The function of sleep is still elusive despite the well-known effects of sleep loss or poor-quality sleep on cognitive function and long-term health. When and how long animals (including humans) sleep is determined by, on the one hand, their internal circadian clock, which aligns physiology... click to read more

We often think of genes as a static piece of information in DNA that determines different physical aspects of life. I have blue eyes because I have the gene(s) for blue eyes. However, while DNA is important in determining such features, it's the proteins encoded... click to read more

It’s got to be one of the most popular fruits around: the banana. Although there are over a 1000 varieties, few people realize that almost the whole banana export is dependent on one type of banana, the Cavendish. This banana - cultivated by the personal... click to read more

While many people remember the wonderful flavor of a garden-grown heirloom tomato, this flavor is not found in modern commercial tomatoes. Modern tomato breeding has focused on disease resistance, yield, shelf-life and firmness for shipping. While these traits are essential for large scale year-round production... click to read more

Death -- the ultimate end of everyone's journey. What is there to study? Is anything interesting happening? Aside from religious and philosophical discourses, valuable knowledge might be obtained from tangible physical facts. Consider an analogy: a disaster happens in a chemical plant that results in... click to read more