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Dr. Vanessa Xavier

Senior Scientific Editor

About Vanessa

Vanessa believes that scientific literacy is necessary for discerning the society we live in and should not be confined to academia alone. She has spent her scientific education majoring in Biology and has tried her hand in different fields, such as cancer, stem cell, and mitochondrial research. This has shown her that every branch of science has new ideas and perspectives that has helped her in her own work. Similarly, she believes that everyone can benefit from learning about how scientists approach questions to discover more about the world around us.

Vanessa is the editor of 5 Breaks:

Bringing 100 million-year-old marine microbes back to life

100 million years ago – in the age of the dinosaurs, prehistoric microbes had been trapped in the subseafloor sediment. When they were brought back to the lab, they were found to still be alive. Why were they not fossilized? How were they revived? This work reveals the mystery of how microbial life in deep and starved subseafloor sediment has survived with much more left to be uncovered.

May 14, 2021 | 3.5 min read
The oldest beer in central Europe? Take it with a pinch of… malt!

Ancient beer is hard to find, and new methods for identifying its remains are constantly being sought for. During their search for new ways of unlocking the secrets of charred prehistoric food crusts, an international team of archaeologists uncovered a new identification trait for foodstuffs made of malted grain. They also discovered the possibly oldest traces of brewing in central Europe.

Feb 10, 2021 | 4 min read
Understanding how COVID-19 Patients shed viral particles into their environment

A study of the surfaces, objects and the air inside and around rooms housing COVID-19 patients helps us to understand how infected people spread the virus. The results of this study can help protect doctors and nurses providing care and can help inform effective protective measures for everyone.

Jan 4, 2021 | 3.5 min read
How nanosized shrapnel from exploding fungal cells may impact us: from allergies to cloud formation

Nano-sized fragments of fungal cells were detected in air over an agricultural area in the U.S. Great Plains region. These atmospheric particles most likely arose from the bursting of whole fungal cells and may play roles in seeding clouds and in spreading fungal allergens.

Nov 5, 2020 | 3.5 min read
A new way to look at light pollution: revealing the good, the bad and the ugly

Which parts of the USA and Europe are the highest polluters of artificial light? A new analysis of this measure reveals great differences between the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean, detailed at the level of counties and provinces. Our studies show that overall, the USA produces polluting light three times more per capita than Europe.

Sep 2, 2020 | 3.5 min read