Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 25, 2024

Science & Technology




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Jordan Green studies complex mechanisms behind how cells function.

BME lab studies drug delivery, biomaterials

Jordan Green, professor in the Biomedical Engineering (BME) department and head of the Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Laboratory, carries out research which focuses on aspects of controlled drug delivery, stem cells, gene therapy and immunoengineering.


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Scientists are sequencing the genome of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits Zika.

Faster genome sequencing aids study of Zika

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Rice University and Texas Children’s Hospital have come together to discover the state-of-the-art 3D genome assembly which can compile, from scratch, an entire genome of any organism at a faster and cheaper rate than ever before.


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Studying smaller galaxies helps astronomers understand how the Milky Way was formed.

Detection device compares nearby galaxies

The universe is nearly 14 billion years old, approximately 23 million times as old as civilization. Astronomers have been assigned the daunting task of discovering exactly how this universe came to be what will happen to it in the future.



 Nogas1974/CC-By-SA-4.0
DNA could be used to store data.

Scientists store binary data in DNA strands

How can the complex compilation of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy be broken down into unintelligible bits of binary data, stored on complex electronic computer systems and then finally transmitted with the tap of a finger?


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Drinking alcohol is associated with decreased risk of heart disease, but exercise is a better alternative.

Moderate alcohol intake lowers heart disease risk

Over the past few decades, several systematic studies and meta-analyses have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular diseases. Most of the studies suggest that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of developing heart diseases compared to non-drinkers and heavy drinkers.




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A cup of tea daily can do wonders for one’s mental acuity later in life.

Tea may improve brain function later in life

According to an ancient Chinese legend, in 2737 BCE, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while a servant boiled water. Some leaves from that tree fell into the emperor’s drink, and he decided to see how the drink tasted. Thus tea was born.


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Reducing exposure to harmful substances is key to cancer prevention.

DNA copying errors increase cancer risk

The human body does not always run like a perfect machine. In fact, nearly two thirds of the mutations that lead to cancer are caused by the body’s arbitrary DNA copying mistakes.



 Peter van der sluijs/CC--BY-SA-3.0
Exercise in combination with other treatments may reverse diabetes.

Intense treatment may reverse Type 2 diabetes

Researchers at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton, Ontario, have discovered a way to reverse Type 2 diabetes by combining a series of lifestyle and insulin therapies with the use of oral medications.



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Beekeepers may need to consider how much antibiotic use is optimal.

Overuse of antibiotics negatively affects bees

The use of antibiotics has marked a new era in science and medicine with its contribution to the treatment of infectious disease. But contrary to the belief that antibiotics are a recent discovery, research has shown traces of tetracycline in human skeletal remains dating back to between 350 and 550 CE.




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Opioid painkillers can be very effective for acute and chronic pain.

Painkillers without side effects developed

It may seem ironic that painkillers, the very drugs that should end or at least lessen suffering, are commonly known to cause uncomfortable side effects such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, constipation and drowsiness.


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When mixed together, coffee and cocoa improve awareness and increase blood flow.

Study shows coffee and cocoa improve focus

Coffee and chocolate are two widely beloved, delicious delicacies. Often thought to be unhealthy, these two flavor powerhouses may in fact have benefits to attention, motivation and energy. Researchers at Clarkson University and the University of Georgia recently completed a year long study about the effects of caffeine and cocoa on attention and motivation to perform cognitive work.


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