Certain human neurodegenerative disorders are caused by aggregation of disordered proteins. In particular, Huntington’s disease is caused by aggregation of a protein called huntingtin, which contains long stretches of glutamine (Q). Llama et al. observed that proteins with long stretches of glutamine are also present in plants, but they do not seem to cause disease. […]
Starting a new lab can be a challenging endeavor: there is research to plan, people to manage, and resources to organize. The process from getting a PI position to actually having everything up and running is a long one, and often changes from institution to institution. To offer some insight on the path to setting […]
Managing your career is an essential skill for graduate students. However, it is often neglected in favor of research responsibilities. Proper management of personal development is paramount to achieving one’s own professional goals and part of the responsibilities of a good researcher. The following is the synthesis of the insights and advice I have received […]
In biology nothing makes sense but in the light of evolution. However, understanding how new traits can appear through modification of pre-existing elements has been a complex question in evolutionary biology. LaFountain et al. studied a population of a species of monkeyflower (Mimulus verbenaceus) which displayed a novel trait: a coloured leaf stripe. They found […]