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February 2022, Issue 2 Table of Contents

Feature

Conceptual illustration of coral
Environmental Memory: How Corals Are Adjusting to Warmer Waters
Amanda Heidt | Feb 14, 2022 | 10+ min read
Corals that previously experienced heat stress respond better the next time around. Researchers are trying to figure out how, and hope to one day take advantage of the phenomenon to improve coral restoration efforts. 

Freeze Frame

Image showing diatom fluorescence
Caught on Camera
Caught on Camera
Selected images from the-scientist.com

Modus Operandi

An illustration depicting pores on a membrane
DNA Nanopore Sequencing Adapted for Protein Sequence Comparisons
DNA Nanopore Sequencing Adapted for Protein Sequence Comparisons
Researchers link a stretch of DNA to a peptide of interest and measure current changes as the molecule is pulled by a helicase through a nanopore.

Infographics

Illustration of a DNA-peptide conjugate molecule being pulled through a nanopore in a membrane.
Infographic: Reading Proteins with Nanopores
Infographic: Reading Proteins with Nanopores
Adapting DNA nanopore sequencing to peptides allows researchers to identify single amino acid differences.
Illustration showing coral health outcomes in response to bleaching events
Infographic: How Corals Remember the Past, Prepare for the Future
Infographic: How Corals Remember the Past, Prepare for the Future
Scientists have documented examples of corals “remembering” prior exposure to heat stress in the field, and are now simulating these phenomena in the lab to better understand their cellular and molecular underpinnings.

Scientist to Watch

Thomas Lozito poses with Donald, one of his mourning geckos.
Thomas Lozito Is Figuring Out How Lizards Rebuild
Thomas Lozito Is Figuring Out How Lizards Rebuild
The University of Southern California bioengineer studies how lizards regrow their tails, with the goal of one day inducing regeneration in humans.

Bio Business

Photo of lab-grown chicken from Eat Just, Inc.
Cultured Meat Advances Toward the Market
Cultured Meat Advances Toward the Market
The biotech industry is chipping away at the obstacles standing between the lab and the dinner plate.

Reading Frames

Illustration of a jackalope
On the Trail of the Jackalope
On the Trail of the Jackalope
How horned rabbits led the way to the HPV vaccine
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