Ryan Pianka

Cell and Molecular Biology // Class of 2025

Worlds of purple: Reimagining photosynthesis on distant planets

Environment / /

With rapidly improving space-based telescopes, the search for extraterrestrial life is becoming more feasible. As of 2025, NASA has confirmed the existence of over 5800 exoplanets, with over 30 considered to be potentially Earth-like. Yet, despite advances in data collection capabilities, one question remains hotly contested: What characteristic features should a planet with life have? […]

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Gene transfer agents: How bacteria have tamed their greatest enemy

Biology / /

Since the dawn of life, a relentless battle has raged between bacteria and bacteria-infecting viruses known as bacteriophages (or simply, “phages”). These primitive adversaries have fundamentally opposing goals. While bacteria seek to survive and reproduce, phages aim to hijack a bacterial cell’s inner machinery to replicate their own genes — killing the cell in the

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Crisis on the nanoscale: Can metal nanoparticles stop the spread of superbugs?

Biology / /

After the revolutionary discovery of antibiotics in 1910, bacterial infections — once the leading cause of human mortality — became readily preventable, contributing to a 23-year rise in average lifespan. Although traditional antibiotics like amoxicillin and doxycycline continue to save millions, decades of overprescription are catalyzing the rise of deadly new pathogens. Prolonged exposure to

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Experimental evolution: Can scientists evolve bacteria to manage hazardous waste?

Biology, Environment / /

The industrial synthesis of many widely used chemicals ranging from fertilizers to pharmaceuticals is known to produce toxic byproducts. Some of these products, dubbed “forever chemicals,” are exceptionally resistant to degradation and tend to accumulate in the environment when improperly disposed of. One family of forever chemicals known to be widespread in the environment is

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Hidden within us: The dark matter of the human genome

Biology, Health / /

The human genome is a vast library of over 3 billion base pairs, yet advancements in whole-genome sequencing reveal only 2% are protein-coding. This startling finding has prompted one of the most pressing missions of contemporary biology: to fully understand the role of the remaining 98% of the genome. Accomplishing this mission requires next-generation sequencing

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