ArticlesBiology
What’s Wrong with the Frogs?
An interview with Anne Maglia, Professor, Biology, Missouri S&TAcross the globe, a mysterious epidemic is attacking the frog population, causing malformation and population decline. Though the exact cause is unknown, many scientists believe environmental components are to blame. Anne Maglia is hoping to help stop this epidemic. “These guys have been around for millions and millions of years,” she observes, “and when we see them starting to decline, we have some pretty good ideas that the environment itself is in bad shape.”
The Power of Grasses
An interview with Elizabeth Kellogg, Professor, Biology, UM St. LouisOver half of the world’s calories come from grasses, but imagine generating enough fuel from grass to run a car or even light up a house. Actually, the dream of turning a blade of grass into usable energy is not as far-fetched as it might seem. Doing her part toward realizing this goal, Elizabeth Kellogg, Professor of Biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is researching the history behind switchgrass and its relationship with other grasses.
Making Mutants
An interview with Bethany Zolman, Assistant Professor, Biology, UM St. LouisWhile most people rip weeds from their front yards without a second thought, Bethany Zolman spends her time studying one virtually unknown weed, Arabidopsis thaliana. The assistant professor of biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis finds that this plant serves as a perfect model organism for research because it grows quickly, is easily manipulated, and is comparable to the systems of crop plants.
His Patients Buzz
An interview with Xiao-Qiang Yu, Associate Professor, Biology, UM Kansas CityXiao-Qiang (Sean) Yu is looking for a way to cure disease, but he has never been to medical school. His diagnoses take place under a microscope, not on an examination table, and his primary patients don’t talk much—instead, they buzz. By studying insect immune systems, Yu is learning how to prevent disease in humans, and give medicine another weapon against infection.
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