Biology at ONU

Kaitlyn, Kat, Kenzie, Dr. Marc LeBeau, Szabi and Dr. Schueler (l to r) at 2022 SOFT Conference in Cleveland, Ohio

This may be of interest to some of you. https://biology.mit.edu/undergraduate/current-students/subject-offerings/covid-19-sars-cov-2-and-the-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR08_4txJLbmltRahefsIw9JDRevFdhDAX-GLikl5HgeVkxL0dlljd2n8X0

New Subject Offering: "COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic" In Fall 2020, all MIT students and the general public are welcome to join Professors Richard Young and Facundo Batista as they discuss the science of the pandemic during this new class.

https://www.livescience.com/newfound-brain-signal-discovered-in-human-neurons.html

Unique Brain Signal Just Discovered. And It Might Just Make Us 'Human' A new study suggests that human neurons may have more computing power than once thought.

Semester is almost over

For any students interested in studying optometry after graduation, OSU will be having an Optometry visit day on Nov 2 from 12:30-4. Here is the registration link:

https://optometry.osu.edu/visitday

--Dr. Koneval

Admissions Visit Day

Beware, babies with lizard hands!
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49876827

Babies in the womb have lizard-like hand muscles They are 250-million-year-old "evolutionary remnants" most lose before birth, scientists say.

Sloths have to be different, naturally https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fossil-record-prefers-males?utm_medium=atlas-page&utm_source=twitter -Dr. Koneval

Paleontologists Are Trying to Understand Why the Fossil Record Is Mostly Males One theory is that reckless young bison and mammoths got into more trouble.

Puppy dog eyes
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/06/17/dogs-may-have-evolved-puppy-dog-eyes-tug-our-hearts/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2baedaae655a

Dogs may have evolved ‘puppy-dog eyes’ to tug at our hearts A study found that dogs, but not wolves, have a muscle that allows them to make their eyes look bigger and sadder — a move that may have elicited human care during domestication.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47969367

HIV used to cure 'bubble boy' disease All eight infants now have fully functioning immune systems after undergoing treatment, say experts.

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/714529994/snot-otter-emerges-victorious-in-vote-for-pennsylvanias-official-amphibian?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news

Snot Otter Emerges Victorious In Vote For Pennsylvania's Official Amphibian

ONU students present their research

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/08/584330475/major-psychiatric-disorders-have-more-in-common-than-we-thought-study-finds?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science

Major Neurological Conditions Have More In Common Than We Thought, Study Finds Understanding the molecular basis of major disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder could help in developing better treatments.

A woman who has never felt pain, fear, anxiety, or depression.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/health/woman-pain-anxiety.html

At 71, She’s Never Felt Pain or Anxiety. Now Scientists Know Why. Scientists discovered a previously unidentified genetic mutation in a Scottish woman. They hope it could lead to the development of new pain treatment.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190322163331.htm

Paleontologists report world's biggest Tyrannosaurus rex: Nicknamed 'Scotty,' the record-breaking rex is also the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Canada Paleontologists have just reported the world's biggest Tyrannosaurus rex and the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Canada. The 13-metre-long T. rex, nicknamed 'Scotty,' lived in prehistoric Saskatchewan 66 million years ago.

Armadillos advance to the Sweet 16 in March Mammal Madness! http://mammalssuck.blogspot.com/2019/02/march-mammal-madness-2019.html

March Mammal Madness 2019 TAG TEAM DIVISION: Zebra & Oxpecker, Aardvark & Aardvark Cucumber, , Loggerhead & Crab, Capybara & Jacana, Wrasse & Eel, ...

https://gizmodo.com/fascinating-experiment-suggests-some-humans-can-sense-e-1833377029

Some Humans Can Sense Earth’s Magnetic Field, Fascinating Experiment Suggests The ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field—a trait known as magnetoreception—is well documented among many animals, but researchers have struggled to show that humans are also capable of the feat. Until now.

Genes for Whole Body Regeneration!
https://scitechdaily.com/genetic-secrets-to-whole-body-regeneration-uncovered/

Genetic Secrets to Whole-Body Regeneration Uncovered When it comes to regeneration, some animals are capable of amazing feats. If you cut off a salamander’s leg, it will grow back. When threatened, some geckos drop their tails to distract their predator, only to regrow them later. Other animals take the process even further. Planarian worms, jellyf

Students in Biology 2171 Molecular Biology just took part in classroom debates on this very subject.
What are your thoughts?

New call to ban gene-edited babies divides biologists The debate about whether to declare a “moratorium” on germline editing ratchets up

Who's afraid of bees? Check this out!!!

The world’s largest bee has been rediscovered after 38 years Researchers rediscovered the world’s largest bee living in the forests of an island of Indonesia.

Students from ONU's Herpetology class went to Ohio Natural History Conference today.

https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/fungi-sloth-fur-could-have-wide-variety-disease-fighting-implications/

Fungi in sloth fur could have a wide variety of disease-fighting implications Sloths are known for their thick fur which is home to a wide range of microorganisms and insects. A recent study shows that some species of fungi found in

We ❤️ Science!

This is the heart of a blue whale, the largest animal on Earth. Weighing in at 440 lbs, the technicians at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto did an amazing job preserving this specimen after a blue whale carcass washed ashore in Newfoundland.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/blue-eyes-mutation-coyotes-spreading-in-california/

Mutant blue-eyed coyotes spreading through California Five coyotes with baby blues, an eye color not seen elsewhere, were photographed in California—suggesting the rare trait is proliferating.

Alligators staying alive in cold water by sticking their snouts up so that they can still breathe when ice forms over the water

Paid summer research opportunity

Welcome back Polar Bears --Dr. Koneval https://mashable.com/2016/01/27/baby-polar-bear-butt-ride/

Summer research opportunities at the University of Nebraska --Dr. Koneval https://www.unl.edu/summerprogram/home

Summer Research Program | Nebraska

Snow shoe hares like to eat meat, including that of other hares and of lynx ~Dr. Koneval

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/hares-eat-meat-1.4949438

Sorry, bunny-lovers: snowshoe hares eat meat — including other hares | CBC News Snowshoe hares eat meat, and they don't seem that picky about what kind it is, according to a paper published in the winter issue of Northwestern Naturalist.