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Synthetic biology: the power of modified microbes

Futurum

Synthetic biology: the power of modified microbes Published: Microbes are the world’s most brilliant chemists, able to turn simple sugars and other compounds into a vast array of complex chemicals. The general idea of synthetic biology is that we can engineer microbes to do things that naturally occurring microbes don’t do,” he says.

Biology 73
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How do bacteria help and harm crops?

Futurum

This is why, at Louisiana State University in the US, Professor Jong Hyun Ham is studying the impacts of bacteria on rice and soybean. Over 50% of the world’s population depends on rice as a staple food,” says Professor Jong Hyun Ham, a plant pathologist at Louisiana State University. “It glumae and its interactions with rice.

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Are there ‘rules’ for conveying emotion through art?

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“We explored how people use associations with colours and line properties to communicate emotions,” says Dr Dirk Bernhardt-Walther, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto’s Department of Psychology. “In The field combines biology and psychology to understand the roots of how people think and behave.

Biology 89
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On the frontline of the biomedical revolution

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Materials and methods for the detection and treatment of diseases are better than ever, and a diverse array of scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) , Australia, led by Professor Dayong Jin , are at the forefront of this continuous development. Recognition is rewarding, and I’m always proud to say I’m a professor.

Biology 98
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How we read: the neuroscience behind literacy

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Based at the University of Alberta in Canada, Professor Jacqueline Cummine is helping decode how we read – in particular, the important role of our senses – and using these findings to help people who struggle with literacy skills. Every lab has a different environment, a unique approach to science, varying interpersonal dynamics, and so on.

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Urban farming for urban families

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At 15th Street Farm in Florida, USA, Emmanuel Roux and Professor David Himmelgreen run an education project to help local families learn about their local food systems and make healthier food choices. Emmanuel is a chef, restauranteur and urban farmer, and David is a professor of anthropology.

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Imaging the invisible: how can research software and imaging techniques help scientists study the things we can’t see?

Futurum

Because computational methods originated in the natural sciences, some disciplines, such as chemistry and physics, have lots of research software at their disposal. Chemical engineering with Professor Sven Schroeder. Biology with Professor Michelle Peckham and Dr Alistair Curd. Scientific imaging in physics.