PAUL STAMETS BY HANNAH MAYES

Fig. 1. “File:Paul Stamets with Agarikon.jpg” by Howcheng https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/3428eee3-5631-476d-b925-b98d6962414e 

After reading from several articles I found “return of the fungi” by Andy isaacc illustrated stamets the best for my research. Paul staemts faced hardships and insecurities his whole childhood and so he did not think his life was going anywhere. He had a troublesome stutter and so he felt alienated among his peers.  On one fateful night stamets ingested psychedelic mushrooms, the next morning after along drug induced night he discovered he had conquered his speech impediment. Because of this experience he developed a fascination with fungi and the possible benefits. Paul first went to college but dropped out for work, He eventually graduated from  evergreen state college where he studied Biology and electron microscopy. When he could not enter grad school He started his own fungi based company, ‘Fungi Perfecti’; a company that prides itself on maintaining and selling edible and medicinal mushrooms. (Isaacc)

Paul now can be found roaming the forest floors of the Pacific northwest with his with dusty, searching for mushrooms he can use in his research. Most recently he has received attention for his work in fighting to save the bees by using red reishi and amadou which are species of a wood conk mushroom. The mushrooms help because they have a resistance against a virus that has been wiping out bee populations across the county. ( Stamets) 

Other notable things in his work include his research of agarikon which has been proven resistant to smallpox, bird flu, and Tuberculosis. He also discovered that a part of the oyster mushroom can be used to turn waste from oil spills or farmer run off into stable soil (Isaacc). Paul Stamets is a unique and special scientist because he proves that anyone can start off from nothing and become somebody who can make themselves proud.

 Works Citations 

Isaacson, Andy. “Return of the fungi: Paul Stamets is on a quest to find an endangered mushroom that could cure smallpox, TB, and even bird flu. Can he unlock its secrets before deforestation and climate change wipe it out?” Mother Jones, Nov.-Dec. 2009, p. 70+. Gale In Context: College, https://link-gale-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A210919980/CSIC?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=CSIC&xid=bf9fd728. Accessed 28 Sept. 2019.

 

Stamets, Paul. “Saving Bees With Mushrooms.” New York Times, 30 Dec. 2018, p. 4(L). Gale In Context: College, https://link-gale-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A567692441/CSIC?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=CSIC&xid=5928b950. Accessed 28 Sept. 2019.

“File:Paul Stamets with Agarikon.jpg” by Howcheng is licensed under CC BY 3.0

Sigmund Freud

Janae Voss

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sigmund Freud figure at Madame Tussauds Vienna" by Luke Rauscher
http://Rauscher, Luke. “CC Search.” Creative Commons, ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/c26d24bc-60fa-4497-8da8-1abd8148d074. Accessed 10 Oct. 2019.

Sigmund Freud is well known for his work in psychology, but also made contributions to the field of biology. To better understand Freud’s studies, it is important to start with his childhood. Elizabeth Oakes, writes about Freud’s childhood in the article Freud, Sigmund. Oakes explains that Sigmund Freud was born in May of 1856 to his father’s second family. Freud was the oldest child, but he also had a half-brother who was the same age as his mother, who, not to mention was 20 years younger than his father. Oakes says, “Making sense of this confusing family situation heightened Freud’s intellect and curiosity.” (Oakes, par. 2)
While his childhood may have looked different than some, Sigmund Freud’s family still plays a key role in how he was able to receive an education. Freud’s family struggled financially, but they made his education a priority. Freud was able to attend the University of Vienna in 1873 where he earned his M.D. in 1881. (Oakes par.3)
After graduating college, Freud traveled many paths, but always had his interest in the human brain as the motivation to his studies. The first place he worked was a hospital in Paris. He worked there in order to support his new wife. While working at the hospital, Freud spent most of his time in the nervous diseases department. Freud, at one point, started his own practice as a neuropathologist.(Oakes, par. 5)
An important point in Freud’s career, is known as “The case of Anna O”. Elizabeth Oakes mentions that in 1895, Freud was conducting studies of hysteria.(Oakes par. 5) In the article, What are the most interesting ideas of Sigmund Freud?, by Saul McLeod, the case of Anna O is explained. Anna O. suffered from hysteria, which is, “a condition in which the patient exhibits physical symptoms without an apparent physical cause” (McLeod, par. 7) This case was a significant event in Sigmund Freud’s Life because it led him to many new discoveries. After observing Anna O., Freud was just in the beginning of his study of psychoanalysis. Freud is now known for being the father of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is “a method for treating mental illness and also a theory that explains human behavior.”(McLeod, par. 1) Due to the study of Anna O., Freud also came up with the method of free association.(Oakes, par. 5) These studies, led to later studies, where Freud introduced the ego, the conscious, the id, and the unconscious. Freud also is well known for his very important work on the interpretation of dreams. In 1901, Freud created a publication that stated that dreams are a result of the mind’s unconscious experiences and desires. This is considered some of the most important work he completed. (Oakes, par. 6) Sigmund Freud’s work helps scientists in the field of biology understand humans.
Freud and his wife gave birth to 6 children. This may have kept him busy, but his children did not stop him from making significant discoveries in the human brain. (Oakes, par. 8) The studies Freud completed, play a huge role in understanding the human brain. Psychology is the study of the human brain, along with human behavior, which is important in biology. In the article, What are the most interesting ideas of Freud?, McLeod explains Freud’s discoveries on the unconscious mind. From 1900-1905, Freud was working on creating a topographical model. This model would describe what Freud believed to be the structure and function of the human brain. Freud conducted research to prove that there are different levels of consciousness in the human mind. He claimed that the human mind included the consciousness, the subconscious, and the unconscious, which also includes the id.(McLeod, par. 12) McLeod writes that Freud’s studies show that the conscious is the part of the brain where humans have thoughts “that are the focus of our attention now.”(McLeod, par.13) The subconscious consists of all which can be retrieved from memory.(McLeod, par.13) The unconscious is a part of the mind that, according to Freud, controls the reasoning behind why humans do what they do. For example, in 1915, while Freud was conducting psychotherapy, he found his patients would often not want to talk about their most painful memories. Freud called this repression.(McLeod, par. 16)
Repression can be implicated in everyday life because most people try not to think about painful memories too often. Freud wanted people to acknowledge their unconscious thoughts so they could understand why they behave the way they do. Denial, projection, displacement, and regression, are all defense mechanisms that Freud believed people used as well. To further understand the reasoning behind human behavior, Freud goes into explaining the id, the ego, and the superego. For example, the id is said by Freud to be in control of people’s pleasure and instincts.(McLeod, par. 30)

Some people have considered Freud’s studies to be somewhat strange. However, if Freud and I have one thing in common, it’s that we both understand that human beings do what they do for a reason. When I was in high school, one of the main reasons I was so excited to take psychology was so I could better understand the reasonings behind people’s actions. I had noticed that everyone is different in a special way. I also noticed that individuals behaved differently, depending on the type of influences around them in their life. I knew that I am partially the way I am because of events I have been through in my life. Believing that childhood experiences are influential to the type of person someone becomes, is something we both of us would agree on.

Works Cited 

http://Mcleod, Saul. “What Are the Most Interesting Ideas of Sigmund Freud?” Study Guides for Psychology Students – Simply Psychology, Simply Psychology, 5 Apr. 2018, www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html. Accessed 29 Sept. 2019

http://Oakes, Elizabeth H. “Freud, Sigmund.” Encyclopedia of World Scientists, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2007. Science Online, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11992&itemid=WE40&articleId=297949. Accessed 29 Sept. 2019.

 

 

Madeline Warren

10 October 2019

Elizabeth Hattie Alexander spent most of her scientific career as a physician. Her most noteworthy scientific discovery was helping to find the cure for influenzal and bacterial meningitis. (Science Online).

Personal Life and Education

According to AccessScience, Alexander was born in Baltimore on April 5, 1901. She had seven siblings; one older and six younger. She received her high school diploma from Western High School for Girls. In high school, she participated in and excelled at Track and Field. In college, Alexander earned average grades and was a mediocre student. Many people including her professors expected little from her, but Alexander aspired to a doctor. She attended Goucher College and in 1932 she earned her bachelor’s degree (Britannica Academic). She was a bacteriologist for three years before attending John Hopkins University (Access Science).

After she graduated and received her M.D., Alexander accepted multiple internships. These included ones at the Harriet Lane Home, in her home town of Baltimore. She worked there for one year before accepting an internship in New York City at “the Babies Hospital of the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.” (Science Online). In these positions, she got her first exposure to the disease and shortly afterward began her work for a cure. Eventually, Alexander was given a full-time job at the hospital as a pediatrics doctor. She worked there and as a professor until her death in 1968. Alexander died of cancer (Access Science). She was 67. (Gale).

She also worked as a professor at Columbia University for over two decades (Gale). Alexander was loved by her students and peers alike. They were impressed with her work in the medical field and her passion (Access Science).

Alexander was named the president of the American pediatric society in 1964. She was the first woman to hold the title (Science Online).

Contributions

At the time Alexander entered the medical field, there was little to no treatment for the illness and “was fatal in 100% of cases” (Access Science). Her and a colleague named Michael Heidelberger conducted trials using rabbits. They took samples from meningitis patients and injected it into the healthy rabbits. The rabbits would make “antibodies” to fight off the infection and they used those to “develop an anti-serum” that was used to cure the sick patients.

Influenzal Meningitis fatality rates went from 100 to 20 percent, due to the work of Heidelberger and Alexander. They accomplished this in two years. Alexander continued her fight against the disease and rates successfully dropped even lower-to ten percent (Access Science).

Alexander then began finding a cure for the bacterial version of the disease, with the help of Grace Leidy, her assistant. Together they experimented with DNA and its genetics to figure out why it was rejecting treatment for the bacterial illness (Access Science).

Implications of Work for Everyday Life

Access Science and Britannica Academic explain that Meningitis can be a viral or bacterial disease. It was a common illness and caused many deaths in young children and babies during Alexander’s lifetime. Her work as a physician and bacteriologist was crucial in curing the sickness. Without her efforts and findings, influenzal meningitis fatality rates would still be much higher (Access Science).

Event in History

Alexander lived from the years 1901-1968, and she experienced both World Wars. She was in college during the years between World War 1 and World War 2. During the first year of the Second World War (in 1939) the first cure for the viral disease in infants was found by Alexander (Britannica Academic).

Similarities

Elizabeth Hattie Alexander was a dreamer. She had immense goals for her life and herself while in college as she knew she wanted to go into the medical field and help people (Science Online). I am similar to her in the sense that I too have set goals I hope to accomplish in my future career in the field of Journalism/Communications. I aspire to be an influential Journalist. Particularly one who writes with honesty and one who writes to inform the general public on important topics. I find a sense of joy in helping people and I want to make an impact as she did. Alexander kept her courage and ambition despite being doubted by many. Eventually, she went on to make one of many important scientific discoveries, and a cure for a life-threatening disease. It is for those traits that I find her extremely admirable.

Figure 1

Works Cited

Oakes, Elizabeth H. “Alexander, Hattie Elizabeth.” Encyclopedia of World Scientists, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2007. Science Online, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11992&itemid=WE40&articleId=298380. Accessed 29 Sept. 2019.

“Alexander, Hattie Elizabeth.” AccessScience. https://www-accessscience-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/content/alexander-hattie-elizabeth/m0090590. Accessed 29 Sept. 2019.

“Hattie Elizabeth Alexander.” Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 11 Mar. 2011. academic-eb-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/levels/collegiate/article/Hattie-Elizabeth-Alexander/124900. Accessed 10 Oct. 2019.

“Hattie Alexander.” Notable Women Scientists, Gale, 2000. Gale In Context: World History, https://link-gale-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/K1668000009/WHIC?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=WHIC&xid=b81e1729. Accessed 10 Oct. 2019.

Joseph Priestly- Nathan Scott Post 1

Early Life and Education

Joseph Priestly a scientist born in the 1700’s discovered many scientific processes that are known worldwide today. He was born and raised in Yorkshire by a family of successful wool-cloth makers, who happened to be Calvinist (Famous). Priestly entered the Dissenting Academy at Daventry, Northamhampshire, he left the school after studying philosophy, science and literature (McEvoy). Later Priestly went on to be a tutor and a professor at the Warrington Academy in Lancashire where he taught language and literature. The foundation Priestly had allowed him to develop into a credible researcher and writer allowing his career to grow rapidly. After his academic career he went began working on many different scientific studies.

Research and Studies

The interest Preistly had in science skyrocketed in 1775 when he met Benjamin Franklin. The two began discovering the relation between electricity and chemical change, where Priestly focused basing his research on facts rather than hypothesis (McEvoy). This was not a new approach to science, however it was a bold decision Priestly decided to make. After completing his work with Franklin, Priestly began research on gasses in the air. By 1770 Priestly “published six articles in the Royal Society Philosophical Transactions describing experiments on gasses, or air” (McEvoy). His research included various apparatuses used to test for elements in the earth’s air. His use of his own inventions led to the discovery of ten new gasses at the time which included: nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, silicon tetrafluoride, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide (Famous). Later Priestly translated his findings and began research on popular plagues or diseases harming the world population. Due to innovations in science and electricity him and other scientists created soda water in hopes it would help with sickness, although it did not soda water and carbonated drinks are still thriving today (McEvoy). Priestly’s most famous scientific discovery came when “he obtained a colorless gas by heating red mercuric oxide” which is now known as oxidation (McEvoy). A few years later Priestley and Antione Lessive began working together to discover oxygen along with oxidation (Famous). This discovery opened many doors for more specific research on photosynthesis and the earth’s air composition.

Evaluation and Reflection

We experience and learn about oxygen just as Priestly did, his discoveries helped us understand major aspects of our world today. Oxygen keeps us alive along with many other plants and animals that allow humans to thrive. Oxygen is involved in many processes well known today such as photosynthesis. In photosynthesis as we have learned plants take in sunlight along with water and carbon dioxide and in return produce oxygen and sugar. This oxygen the plants produce is crucial for all life forms on earth. Since the beginning of time this process was just as important for life as it is today. Although oxygen may have been Presitly’s most important discovery his other research on elements in our atmosphere gave us a better understanding of the earth’s composition.

Figure 1. Chloroplast in Photosynthesis. “File: Chloroplast/Chloroplasten.” Creative Commons. Sep 29 2019. https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/ed0c96d7-976a-4455-b03a-07b9b9acc796

The work of Priestly along with other scientist is what helped him immensely with the discovery of oxygen. As I stated before his work with Franklin got him quite interested in the scientific world. He was intrigued by correlation on energy and chemical change, after this he continued to do various experiments that only led to more scientific discoveries and innovations. Just as Priestly was I am interested in the composition of the earth’s atmosphere, specifically pollution and its effect on humans. I want to learn more about this topic as I am currently writing a paper about it. The pollution crisis is taking over our scientific and political world right now. Depending on who you listen to our earth could be in danger in as little as twenty five or fifty years or possibly more. Now matter what the impact we leave on our earth today will affect generations to come, this is why it is important to understand these concepts along with the functions of the world itself. Priestly’s discoveries of many new elements helped describe many concepts that are crucial to life on earth.

Works Cited
McEvoy, John. “Joseph Priestly.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Priestley. Accessed Sep 29 2019.

“Joseph Priestly.” FamousBiologist. http://famousbiologists.org/joseph-priestley/. Accessed Sep 30 2019.

David Baltimore

Post 1, Nicolas Burton

Early Life and Education

David Baltimore was born on March 7^th, 1938, in New York, New York. His parents were Richard and Gertrude Baltimore, who raised David within Queens until the second grade, where he was further moved to Great Neck, New York because his mother felt the city schools to be inadequate. As a student, Baltimore had exceeded his expectations in math, but immediately built up a deep love for science. While still a secondary school student, he spent a spring at the Jackson Memorial Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, experiencing science in its true nature. Following this, he aimed and succeeded in entering Swarthmore College in 1956, proclaiming himself a science major following the previous events in life. Later, he followed it up with an exploration postulation, which is an examination report, typically a prerequisite for graduation. He graduated in 1960 with a four-year certification or a bachelor’s degree, and upon graduation had received high praise from both his peers and teachers. Between his sophomore and junior years at Swarthmore, he spent a spring at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories where the impact of George Streisinger drove him to divulge into sub-atomic science, which is technically science about the structure and advancement of natural frameworks.

Post-Graduate Life and Studies

Following his years at Swarthmore, he proceeded to enroll for two years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in biophysics to complete graduate work. During this, he left for another spring to go from the Albert Einstein Medical College to take an infection course at Cold Spring Harbor under Richard Franklin and Edward Simon, two esteemed scientists within his interested field.  After a year here, he proceeded to join Salk Institute of Biological Studies as an examination partner, where he became friends and worked closely with Renato Dulbecco. He met his wife at the same location, Alice S. Huang, and they became married on October 5^th, 1968. After marrying Alice and studying as an examination partner, he followed it up by becoming a full professor within MIT, after which he joined the staff of the MIT Center for Cancer Research under Salvador Luria in 1974.

Throughout his studies, he received several honors, mainly for his work in malignant growth examine. Within the year 1971, he was the beneficiary of the Gustav Stern honor in virology, which is the study of infections, the Warren Triennial Prize, and the Eli Lilly and Co. grant in microbiology, which is a study that examines the minuscule living things. In addition to the previous, he received honors in immunology as well, which is a part of science that includes the investigation of safe framework. His most honorable title received was the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine that he shared with Howard M. Temin and Renato Dulbecco for research regarding retrovirus and malignancy, retroviruses referring to a sort of infections.

Main Research

One of the main focal points of Baltimore’s research was the discovery of reverse transcriptase. Essentially, this was enzyme to used to generate complementary DNA from an RNA template.  The research they contributed proved that the progression of hereditary data within the infections didn’t need to go from DNA to RNA, however, they could spill out of RNA and DNA, which further showed that it was a game-changer towards the overall belief of the molecular biology. This in basic terms was a solution towards a series of infections and finding ways to treat them, through the understanding of how viruses reproduce themselves.

Summary/Reflection

With the rising levels of medical advancements in recent years, the findings of Baltimore are nothing short than revolutionary. Between the Noble Prize (referenced with the picture below) and the National Medals of Science and Technology he received from Bill Clinton in 2000, the belief that Baltimore’s research has heavily influenced modern medicine is clearly observational. Although his research is spread across several different subsets of biology, his main contributions seemed to be towards molecular biology, immunology, and virology. Comparing David’s life to my own, he clearly is much more into biology than I. However, I can agree with him on the importance and interest of Stem Cell Research. Stem Cell seemingly will be a big part of the future, looking like it will be leading medical advancements with better understanding as it includes the growing of working organs and new cells from using basic practices. I would say it rivals with the advancement of AI within the computer science community which I am looking forward to joining.

 

 

Figure 1: Pictured is David Baltimore from the Noble Prize’s main website, “The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1975.” NobelPrize.org, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1975/baltimore/biographical/.

Work Cited

Coffin, John M. “Overview of Reverse Transcription.” Retroviruses., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1997, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19424

“David Baltimore Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, www.notablebiographies.com/Ba-Be/Baltimore-David.html.

“The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1975.” NobelPrize.org, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1975/baltimore/biographical/.

 

Post 1 by Mandi Peterson

Personal Life

Emma Lucy Braun was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 19, 1889 to George Frederick Braun, a school principal, and Emma Moriah (Wright) Braun, a teacher in the same school (Oakes, 2007).  Emma was the younger of two daughters, as she was succeeded by her sister Annette. From a young age both Annette and Emma’s showed piqued interest in the outdoors and in the field of biology as they accompanied their parents on trips to the woods to classify wildflowers.  Emma’s interest stemmed into further work in the field which blossomed into revolutionary achievements for the field of biology.  Emma’s life was quite extraordinary not only in her achievements, but in the way she lived — working beside and collaborating with her sister Annette, as they both had studied in the field of biology.  Emma never married and instead resided with her sister Annette in a house located in suburban Cincinnati.  They maintained a “strict Victorian lifestyle” up until her passing in 1971 from congestive heart failure.  “Their home and garden, surrounded by mostly undisturbed woods, contained an area, both inside and outside, that they called the ‘science wing,’ which served as their laboratory.  Their garden was, in fact, an experimental garden, where many rare and unusual plants were grown for closer observation and study” (Stuckey, pp. 45).

Education

Emma went on to get various degrees from the University of Cincinnati with her first being a liberal arts degree (Oakes, 2007).  She pursued further with her studies and first earned a B.A. in Geology in 1910 followed by an M.A. in Geology in 1912 (Oakes, 2007).  The summer after she earned her master’s degree she studied plant ecology at the University of Chicago with Henry C. Cowles who was an expert in the field (Oakes, 2007).  She returned in the fall to embark on her studies towards a PhD in botany which she received in 1914; Emma’s sister also achieved the same academic level in botany three years before (Access Science).  Emma not only studied at the University of Cincinnati but became a professor there as well.  She spent all her 61-year career teaching or researching in some way, shape or form for this institution of knowledge (Oakes, 2007).

Work

Throughout her life Emma became well known for her work in field studies, more specifically, her work of the classification of different vegetation based on region.  She revolutionized the method that scientists use to analyze change of flora in a specific environment over time.   “Her field studies of plant distribution combined with her interests in geology also led her to consider several innovative theories in the evolution of forest communities and their survival during periods of glaciation” (Access Science).  Emma’s work is important in our everyday lives because it helps civilization better understand how we got to where we are. As we reside in this environment which supports human life, we are made aware of the importance of the role that plants maintain and how we should make efforts to conserve this relationship.  Emma Braun successfully published her book Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America in 1950. This book consists of her compiled studies over the last 30 years of the forests, concentrating on eastern North America.

Emma Braun had various methods to record and observe her work such as written field journals, dried plant specimen collection, and even photographs.  In the late 1880’s the film camera was invented and became a useful tool to accurately depict images in a cheaper and more user-friendly medium than ever before.  This was a great advancement not only for use in enjoyment, but for scientists alike.  The film camera was used by Emma Braun to document and record some of her field studies work. Figure 1 shows a picture that Braun took which is a part of an album archived at the Smithsonian.

Figure 1. A luxuriant herbaceous growth with many ferns.  “https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=SIA-SIA2007-0061-000001” Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7140, Emma Lucy Braun Photograph Album

Recognition and Life Achievements

Emma Braun pioneered recognition for women in the field of botany, winning many medals, memberships and honors.  She was the first woman to become president of two different biological organizations, the Ohio Academy of Science, and the Ecological Society of America.  She was also the first woman to be recognized in the Ohio Conservation Hall of Fame when she passed (Stuckey, pp. 45).  Braun established a local Wild Flower Preservation Society as she stressed the importance of preserving natural habitats (Access Science).  When Emma passed her collection of dried flora and vegetation specimens numbered over eleven thousand and was submitted to the herbarium at the Smithsonian Institute. The collection remains there to this day

Summary and Reflection

If I could amount to even a fraction of the achievement and uniqueness that Emma Braun did I would be absolutely pleased with myself.  Emma is such a wonderful example of someone who was an innovative thinker that had genuine excitement and passion for her field.  These qualities really show through in her work.  I am so inspired and thankful to have had the pleasure of reading and learning about her life as I am also someone who is interested in ecology and botany studies.  I am pondering whether I would like to pursue further education in the subject later on in my school career, in hopes of being able to conduct field studies of my own someday.  But for now, I will continue to explore the great outdoors on my private time, taking film pictures with my camera, and preserving specimens I find for my personal enjoyment.

Works Cited

“Braun, Emma Lucy.” Access Science.

Oakes, Elizabeth H. “Braun, Emma Lucy.” Encyclopedia of World Scientists, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2007. Science Online, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11992&itemid=WE40&articleId=298542. Accessed 10 Oct. 2019

Stuckey, Ronald L. “Emma Lucy Braun (1889–1971).” Women in the Biological Sciences: A Biobibliographic Sourcebook (1997): 44.

In previous research studies, scientists believed that a living cell could not go from it’s mature state to its immature state in a reversed process. That belief was conceived until a particular individual by the name of Shinya Yamanaka collaborated on a research to prove this theory wrong. While visiting a fertility lab, Yamanaka believed there was another way for the use of embryonic tissue in the stem cell and that was when the idea of his research came to mind. Instead of cells producing at its normal cycle, Yamanaka did the impossible and reversed the states of the cell. In 2006, five years into his project, he was able to first conduct the research on mice cells, then later on conducted it on human cells. With endless hours of research and a strong team of intelligent students, Yamanaka was successful and in 2012 received a Nobel Prize on this unique study. This specific study and Yamanaka’s work has revolutionized science as we know it today.

Yamanaka is a scientist whom was born on September 4, 1962 in Higashiosaka, Japan. Parented by his father who had owned a small factory in Osaka, Japan, something I myself can relate to because my parents are also hard working so I am able to pursue my dreams. As a teenager, Yamanaka had an interest in martial arts and swimming. These activities led to many visits to the orthopedics office as a result of sports related injuries. Appointments directed Yamanaka to his interest in the medical field where he originally was in favor of becoming an orthopedic surgeon (Pioneer). Formerly, Yamanaka obtained a medical degree at Kobe University and started his residency in orthopedic surgery at National Osaka Hospital. Overtime, Yamanka realized his lack of skill and interest as a surgeon and switched over to pursue a career in research (Pioneer). Yamanaka started his research career receiving his PhD at the Gladstone Institute at the University of California, San Francisco (Shinya Yamanaka). After, he decided to move back home and become an assistant professor at the Osaka City University Medical School. In 1999, Yamanaka became an associate professor at Nara Institute of Science and later on was offered a professor position in 2003. In 2004, Yamanaka started at Kyoto University as a professor and continued his interest in the study he is notorious for. In 2007, Yamanaka was appointed to be a visitor scientist at his old stomping grounds at the Gladstone Institute and is currently a director of the program (Autobiography). Yamanaka is the father of two girls and is continuing his career in research. 

As a cell produces, it begins to be identical at the beginning of cell production, it then divides and overtime the cells in one’s body increases due to this division. Yamanaka helped conduct a study that involved the separation of adult cells reverting back to it’s pluripotent stage. A pluripotent cell is known to be a “master cell”, meaning it is a strong cell that is able to repair a cell or tissue if the body is in need. As a pluripotent cell, the cell has the ability to adapt into any cell type of the body (Shinya Yamanaka). To begin this research, Yamanaka was able to find four genes from adult mice that converted the skin cells back to its pluripotent stage (Pioneer). Although the research done on mice was successful, the big question that was left for Yamanaka to answer was, “Can this study be done on adult human cells”? Subsequently, after the discovery of his success, Yamanaka started his research on stem cell reproduction in human cells. In the duration of Yamanaka’s work, he realized that one of the gene combinations used to test the human cells included a type of cancer gene. Almost a year after doing research, Yamanaka was able to successfully find a solution that would decrease the amount of cancer gene in the cell, while also continuing his process of going back to the cell’s immature state in a human cell. In the figure 1 below is a depiction of the process Yamanaka has created for his study. 

Figure 1. Making IPS Cells. “Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Mouse Embryonic and Adult Fibroblast Cultures by Defined Factors” The Science of Parkinson’s. 25 August 2006. <on-astrocytes-and-neurons-reprogramming-for-parkinsons>

 

                                               Works Cited

“Autobiography of Shinya Yamanaka” The Shaw Prize. Hong Kong. 9 September 2008. 

http://www.shawprize.org/en/shaw.php?tmp=3&twoid=49&threeid=56&fourid=72&fiveid=16. 

Okita, Keisuke, Ichisaka, Tomoko, and Yamanaka, Shinya. “Generation of Germline-Competent Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells” Nature. 6 June 2007. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05934.

“Pioneer of Embryonic Stem Cell Research” Academy of Achievement. 30 October 2018. Shinya-yamanaka-m-d-ph-d. 

Rogers, Kara. “Shinya Yamanaka” Encyclopedia Britannica. 31 August 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Shinya-Yamanaka.

Shinya Yamanaka – Facts. Nobel Media AB 2019. 5 October 2019. 

<https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2012/yamanaka/facts/>.

 

 

 

By: Elizabeth Havey

Rita Colwell is a woman that specialized in marine bacteriology. Bacteriology is part of a branch of microbiology. Specifically, someone who specializes in bacteriology is someone who studies and looks intensely at bacteria (“Bacteriology”). The study of bacteriology started around 1683, around the same time the microscope was discovered (“Bacteriology”). After a few years many branches of bacteriology started to emerge like the one the Colwell specialized in, marine bacteriology. Marine bacteriology is the study of bacteria that lives in water.

Rita Colwell was born November 23, 1934 in Beverly Massachusetts. She was the second youngest of eight children. Rita was a very smart individual even as a child. While she was in school, she scored highest on the IQ exam in her schools’ history (“Rita”). While in high school she did exceptionally well in science, especially chemistry. Even with her extreme talent her teachers still told her that she should not pursue a career in chemistry because it is not a job for women (Oakes). Despite what they told her she went to college at Purdue University and began to pursue a career in chemistry. I am glad that she pursued what she was passionate about even though people told her not to this is a great lesson for me and women all around the world. As the year went on, she began change her mind about majoring in chemistry and that is when she switched her major to bacteriology (Oaks). She later graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in bacteriology and a Masters in genetics. She later got a PHD in oceanography from the University of Washington (Carey). Later in her life she began working at the University of Georgetown where her study of cholera bacteria became the forefront of work (Oaks).

One of her very well know works was how she did research that helped control many of the outbreaks of cholera. The photo shown below is of the cholera bacteria that Colwell studied. While she did this, she began to shine a light on marine bacteria and people to begin to pay more attention to it. She theorized that as the weather got warmer the chorea bacteria would break out more and higher amounts of the bacteria would be present in the water (Carey). After further research was done, she concluded that this was the case. After discovering this she figured out a simple way to make it so that people would not ingest the chorea bacteria, by filtering water through a sari cloth (Carey). This solution made it so that even extremely poor areas suffering from cholera outbreaks could filter their water as well. This was an amazing discovery and helped prevent many people from getting sick.

Figure 1

Figure 1. Cholera Bacteria. “Vibrio cholerae (Cholera).” Hukuzatuna is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/d0ffd68f-293f-422e-80dd-cfec9766b65b

A few other things that she is known for is she created a company called CosmosID. This company used computers to identify and monitor dangerous things in the environment in order to reduce public health problems (Carey). Not only was she passionate about keeping the environment clean she also wanted people to know more about microbiology. According to Charles Carey author of “Colwell, Rita R.”, she urged people to pay more attention to marine bacteria and the things that they could do. For example, she researched bacteria that could potentially clean up oil spills. She wanted to create strains of bacteria that would eat petroleum so that oil spills would be less harmful (Carey).

Rita is a real believer in the sea. She thinks that the sea could be used much more than it is currently. Colwell received many awards for the work that she did. She also wrote many books that she is known for. She made it so that people had access to clean water and then continued to see what she could do to keep water and the environment clean. I can relate to Rita through seeing the important of keeping the environment and oceans clean. Rita has two daughters and enjoys jogging and sailing as well as speaking out for women’s rights (“Rita”). Colwell still continues to teach and work with people to make the world a better place today.

Works Cited

Carey, Charles W. “Colwell, Rita R.” American Scientists, Second Edition, Facts One File, 2018. Science Online, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11992&itemid=WE40&articleId=201318. Accessed 27 Sept. 2019.

Oakes, Elizabeth H. “Colwell, Rita Rossi.” Encyclopedia of World Scientists, Revised Edition, Facts One File, 2007. Science Online, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=11992&itemid=WE40&articleId=298438. Accessed 27 Sept. 2019.

“Bacteriology” Britannica Academic, 2019, https://academic-eb-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/levels/collegiate/article/bacteriology/11669

“Rita Colwell.” Notable Women Scientists, Gale, 2009. Gale In Context: World History,https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1668000081/WHIC?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=WHIC&xid=fea525f7.

 

Danny Rogers

10 October 2019

Sidney Altman

Sidney Altman was born on May 7th, 1939 in Montreal Canada. His father Victor Altman worked at a grocery store and his mother Ray Arlin worked as a textile worker they were both low income Eastern European immigrants. Sidney grew up in When Sindey was done with high school he moved to the US to go to college at Massachusetts instate of Technology after getting his bachelor’s degree in MIT he took a small class about molecular biology and really enjoyed it. he went back to school to study Physics at Columbia University and dropped out of that program after his first year because he didn’t have enough lab time and also some personal reasons. He then went back to school at the University of Colorado Medical Center to study DNA. In 1967 he got a PhD in Biophysics and went to work at Harvard, at Harvard he researched DNA and how the endonuclease was involved in replication and recombination of T4 DNA (Thefamouspeople). he also worked at Cambridge at the lab owned by Sydney Brenner and Francis Crick the co- discoverer of the DNA for a time researching RNA making huge progress there. he then got a job at Yale when he continued to Research RNA while at Yale where he and his partner Thomas Cech found the discovery of the Catalytic RNA and received a noble prize on the finding of the Catalytic RNA.

the Catalytic RNA is a big discovery because Sidney Altman found out that the RNA not only carries genetic information, but it also works as an enzyme. When he was studying a common bacteria cell in 1980, he found a weird enzyme which was made up of both RNA and protein components. He though it nothing at first but after experimenting with it he found out that the RNA is a component that is necessary for the enzyme and its enzymatic function. This is important because enzymes are most offend associated with proteins but with this discovery that way of thinking changed. enzymes are not just proteins, they can be RNA to, so this changes the old way of thinking and opens up a lot of new things to research on. This discovery opened a new field called RNA enzymology and it also might help new bio-technologies be made.

Sidney is married to Ann Korner and has been married since 1972 and they have 2 kids Daniel and Leah. one event that influenced him to go in the field of Science was the invention and use of the A-bomb. When he was 6 years old, he was intrigued in the mystique associated with the A-bomb and what the scientist did in building the bomb and how it was made. This made him very interested in being a scientist at a young age but when he was a teenage, he was giving a book about the periodic table and this was also a big thing for him because he really liked the book and he especially liked the scientific theory that the book interdicted to him. Which got him interested in going to school for science in general later specializing in molecular biology

Something I have in common with Sidney is that he is very driven, and he also worked hard to get to where he is now. I am also very driven with my goals even though they are different then Sidney’s I am going for an Accounting degree and a CPA right after college, I am also working very hard to accomplish those goals.

 

 

Works Cited

Amato, I. “RNA researchers earn chemistry Nobel.” Science News, 21 Oct. 1989, p. 262. Gale General OneFile, https://link-gale-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A8041409/ITOF?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=ITOF&xid=abc662a4. Accessed 9 Oct. 2019.

Editors, TheFamousPeople.com. “Sidney Altman Biography”. TheFamousPeople.com 7 Nov 2017, https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/sidney-altman-7646.php

Sidney Altman – Nobel Lecture. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2019. Wed. 9 Oct 2019. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1989/altman/lecture/

RNA Catalysis. Digital image. The Jäschke Lab. 2 Feb 2012. https://www.ipmb.uni-heidelberg.de/chemie/jaeschke/research/