Baltimore's Under Ground Science Space (BUGSS)

Brain connectivity represents the functional organization of the brain, which is an important indicator for evaluating neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment effects. Schizophrenia is associated with impaired functional connectivity, but characterizing the complex abnormality patterns has been challenging. A common symptom of schizophrenia is auditory hallucinations, which involve false perceptions in the absence of external stimuli.

Cognitive models suggest that a combination of cognitive…

In the 30 years between the discovery of microRNAs and their recognition with the Nobel Prize in 2024, a great deal has been learned about how these molecules function in the cytoplasm of cells and their primary role in silencing genes. However, more recent findings suggest that microRNAs might have important functions in another location: the mitochondria, the amazing organelles in our cells that possess their own DNA and synthesize their own proteins. This seminar teaches us about new tools…

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for the discovery of microRNA, the 2023 prize for pioneering mRNA vaccines, the 2020 prize for making precise genome editing possible using CRISPR-Cas9, and the 2006 prize for the discovery of RNA interference. These discoveries revolutionized modern medicine and opened a new avenue for treating diseases by correcting errors at the gene level. But do you know what is the common theme between these 4 disruptive technologies??? The answer…

Our spring 2024 interns gave a fantastic update to their work with the Open Insulin and Barcoding the Harbor Projects. Thank you to the funders who made this work possible: The Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Baltimore City Department of Public Works.

The post Spring 2024 Internship Presentations appeared first on Baltimore Underground Science Space.

Ulisses Santamaria is President of DMV Petri Dish, a nonprofit organization based in the DC area that aims to serve people working on the next big thing in their basements, living rooms, and garages through our helpful, innovative, and exciting science and tech community. He is an experienced researcher in neurological diseases, infectious disease, and immunology.

In this seminar, he provided some brief basics of genetic engineering and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease,…

On January 19, 2024, our winter interns delivered their presentations about the two research projects they worked on: Barcoding the Harbor and Open Insulin. Thanks to our interns for their fabulous talks:

Naomi Candado-Amador, University of Maryland College Park
Manal Ibrahim, UMBC
Joi Dixson, Notre Dame of Maryland University
Pearly, Gal-edd, University of Maryland College Park
Chiwe Iku, Bowie State University
Sarah Bishop, George Washington University
Joy…

Nora E Jameson MPH MS is a transgender-nonbinary scientist, educator, DJ, and stand-up comedian who has worked at the bench for over 10 years doing biology and chemistry. After dropping out of a chemistry phd program with a MS thesis, and then a biomedical sciences PhD program, they decided to pursue their volunteer work and social justice work towards a profession in Public Health. They worked during the COVID19 Omicron…

Structural color occurs when light interacts with ordered nanostructures to generate bright, stable and angle-dependent colors. Structural coloration can be found throughout the tree of life, from butterflies to bacteria. Dr. Colin Ingham, CEO and founder of Hoekmine (Utrecht, Netherlands) discussed this fascinating topic and his efforts to use bacterial structural color to create sustainably colored biomaterials as sustainable replacements for bulk dyes and for artistic expression.

We’re delighted to welcome interns from MERIT Health Leadership Academy to learn basic techniques in genetic engineering and then to join our Open Insulin research project.

The post MERIT Summer 2023 Internship appeared first on Baltimore Underground Science Space.

Bacteriophages (or phages) are arguably the oldest and most abundant entities on earth, yet their remarkable antibacterial activity has historically been fairly unexplored in the scientific community. However, interest in phages has rapidly increased in recent years, being prompted by both the emergence of antibiotic resistance and an increased demand for natural, non-chemical approaches to managing bacteria. This talk provided a brief history of phages, an overview of their mechanisms of…