We-are-all-paranoid - Microbe Nerd Alert

i got to work with some HeLa cells today!

as cool of an experience as this was and as interesting as these things are, it’s always important to acknowledge the bad along with the good. Henrietta Lacks’ cells revolutionized so many areas of research, but she deserved so much better.

working with these cells today just really reminded me of the duality of many scientific developments. many things have come with great cost and harm and i think that’s something important to keep in mind.

if you aren’t familiar with the story of Henrietta Lacks, i highly recommend looking her up. there’s a book about her live (the immortal life of henrietta lacks) that’s very illuminating.

Strange question for all my biologists out there, no matter what your specialisation is.

Does anyone know any good books about biology? The more accurate, the better, they can be academic essays even, it’s all good.

I’m looking for a Christmas gift for my sister, who is absolutely in love with biology, and she studies it in uni too, it’s not only a hobby.

Unfortunately, having very very little knowledge in hard sciences, I cannot determine whether a book about biology is good or not, not by looking at people’s reviews and whatnot. And… I trust people on Tumblr more.

I’ve read a few reviews of some books, but I can’t decide. Please help a poor soft-sciences-lover in need!

you can read the study here

look at these gorgeous bronchial cartilage cells!

ScienceAlert

Man Bitten by Stray Cat Contracts Infection Unknown to Science

The bite of a fluffy cat on the street can be more dangerous than you might think.

In the United Kingdom, a 48-year-old who was bit by a stray feline ended up contracting a species of bacterium that scientists have never seen before. His immune response to the foreign microorganism was a doozy. Just eight hours after receiving multiple bites, the man's hands had swollen to such a great extent that he took himself to the emergency department. His puncture wounds were cleaned and dressed and he was given a tetanus shot before being sent on his way with antibiotics. A day later, he was back at the hospital. His pinky and middle fingers on his left hand were painfully enlarged and both his forearms were red and swollen. Doctors had to surgically remove the damaged tissue around his wounds. He was also given three different antibiotics intravenously and was sent home with oral antibiotics. This time, thankfully, the treatment worked and he made a full recovery. Back at the hospital, however, doctors were busy trying to figure out what had happened. When they analyzed the microorganisms present in samples from his wounds, they found an unrecognizable Streptococcus-like organism.

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WATCH THIS VIDEO

a very, VERY important post. spread everywhere and screen record the video to your phone. or message me and ill happily send you the video. give to every woman and girl you know.

bc as they both said / demonstrated, its not only super easy to do, but super easy to miss.

Neil Druckmann - HBO's The Last of Us Podcast: Episode 5

Stop the ban on blood donation of gay men

Study discovers that mitochondria transmit signals in the immune and nervous systems

The new study has revealed that mitochondria play a crucial role in the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Mitochondria are primarily known as the powerhouse of the cell. However, these cellular organelles are required not only for providing energy: Professor Konstanze Winklhofer and her group at the Faculty of Medicine at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, recently discovered that mitochondria play an important role in signal transduction in innate immune pathways.

They regulate a signaling pathway that helps to eliminate pathogens, but can cause damage through inflammation upon overactivation. The research team published their findings in the EMBO Journal.

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