24th – November 30th
Welcome back to another week of “This week on the PDB”, where I discuss you a very small section of … More
This week on the PDB: November 7th – November 13th
Welcome back to “This Week on the PDB” for the week of Nov. 7th! This week on the PDB, 133 … More
This Week on the PDB: An Introduction
Protein functions are largely dependent on their 3D structure, but where can we find these structures, and more importantly, manipulate … More
What Is the human brain project?
(image: Greg Dunn – wired.com) In 2013, the Human Brain Project (HBP) was granted €1-billion by the European Commission’s Future … More
First language shapes later processing patterns in the brain
By Leanne Louie Whether you still speak it or not, your first language dictates the way your brain processes … More
Top ten scientific breakthroughs: 2013 Edition
As an aspiring scientist, nothing excites me more than a good step forward in a research field, and by those … More
From fly sex to lizard saliva: Why we must fund all scientific research
It is vital that we recognize the value of pushing the frontiers of knowledge, even in the most unlikely of … More
Scientifically proven* to improve your life – An interview with useful science
*This site has not undergone any kind of scientific review process – but it is super cool. What started as … More
Everything you thought you knew about food is wrong…
At a time when the obesity epidemic is overwhelming healthcare systems globally, when it seems that almost everyone is “watching … More
Collaboration and clean-energy at Polytechnique
Can Quebec run on only clean energy? At Polytechnique Montréal on a Tuesday night, four speakers from four institutions sought … More
NIMH “throws shade” on APA weeks before new DSM
Only a few weeks ago, blogs were heralding the impending arrival of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical … More
Harvard medical school to close primate research facility
McGill is not only a top-tier undergraduate institution, it’s also one of Canada’s largest research institutions. A significant part of … More