009 - NatSci News Rewind March 2020 Transcript

You're listening to NatSci News Rewind a podcast that looks back at the monthly news headlines in the world of NatSci. Let's take a look back at the news for the month of March, 2020.

NatSci's Isabella Ginnett named MSU's 47th Goldwater Scholar
MSU undergraduate student Isabella Ginnett has received a nationally competitive Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Ginnett, a sophomore majoring in physics and advanced mathematics in the College of Natural Science, is MSU's 47th Goldwater Scholar.

MSU astrophysicists test Einstein's theory of relativity with extreme astronomy
Sometimes in science, the things that don’t occur can be as interesting as those that do. Much of modern physics is founded on Einstein’s special relativity, but physicists have also considered possible models in which it is subtly violated at very high energies. In a recent study, MSU astrophysicist Jim Linnemann and former graduate student, Sam Marinelli, used machine learning and data from the HAWC gamma ray observatory in Mexico to test Einstein's special relativity against potential violations and their consequences.

Ph.D. chemistry student receives MSU Mentor of the Year Award
Keenan Noyes, a doctoral chemistry student, has been selected to receive Michigan State University’s 2020 Undergraduate Research Supervisor Mentor of the Year Award. The award honors research supervisors who mentor undergraduate student researchers and demonstrate a commitment to undergraduate research, have strong professional mentoring relationships with students and are role models in their field.

MSU scientists put the heat on microbes to investigate their resilience to change
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent as the climate changes and can destroy entire landscapes—both visible and invisible. Like humans, microbes need disaster response strategies that facilitate the rescue and recovery of their ecologically crucial communities. But what do microscopic rescue efforts look like, and can humans help? In a new study, published in a special issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, researchers in the lab of MSU microbial ecologist Ashley Shade put microbes under extreme heat to find out.

MSU chemistry senior recognized for outstanding achievement in organic chemistry
MSU chemistry senior Natasha Perry was among a select group of college seniors chosen by the American Chemical Society  Division of Organic Chemistry to receive its Undergraduate Award for Outstanding Achievement in Organic Chemistry.

Spartan alum, medical laboratory scientists test for COVID-19
Across Michigan, the United States and the globe, medical laboratory scientists – many  trained by the Michigan State University Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program – are working around the clock to test for and inform the public about the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.

Undergraduates gain experience through research projects
For two juniors in MSU’s Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program—Rachael Nassimbwa and Shamya Harris—undergraduate research brought an opportunity to travel and present research projects to fellow undergraduates from around the country.

How plants tune their greenness to light quality in their surroundings
In a new study, published in the American Journal of Botany, a team of scientists in the Michigan State University-Department of Energy (MSU-DOE) Plant Research Laboratory is refining its understanding of how light wavelengths impact chloroplast development in plants.

Loretta VanCamp: Spartan, lab supervisor, lifesaver
The foundation for one of the most successful modern treatments of cancer was first discovered in a MSU lab in the mid-1960s. As lab supervisor, MSU microbiologist and researcher Loretta VanCamp played a critical role in the breakthrough development of the world’s leading anti-cancer drugs cisplatin and carboplatin.

'Optical tweezers' help in quest for better cancer treatments
In a groundbreaking new study published in Nature Chemical Biology, an interdisciplinary team of MSU researchers report the observation of telomerase activity at a single-molecule level with unprecedented precision, expanding our understanding of the vital enzyme and progressing toward better cancer treatments.

And that will wrap up the rewind for the month of March, 2020. To read more about these stories, head on over to our website at natsci.msu.edu/news. You can also stay up to date by following us on social. You can find us on Twitter @msu_natsci, on Facebook @MSUCNS, and on Instagram @msunatsci. Thanks for tuning in and be sure to check us out next month.