NU Sci Staff

Refolding the Script: Can We Stop the Infectious Momentum of Prions? By Mackenzie Coleman, Mechanical Engineering, 2019 In 1997, Stanley Prusiner’s discovery of prions earned him a Nobel Peace Prize. This honor is indicative of the immense importance of these molecules. The term prion is an abbreviation of “proteinaceous infectious particle.” Thus, prions are protein-based molecules […]

A Cost-Benefit Look at GMOs NUSCI prides itself on being a platform for all discussions of science, technology, and progress. Our writers cover fields as disparate as prion diseases and Fermi’s Paradox. The only requirement is that it be done in the spirit of science. A scientific worldview is a powerful lens through which to view

Survival of the Most Adaptable: Animal Strategies for Handling Climate Change By Jen Obrigewitch, Biology, 2017 As global warming has been heating up legislation rooms around the human world, it has been chilling spines across the animal world. How the current climate changes might affect economically useful resources is a large source of concern and discussion,

Crowdsourcing: Northeastern Ph.D Candidate Turns to Crowdsourcing for Data, Funds Philip Strandwitz wants you. Really. He also wants all of your friends, and probably your parents and relatives, too. Strandwitz, a Ph.D. candidate for Microbiology in Kim Lewis’s lab, the Antimicrobial Discovery Center, is taking a creative approach to big data that could be a model

I Smell Dead People By Stephanie Wasiuk, Biology, 2018 Some may find it surprising how useful it is to know what a decomposing human body smells like and what exactly it is that makes it smell that way. Besides a putrid odor, the “smell of human death” is a major component of searching for bodies in

Mapping Out a Plan By Cicely Krebill, Biochemistry, 2019 Soil transmitted helminth infections (STH) are easily treated parasite infections, yet the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 880 million children are still in need of treatment. Although most infections are relatively asymptomatic, STH has been linked to impaired cognitive and physical development in children.

Working on Pills and Needles By Heather Offermann When given the choice between swallowing a pill or receiving a shot for drug delivery, most people would choose the oral method. In fact, approximately 20 percent of the population has a fear of needles. The problem is, oral drug delivery is a poor method for administering drug

US vs. Argentinan Healthcare: a Firsthand Look By Jen Obrigewitch, Biology, 2016 For my spring 2015 co-op at Northeastern, I accepted a position as a doctor’s assistant in a public hospital outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Immediately after agreeing to the internship, I was given a slew of instructions detailing that I was not to

Losing Nemo: The Ticking Clock on Marine Defaunation By Rachel Stoddard, Biology, 2017 It is no secret to mankind that humans negatively impact many animals and species. Our history has been fraught with instances of human-caused extinctions, with some studies putting the first extinction as early as 132,000 years ago. However, the focus in these