Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered that a protein produced by the influenza A virus helps it outwit one of our body's natural defense mechanisms. That makes the protein a potentially good target for antiviral drugs directed against the influenza A virus.
Ribosomes are essential for life, generating all of the proteins required for cells to grow. Mutations in some of the proteins that make ribosomes cause disorders characterized by bone marrow failure and anemia early in life, followed by elevated cancer risk in middle age. These disorders are generally called “ribosomopathies.”
![ribosome-export-landscape.jpg](/images/easyblog_shared/2014/ribosome-export-landscape.jpg "In this illustration, ribosomes emerge from the nucleus and undergo their final maturation in the cytoplasm. This is where the "test drive" happens. Illustration credit: Marianna Grenadier/University of Texas at Austin.")
Mike Ronalter and Adam Kennedy discuss the balance between art and craft in their experience as scientific glassblowers in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin. The glassblowing shop is critical for chemistry researchers, with their daily needs for various shapes and styles of glass for their projects.
Three faculty members in the College of Natural Sciences have recently been awarded 2014 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Invasive “crazy ants” are rapidly displacing fire ants in areas across the southeastern U.S. by secreting a compound that neutralizes fire ant venom, according to a University of Texas at Austin study published this week in the journal Science Express. It’s the first known example of an insect with the ability to detoxify another insect’s venom.
Scientists in the Department of Physics have captured the ultimate high-speed movie of a laser pulse as it zips through a piece of glass at the speed of light. The new imaging technique will help scientists understand how intense laser pulses propagate through air, glass fibers and fusion pellets, and thus could have applications in atmospheric chemical analysis, fiber optic communications, and power generation.
***To view video of Dr. Nelson as the inaugural speaker for the Pioneering Leadership Lecture Series, click HERE ***
Meet alumna Donna Nelson, a chemistry professor at the University of Oklahoma (which we forgive her for) and science advisor for the popular TV show, "Breaking Bad."
A new study correlating brain activity with how people make decisions suggests that when individuals engage in risky behavior, such as drunk driving or unsafe sex, it's probably not because their brains' desire systems are too active, but because their self-control systems are not active enough.
Have you ever felt not completely like yourself? You’re not alone. In fact, you’re never really alone. No matter how hard you may try, you’re always in the company of 100 trillion microbial friends.
Read our publication, The Texas Scientist, a digest covering the people and groundbreaking discoveries that make the College of Natural Sciences one of the most amazing and significant places on Earth.
