New Study of Insecticides’ Impact on Bees Keeps MBL Buzzing
By Jane Marks
Grass Fellow Rachel Parkinson looks at the link between crop insecticides and the decline in bee populations.
“We Choose to Go to the Moon”: Rory Kennedy Screens her NASA Documentary at MBL
By Diana Kenney
Filmmaker Rory Kennedy, niece of President John F. Kennedy, screened her documentary about NASA at the MBL this week, vividly recalling the space agency’s six decades of heroic exploration and astonishing discovery. Read more …
“Good Conduct”: A Fresh Look at Electrical Synapses from the Grass Lab
By Stephanie McPherson
In the May cover story in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Alberto E. Pereda and Pepe Alcami argue that the dynamic contributions of electrical synapses to brain processing deserve a closer look.
Microbiome Center Focuses on Broader World of Microbes | UChicago Medicine
By Matt Wood
Nearly three years after its launch, the Microbiome Center is staying true to its roots as a hub for like-minded scientists interested in exploring the world of microbes.
Scientists Urge Formation of National Network to Accelerate Climate Change Action
By Diana Kenney
A non-federal network that will leverage science to manage climate change risks in the U.S. is urgently needed, recommends a report released today by a group of 36 climate researchers, state/local/tribal officials, and other experts including MBL’s Jerry Melillo.
“Lefty” Cuttlefish are Better Lovers, But Righties are Better Fighters
By Alexandra K. Schnell
Behavioral biases — favoring the left or right side for specific tasks, such as attracting a mate — are common and are seen in animals ranging from bees and octopuses to parrots and whales. But why do many populations show an imbalance between right- and left-biased individuals? Our new study in the cuttlefish suggests answers.
A New Life for Gemma
By Mark Wolverton
After nearly 40 years as a fishing and specimen-collecting vessel, the MBL’s hardy Gemma is getting a major upgrade and a redefined mission.
The MBL in Living Color: Selected Microscopy Images and Movies
If you spend any time at the MBL, you’ll soon be dazzled by the images and movies that stream from the labs and courses. Here is a small sample that bubbled into our news feed in 2018. Here’s to a bright New Year!
High Nitrogen Loads from Land & Air Foster World’s Largest Green Tide
By Stephanie McPherson
The macroalgae that grow in the Yellow Sea off the coast of China make up the world’s largest seaweed bloom, by making use of an unusually high supply of nitrogen discharged into the sea due to multiple human activities, according to a recent study in Scientific Reports.
Whitman Center Lab Bets on Hydra to Unlock Nervous System Architecture
By Sarah Lawhun
MBL Whitman Fellow Rafael Yuste of Columbia University and his Hydra Lab are mapping the nervous system of a small, freshwater organism to create a predictive model of its behavior.