By Erin Scheg, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

The Great Lakes provide water for more than 40 million people, generate jobs for more than 1.5 million people, and are home to more than 3,500 plant and animal species. In early July 2024, the governors of Illinois and Michigan signed an agreement to cosponsor the Brandon Road Interbasin Project. This landmark project aims to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, especially Asian carp. Invasive species are defined as non-native species to the ecosystem whose presence causes economic, environmental, or human health. Asian carp are native to Eastern Asia and were introduced to North America in the 1970s to assist with pest control in aquaculture facilities. Aquaculture facilities are aquatic farms where fish are grown and harvested for sale. These carp escaped into the wild from the aquatic farms on the Mississippi River and have been heading north, which poses a major threat to the native Great Lakes ecosystems.

Continue reading “Invaders from the Mississippi River: Illinois and Michigan Unite to Protect the Great Lakes”

By Danielle Rodriguez, C2ST Intern, Waubonsee Community College

A few months back, I was in class when a nearby friend offered me a ZYN. They pulled out a small circular tin, opened it, and revealed 10-20 pillow-looking pouches. I politely declined, as I had no idea what these things were. After class, I did a little research. When I mention the topic of ZYNs to anyone above a college-age group, they often have not heard of this product. The recent increase in ZYN usage amongst my peers has inspired me to write this article and inform more people about what ZYNs are and the risks they pose.

Continue reading “ZYNs: How Nicotine is Infiltrating the New Generation”

By Ariane Tsai, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Institute for Genomic Biology

Hello fellow cells,

If you are reading this, you must be interested in learning about cancer! My name is Tumor Cell, and I am the President of this Cancer Cell Club. We had our first meeting last Monday where we introduced the executive board members. In case you missed the meeting, I have attached the slides introducing the members below. They are all hardworking cells like me who play a role in sustaining cancer in the human body! Now, if you are interested in contributing more (as a member or as an executive member), please do not hesitate to contact me. We are always looking for more enthusiastic members to join the club!

That’s all for now! I hope you all can make it to our next weekly meeting. As always, look out for the cells orchestrating the anti-cancer movement. Since the founding of this club, immune cells (T cells, B cells, macrophages, etc.) have officially declared war on us. So stay vigilant and safe out there!

Best,

Tumor Cell, President of the Cancer Cell Club

By Ariane Tsai, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Institute for Genomic Biology

Regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy. We see these buzzwords when discussing the current advances in modern medicine. But where did it all begin? Stem cell research stretches back to the mid-20th century when researchers observed the regenerative capabilities of organs. This led to the hypothesis that cells may be able to become different cell types. For the next 50 years, scientists continued to make breakthroughs. They discovered that there are cells capable of becoming other cells (i.e., differentiate). Thus, they named the cells with the ability to differentiate and self-renew “stem cells.”

Continue reading “Unlocking the Future of Regenerative Medicine”

By Vivienne Couris, C2ST Intern, DePaul University

Spring has officially sprung! The sun is sticking around for longer, the trees are blooming, and the birds are singing all morning long. As you begin to venture outside to enjoy the warmth, you may stumble across a rather unassuming little insect. She’s easygoing and loves flowers, and she’s famous for her one-of-a-kind recipe. If you guessed honeybee, you’re correct! In this blog, we’ll discuss the impressive biology of the honeybee, and how they have become an integral part of human agriculture.

Continue reading “The Amazing Honey Bee”

By Vivienne Couris, C2ST Intern, DePaul University

AI chatbots have taken the world by storm. ChatGPT, Bard, and Copilot are just a few examples of chatbots that are already changing how we work and learn. However, despite their sharp increase in popularity, software like this has been around for quite some time. The natural language processing program ELIZA, which finished development in 1966, is classified as the first AI software. ELIZA could analyze simple conversational inputs and output human-like responses. Computer scientists and engineers have come a long way since then, creating the impressive language models we have access to now. In this blog, we’ll discover the fascinating technology that powers modern AI chatbots.

Continue reading “Inside the Brain of an AI Chatbot”