Carolyn Johnson writes for The Boston Globe about Professor Susumu Tonegawa’s research into rewiring memories in rodents. “That adds to a body of research from MIT over recent years that has shown that administering a drug can wipe out a negative memory in mice,” writes Johnson.
A team led by Professor Susumu Tonegawa effectively manipulated the emotions associated with certain memories in mice, reports Jonathan Webb of BBC News. “By artificially activating circuits in the brain, scientists have turned negative memories into positive ones,” writes Webb.
Boston Globe reporter Kelly Gifford writes about CampBio, a science camp co-hosted by the Whitehead Institute, aimed at sparking middle schoolers’ interest in science. “Kids are natural explorers,” says MIT Professor Susan Lindquist. “But it’s been surprising to me to see how many of them lose their excitement about science as they pass from middle school to high school.”
Rob Stein of NPR reports on Professor David Page’s research on the Y chromosome. Page’s analysis shows that contrary to popular belief the Y chromosome is not heading towards oblivion. "The idea that the Y chromosome might disappear altogether, possibly taking men with it — I think that idea has now been firmly dismissed," Page says.
Professor Kenneth Oye speaks with WBUR’s Sacha Pfeiffer about his recent research that details a new way to alter the genomes of organisms and the need for a public discussion about the potential implications and benefits of this new technology.
Jena McGregor reports for The Washington Post on a paper coauthored by MIT graduate student Jason Sheltzer that indicates that women are under represented in life sciences laboratories run by elite male scientists. The numbers were significantly less than those in labs headed by females.
In a piece for National Geographic, Ed Yong writes about how a team of scientists from MIT has found a corresponding rhythm of behavior amongst marine bacteria. “The study reveals the power of sophisticated sampling devices for studying ocean features that were heretofore inaccessible,” says MIT Prof. Penny Chisholm.
Lauren Hitchings of New Scientist reports on findings showing that marine microbes exhibit daily patterns of behavior. “The researchers think this might be a result of the low nutrient levels in the open ocean, and the need for organisms to rely on one another for metabolic functions,” writes Hitchings.
In a piece for Slate, Jane Hu examines a new study that finds that elite male faculty members in the life sciences tend to hire fewer women than their female counterparts. “Fifty-two percent of biology Ph.D.s are women, but their representation shrinks to 39 percent at the postdoc level, and only 18 percent at the tenured professor level,” Hu reports.
Nature reporter Elizabeth Gibney examines a new study that highlights gender bias in elite research labs. “We do think that maybe this shows the need for elite faculty members to make a stronger, more proactive effort to reach out to talented women,” says graduate student Jason Sheltzer.
“The study suggests that when female trainees are shut out of the top labs, they don’t get access to the resources, networking, and other opportunities that are critical to advancing their careers in academic science,” The Chronicle of Higher Education writes of a new study on gender bias in elite research labs.
“Of particular concern, men who have achieved elite status by virtue of awards they have won -- in other words, the men whose labs may be the best launching pads for careers -- are the least likely to hire women who are grad students and postdocs,” writes Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed.
Carolyn Johnson writes for The Boston Globe about research by graduate student Jason Sheltzer that indicates that male professors are less likely to employ females at top U.S. research institutions. “[M]ale professors employed 11 percent fewer female graduate students and 22 percent fewer female postdoctoral researchers than do women professors," writes Johnson.
Live Science reporter Tanya Lewis highlights Shigeru Miyagawa’s work exploring the origins of human language. Miyagawa's hypothesis, “could explain how human language, which can theoretically produce infinite meanings, developed from the limited forms of communication seen in the rest of the animal world,” Lewis reports.
“Three scientific papers about the Y chromosome, which determines maleness in humans and most other mammals, should lay to rest the myth that it may disappear after a few more million years of evolution,” Financial Times reporter Clive Cookson writes of MIT research on the Y chromosome.