Author: Catherine Schrankel
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Sciencefreude: New German Words for the Academic Condition
The German language has the uncanny ability to form elaborate new words by simply compounding several words into one. Often the new word personifies a formerly inexpressible feeling or event.[…]
CRISPR in the Red Queen’s Court: The Evolutionary Arms Race with Phage and Other Adventures in Wonderland
The CRISPR/Cas system (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated sequences) is an adaptive immune system found in archaea (extremophiles) and bacteria. Briefly, acquired CRISPR-driven immunity is based on integration of[…]
Alumni Interview – Ann McPherson
We caught up with recent Immunology PhD graduate, Ann McPherson, to discuss her career moves after graduation and her advice for those about to embark on their own post-PhD plans.[…]
The CRISPR Craze: Infographic
The discovery of an ancient adaptive immune system in bacteria, called the CRISPR/Cas system, has revolutionized modern science. The bacterial proteins that identify and target viral DNA for degradation have[…]
A Treatise on Scientific Anxiety
Given the high-stress, competitive environment of higher education, many might consider “academia” and “anxiety” to be synonymous. But in fact, 12% of all Canadians experience an anxiety disorder in any[…]
Bringing Science to the Sea
The tabletop centrifuge slowly hums to a stop. Tubes are opened and closed, the pipettor moves efficiently into action…it’s just another typical day in the life of a graduate student[…]
Finding Treasure in the Comb Jelly Genome
Recently, Nature published the genome sequence of the marine invertebrate ctenophore Pleurobrachia bachei1. Ctenophores, better known as “comb jellies”, are delicate creatures that superficially resemble jellyfish, yet occupy a distinct[…]
Basic Science: A Call to Arms
“Ladies and gentlemen, we invest in science and technology for two reasons: to create knowledge and to exploit that knowledge for social and economic gain. Unfortunately, all too often the[…]