Interesting and rigorous courses offered by Columbia University for high school students in the metropolitan area. If interested apply on line. Science teachers will be happy to write you a recommendation for this competitive program.

A Protein in Mosquito Eggshells Could Be the Insects' Achilles' Heel

Anna Normand

AP Biology

Mr. Ippolito

10 January 2018

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/protein-mosquito-eggshells-could-be-insect-achilles-heel?tgt=nr

A protein in mosquito eggshells could be the insects’ Achilles’ heel

The scientific article I read this week was concerned with a protein which scientists have recently discovered to be an important aspect of the reproduction of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, though they are not dangerous on their own, act as vectors for extremely dangerous diseases such as malaria, zika, dengue, and west nile virus. Because of this potential for infection, scientists have been working on a way to reduce the mosquito populations who spread these diseases and therefore reduce the frequency of these diseases. The study found that a certain protein, Eggshell Organizing Factor 1, which is found in the eggshells of mosquito eggs, is vital to the survival of the embryos within the eggshell. In fact, the researchers found that almost none of the embryos within eggshells that lacked the EOF1 protein survived into larvae, suggesting that the protein is essential to the development of the embryo. EOF1 is produced only by the species Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex, all of which are vectors for extremely deadly and widespread diseases. If this protein could be disabled through genetic engineering, it would be an effective way to control the populations of certain mosquito species.

Scientists hope to use this information to genetically engineer genes to control the populations of dangerous species of mosquito. Mosquitos transmit some of the deadliest viruses in the world, and because of their mobility and the size of their population, there is endless opportunity for them to spread disease. If a way can be found to control the populations of disease-spreading mosquitoes, we may be able to prevent the spreading of these diseases further. This would halt the progression of deadly diseases and save many lives, especially in areas where the disease is difficult to treat due to lack of resources or materials. While in western countries we may think of mosquitoes as simply a nuisance, the fact is that diseases which are treatable here can be deadly in countries with less resources, leading to a prevalence of these diseases among those in less developed countries. This new discovery could help to end the higher prevalence of these diseases in certain areas.

Overall, I thought that this article provided an interesting insight into a possible solution to a huge problem in our society. Though the article was short, I thought that it provided sufficient evidence of the claim it was making, and made the implications of their discovery very clear. I do think that the writer could have spoken more on how this technique may be used in the future, as well as its possible effect on those affected by mosquito-transmitted diseases.

What We've Learned About Ultima Thule From NASA's New Horizons Mission

Christopher Hutchins

Mr. Ippolito / AP Biology

January 9, 2019

Chang, Kenneth. “What We've Learned About Ultima Thule From NASA's New Horizons

Mission.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Jan. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/science/ultima-thule-pictures-new-horizons.html.

In an article published by the New York Times, Kenneth Chang highlights the importance of the discoveries made in the recent photographs sent by NASA’s New Horizons mission. The spacecraft flew by the contact binary, known as Ultima Thule, the two names designated to the two formations that morphed together upon contact. The larger of the two, being Ultima, and the smaller, Thule. What some may see as a 21 mile space rock, may be the future of understanding the depth of our universe. Although it will take 20 months to receive all of New Horizons data, the pictures NASA scientists have already received, have given a new view into the formation of our planets and the sun. Research is leading to believe an absence of an atmosphere and craters, but they are still a possibility, as more information is obtained. As well as studying Ultima Thule, the spacecraft has been observed the dust and radiation, which will lead to new discoveries of the red tint given to all objects in the Kuiper Belt.

This article is extremely relevant to our understanding of the world today. By raising awareness to projects such as New Horizons, there becomes a public knowledge of the scapecraft and the work it is doing for the benefit of science and the origin of our planet. In the near future, when Earth becomes uninhabitable, we will need to find a new home, or face extinction. Thus, the expansion of spacecraft such as New Horizons, may possibly help humans to survive in the future.

After reading this article, I was very pleased with the structure, and the resources incorporated into the read. This was not a basic design. Each paragraph was separated by a title and commonly followed by a different form of media. For instance, a video clip of Brian May, leader guitarist of Queen, and astrophysicist was included, as he made one of the images received from New Horizons. The writing of the article was slightly casual, which was effective to someone who may have previous knowledge of the mission, but to those learning about it for the first time, this may have been a mistake by the author. Other than readjusting the language to a broader target audience, this article was very well written and is important for people to educate themselves on.

"A Virus Even More Dangerous Than Zika to Pregnant Woman."

Ella Stupart

Mr. Ippolito C Even

Current Event 12

January 10, 2019

Citations:

Baumgaertner, Emily. “A Virus Even More Dangerous Than Zika to Pregnant Woman.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Jan. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/01/07/health/rift-valley-pregnancy-zika.html.

A new disease, Rift Valley Fever, is said to be even more dangerous than the well knows Zika virus which recently affected thousands of babies in Central America and South America. Similar to the Zika virus, Rift Valley Fever causes flu like symptoms along with various birth defects, mostly to the liver, by invading the mother's placenta which harms the baby and blocks off essential nutrients from being absorbed. Rift Valley Fever has a more direct route into the placenta and is able to enter more easily, which makes it more dangerous. In sub-saharan Africa, 90%-100% of pregnant cows who are infected with Rift Valley Fever either miscarry or have stillborn babies. In the year 2000, there were 700 deaths in Saudi Arabia due to the disease which is carried through mosquitoes, similar to Zika. In a study done by Dr. Hartman, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Pittsburgh, and her colleagues using infected rats and human fetus cells, they found that the disease may be even more damaging than Zika. They also reported that 65% of the rat pups from infected mothers died. Although they are more common in warmer climates, there are also infected mosquitoes in the Americas and in Europe. Scientists believe because mosquitos are migrating due to climate change, they could soon spread around the world.

This is a very relevant and important topic in our society and around the world. If we aren’t careful, diseases such as Rift Valley and Zika could wipe out a large amount of our population. Although the diseases are not primarily found in the US, the disease will continue to spread and if we do not put an end to it soon, we will be affected. Dr. McMillen, one of the lead authors and scientists in Dr. Harman’s study, claims “This could spread beyond where it is found in the Middle East, so awareness is sorely needed.”(Baumgaertner). We need to spread awareness and knowledge about these diseases across the world. People need to be educated on the causes and effects of the Zika and Rift Valley viruses so that we can halt further spreading of the diseases.

One thing that I did not like about this article is that it does not have a clear order to the points made in it. It skips between talking about Zika and Rift Valley disease frequently and it is often unclear which is being talked about. Also, for someone who did not know what Zika was before reading this would probably be very confused. To improve the article, the author should have began by defining both diseases and discussing the causes, symptoms, and effects of these diseases. Something that the author did well is that they cited a study from a reliable source and gave background on the doctors before giving quotes or introducing their opinions. This appeals to ethos, giving the audience a reason to trust the studies before speaking about them.

A new way to genetically tweak photosynthesis boosts plant growth

Michael Grieco

AP Biology

Current Event 8 - Review

January 9th, 2019

Temming, Maria. “A new way to genetically tweak photosynthesis boosts plant growth.” Science

News, Society for Science & the Public, 3 Jan. 2019,

<https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-way-genetically-tweak-photosynthesis-boosts-

plant-growth>.

This article by Maria Temming summarizes a recent study that genetically modified plants to

perform photosynthesis more efficiently. She first introduced one of the barriers to higher production

― photorespiration ― which is a very inefficient path that wastes energy in the plant. She explains

why photorespiration occurs and how much it can reduce crop yields. Temming stated that

photorespiration can reduce crop yields by 20 to 50 percent just through wasting energy. Next, she

briefly explained the new methods and then compared the results. She said that tobacco with the

modified gene produced 41% more than non modified tobacco. Finally, she explains that this is only

the beginning of a very complicated study, showing that we must test the modification on different

plants and that approval for commercial use will also take some while.

This article allowed me to recognize how our knowledge of cells and how to modify genes can

help us survive. Having just learned about photosynthesis, we can see the importance of this because

we know how photorespiration damages the photosynthetic efficiency of plants. Potentially, this will

help feed a growing population, which could increase the living quality of many people.

Temming constructed this article using a logical structure ― first introducing the topic and then

explaining the study. However, I do believe that some sections, such as those about photorespiration

could be too complex for an ordinary person to understand. Additionally, she should have included

further details regarding the procedure of the study, allowing us to understand the study in a more

comprehensive manner.

"You Gotta Scratch That Itch"

Alisa Kanganis

AP Biology

January 2, 2018

Current Event 13

“You Gotta Scratch That Itch”

Hopkin, Karen. “You Gotta Scratch That Itch.” Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/you-gotta-scratch-that-itch/.

We are all familiar with itching, but do we really know why we feel itchy and why we feel the urge to scratch it? Yang-Gan Sun of the Chinese Academy of Sciences sought to answer this question. Typically, itching is caused by allergic reactions to the environment, insect bites, medication, and skin conditions. However, when the itching gets out of hand, we can scratch so much that we damage our skin. Sun pointed out that “Effective treatment for chronic itch is still lacking. This is largely due to our limited knowledge about the neural mechanism of itch.” While scientists have discovered most about the signal carried from the spinal cord to the skin, we know very little about how the information is processed in the brain. Therefore, Sun decided to conduct an experiment that exposes mice to histamine, which triggers itching. While doing so, the Tac1-expressing neurons in the periaqueductal gray of the brain lit up, indicating the these neurons are responsible for making animals itchy. When these neurons were eliminated, Sun and his colleagues noticed itching was greatly reduced among the mice.

This discovery is very important for people who suffer from chronic itching diseases. Now that a specific set of neurons, the Tac1, is known to be responsible for itching, it is possible that these neurons can be eliminated in humans in order to reduce itchiness. Not only will this reduce the uncomfortable sensation of being constantly itchy, but will also help people refrain from scratching themselves so frequently that it causes damage to their skin.

While I enjoyed reading Karen Hopkins article about itches, I do have a few suggestions for her. I appreciate the fact that the article is concise and written in simple terms so it is easy to understand, but I wish the author included more detail. For instance, how exactly can neurons be eliminated and does this process yield any negative effects? I would have also liked to learn more about how Sun and his team are going to use this newfound information to treat human patients. Regardless, I found this article to be very interesting as I had never truly indulged myself in the science of itching before now.

Ally Bruno

Mr. Ippolito

AP Biology D Even

December 20, 2018

Grady, Denise. “How Can We Unleash the Immune System?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Nov. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/health/cancer-immunotherapy-drugs.html.

The article “How we can Unleash the Immune System” by Denise Grady delves into the idea the human immune system can be manipulated to attack cancer. Grady opens her article by acknowledging the fact that immunotherapy treatments have only been in less than half of all its patience but she remains hopeful for the future. Grady goes on to discuss the current experiments the are being performed to “fine-tune the treatments”. Grady opened her argument by differentiating between the two types of immunotherapy cancer treatments. Both Checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cells work to activate a specific type of white blood cell that can removes cells that have become malignant and cancerous.  She then goes on to cite a doctor from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who is optimistic about immunotherapy research that might one out of his facility. She even includes an example of year old cancer patient who has been in remission and thriving from his treatments.

After reading Grady’s article, the reader can tell that she is clearly invested in her topic. She did a great job of evoking emotion from her readers by including and patients successes and statistics about the lives that could be saved if this treatment proves to be useful. I do not however, believe that Grady did an adequate job of providing enough information about the new research programs that are testing immunotherapy. While, she described the types of  immunotherapy in a very clearly and sufficiently, she never explains what types of research is being performed to enhance the understanding of immunotherapy and possible treatment options.

Since cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the US, any type of innovation in the treatment options is vital to the scientific worlds. The topic is so important because it discusses it gives an optimistic and positive outlook on the possibility of improving the way patients with cancer are able to leave their lives. Chemo treatments are effective today but are detrimental to the over health and lifestyle of cancer patients and immunotherapy seeks a new way of  increasing patients survival rates helping them maintain stable and fulfilling lives while they are being treated.