Science

The Lizard Isn’t Hungry, Is It? In this first quarter of the 21st century, cancer and diabetes have been major research priorities. And who would have thought that one of the most interesting drugs of our time would be discovered from a desert lizard? This is the story of GLP-1 medications—drugs originally developed for diabetes that became a revolution in weight loss treatment. In the early 1990s, Dr. John Eng at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in the Bronx was studying the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum), a venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States. What intrigued Dr. Eng was the lizard’s remarkable metabolic adaptation—despite eating only 3-4 times per year, it maintained stable blood sugar levels. ...

Bacterial Cooperation and Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding Microbial Social Dynamics in Changing Environments Introduction The microbial world operates under complex social dynamics that we’re only beginning to understand. Bacteria, far from being simple single-celled organisms acting independently, engage in sophisticated social behaviors including cooperation and “cheating.” These social interactions profoundly influence how bacterial communities respond to environmental stressors, particularly antibiotics. This blog post explores the fascinating research into how bacterial cooperative traits respond differently in stable versus fluctuating environments, with special attention to the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. ...