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The shingles virus either really likes me, or invited some of its friends to the party. While I sort that out, here’s what’s in store for this week:
Randall Munroe (xkcd) has a message for st3v
Awesome new Clickables!
Medical throwback stories to threaten this virus stay healthy
-Steve
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image by Steve Burgess w/ chatGPT 4o
Venom Rx
Ants may be the key to treating pain. West African ant venom’s uniquely sinister path to pain sheds light on potential therapies.
Their venom peptide, Ta3a, binds to nerve cell sodium channels
Attracting negative ions and repelling positive ones
Hijacking the channel to constantly fire pain signals
Most arthropod venoms target multiple sodium channels and diffuse rather than take over signaling. Harnessing venom peptide’s hijacking capabilities could lead to better treatment for patients suffering from chronic pain. And a cool Marvel origin story.
Quick! (vote)Which arthropod made a cooler superhero? |
Check out last week’s results in “Unnatural Selection” below
Antibiotic Persistence
MRSA’s antibiotic resistance may be coming to an end. Scientists learned the infection’s secret to defending treatment and causing 120k+ deaths per year.
MRSA = Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Secret Defense: Antibiotic triggered cell division
Antibiotics target enzymes that build bacterial cell walls
When these enzymes are attacked, MRSA replicates to overwhelm and outlast the antibiotics. Identifying this specific resistance mechanism will help scientists develop better targeted treatments. Classic UNO Reverse Card play.
Fungal Fighter
Zombie fungus could stop cancer in its tracks. Researchers got closer to understanding how Cordycepin’s survival mechanism out-competes cancer cells.
Cordycepin helps Cordyceps militaris hijack hosts
Converts to cordycepin triphosphate within cells
Blocks two pathways used by cancer to spread
Cordycepin’s quick acting precision offers potential to reduce harming healthy tissue in cancer treatments. Ongoing research will identify the specific molecules involved for future drug development. Seems like a smart fungi.
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Clickables
🌲 Glow-in-the-dark wood just in time for the holidays
📸 Mesmerizing Northern Lights photos of the year
💩 Middle schooler discovers new bacteria in goose poop
Unnatural Selection
Last week: “If you were a bee, which would you bite first?”
I underestimated how much y’all like biting sunflowers. 🤣
Make sure you vote up top for next week’s “Unnatural Selection”!
st3v on site
Book Signing
book + signature by Randall Munroe, st3v by Steve Burgess
What if a stick figure signed a book for a robot?
st3v was beyond excited to get this personalized signature from Randall Munroe (xkcd)!
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