Brain on shrooms, a home lab, heat waves and more
This week, we learn about a new approach to drug discovery, brains on shrooms, a home laboratory and how heat waves can impact our health.
The drugs of the future are in the animals of the past
By Max G. Levy (Source: Sequencer)
We make about 100 antimicrobial peptides – chains of positively charged amino acids to punch holes on the walls of microbes. But we are not the only ones, our ancestors made them too. Even the wooly mammoths did. de la Fuente’s lab hunts for these antimicrobials in extinct organisms by scanning their genomes. All antimicrobial peptides have features that make them different from other peptides, de la Fuente’s lab look for such properties in genomes of organisms by taking a machine learning approach. With endless possibilities of antimicrobials to test for, their hope is for at least one to make it through the R&D process one day.
Your brain on shrooms – how psilocybin resets neural networks + A psychedelic state arises from desynchronized brain activity
By Max Kozlov & Petros D. Petridis (Source: Nature)
In the past decade, psychedelics (hallucinogens) have been shown to alleviate mental health disorders. The underlying mechanisms of how these drugs rewire our brains are yet to be discovered fully. A new study focused on just seven individuals, scanned their brains multiple times over a span of three weeks. Think of multiple sets of neurons that work together to keep your brain functioning at the same time. On psilocybin, scientists found such neurons lose their synchrony. This provides evidence to why psychedelics can help individuals with addiction, depression, and more - these drugs can change our minds’ perspective.
Meet the Flower Designer Who Built a Laboratory In His Home
By Asimov Press
Sebastian Cocioba, an amateur biologist takes us on journey of starting his own home laboratory. He shows us a bold reality – science can happen beyond the traditional setup. We learn about home-grown orchids with blue lights and plant hormones, the ‘do-it-together’ research, and a unique approach to sharing science. He shows the possibilities can be endless sometimes, when you are curious and open to learning.
Heat Waves
By Deena Mousa (Source: Works in Progress)
Our body works hard to maintain the optimum internal temperature. With temperature rises like never before, heat-related illness and deaths are making headlines. Heat impacts our body in many ways, risking the health of our organs permanently. Chronic illness can rise in the coming years including mental health disorders. We can become aggressive and worse at decision-making. Making the planet livable will be a choice we will need to make, right now.
Thanks for stopping by,
Ananya
A sneak peak of the weird and wonderful ways science impacts us everyday will be delivered to you every Tuesday and Thursday in a series I call “Slice of Science”! (I know we are almost into Friday this time but bear with me). I am highlighting science stories (and exceptional writers) that find their way to me - if you are interested to keep reading more, subscribe & share this with someone!