Yeast in science: from glass to flask
We eat (or drink) them all the time, but what about in the lab? For scientists, yeast has been an invaluable tool for making biological discoveries.
Tag: Unsung Heroes
Heart to Heart
The month of February is a big month for hearts. Between Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month, you cannot escape heart-shaped decorations and reminders to exercise daily. And while many of us are fortunate that our heart health can be maintained through diet and exercise, there…
Physics Through the Looking Glass
On Christmas Eve 1956, a woman caught the last train to New York in the snow to report experimental results that would alter the landscape of modern physics forever. Although members of the physics community would initially dismiss her results as nonsense, the evidence would…
Representation Matters: Spotlighting Accomplished Women of Color
As a woman of color in graduate school, I greatly appreciate the paths that have been paved for me both directly and indirectly by women, and especially women of color who have shown great accomplishment and determination in their fields of study. Representation is important,…
Why it Takes Tanks to Separate Two Phone Books
It can be tempting in science, and in life, to believe that every stone has already been turned, that the most impactful steps in your field have already been made, that there is nothing left for you to discover. This type of sentiment is often…
The Impossibly Ideal Scientist
Beverly Crusher. Roy Hinkley. Emmett Brown. Samantha Carter. Sheldon Cooper. The Doctor. Abby Sciuto. Temperance Brennan. What do each of these scientists have in common? From creating a Geiger counter out of bamboo, to discovering, identifying, and curing a disease in the nick of time,…
Dr. Margaret Scarry Named New Director of the Research Labs of Archaeology
Congratulations to Dr. Margaret Scarry! A longstanding faculty member of the Anthropology Department at UNC-CH, Dr. Scarry was recently promoted to the Director of the Research Labs of Archaeology (RLA) and Chair of the Curriculum in Archaeology. Having received her PhD from the University of…
The Excellent Journey of Bob Bagnell
As I enter the Microscopy Services Laboratory (MSL), a soft southern accent greets me: “Come in- want a cucumber? Help yourself!” Dr. Bob Bagnell, the faculty director of the MSL, is an institution at UNC. Over the course of thirty years, he has developed the…