While the Ohio State Buckeyes and Washington Huskies prepared to butt heads in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, researchers at the two universities collaborated to create proteins that zip together in much the same way DNA molecules zip up to form a double helix. The first-of-its-kind scientific breakthrough could enable the development of protein nanomachines that could help diagnose and treat disease, allow for more exact engineering of cells and perform a wide variety of other tasks. “This technique makes it possible for you to design proteins so they come together exactly how you want them to,” said Zibo Chen, a graduate student at the University of Washington and lead author…
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Machine learning helps predict endangered plant species
There are many organizations monitoring endangered species such as elephants and tigers, but what about the millions of other species on the planet — ones that most people have never heard of or don’t think about? How do scientists assess the threat level of, say, the Torrey pine tree? Currently, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature — which produces the world’s most comprehensive inventory of threatened species (the “Red List”) — more or less works on a species-by-species basis, requiring more resources and specialized work than is available to accurately assign a conservation-risk category to every species. Of the nearly 100,000 species currently on the Red List, plants…
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A close-up look at the whirlpool around gigantic black hole
Imagine if you could see something the size of a coin at the distance of the moon. That’s roughly the equivalent of what an international team of astronomers did by combining four of the most powerful telescopes in the world — the Very Large Telescopes at the European Southern Observatory in Chile — in a super-instrument called GRAVITY and directing it at the quasar 3C 273, which is about 2.5 billion light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo. For the first time, the scientists were able to observe the motion of gas clouds swirling around the supermassive black hole at the center of the quasar. Doing so allowed them…
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Videography
Behind the Scenes of “Legally Blonde” at Ohio State The Ohio State University Department of Theatre’s November 2018 rendition of the Broadway musical “Legally Blonde” marries the fun, girl-power themes of the 2001 book-turned-film with upbeat and comical musical numbers, like “Omigod You Guys” and “Bend and Snap.” Cindy Tran Nguyen, a theatre and marketing double major at Ohio State, brings her own charm and sense of individuality to the lead character of Elle Woods — something that will appeal to old and new “Legally Blonde” fans alike. Learn more >> Did astronomers discover an alien signal? Though the pursuit of aliens has largely come up empty, one strange discovery…
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Did Ohio State discover an alien signal?
Though the pursuit of aliens has largely come up empty, one strange discovery at Ohio State in 1977 continues to baffle scientists and stoke imaginations that maybe we aren’t alone in the universe: the “Wow! signal.” The curious signal was detected by Ohio State’s Radio Observatory (the “Big Ear” telescope), which surveyed the sky between 1973-95. LEARN MORE >>
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Ohio State team helps map the Arctic like never before
Some portions of the Arctic are so remote and barren, they seem like another planet. In fact, until recently, there were more detailed maps of Mars and the moon than certain parts of the Arctic. But with climate change occurring more rapidly in the Arctic than anywhere on Earth, there has been an increasing need for high-quality maps that can track geographic changes in the region, said Ian Howat, professor of Earth sciences, director of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (BPCRC) and a principal investigator on the ArcticDEM project, which has created the first high-resolution digital elevation maps (DEMs) of the Arctic. The public-private initiative — formed in 2015…
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Physicists uncover new behavior of elusive Higgs boson particle
It’s been six years since scientists confirmed the existence of a long-theorized particle called the Higgs boson, finally providing an explanation for how other particles acquire mass. Conditions on Earth make it extremely difficult to detect this mysterious particle, which is why discovering it took the world’s single largest machine — the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) — and thousands of scientists from more than 100 countries. Eager for more answers about the deep hidden structure of nature, physicists at CERN have been searching nonstop for further clues about the Higgs boson and how it interacts with other particles. Years of data and trillions…
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Venom researchers making powerful discoveries
For wild animals, life is all about survival. And most don’t have the luxury of cheetah-fast speed or shark-like strength. But nature has equipped a select group with an unusually powerful weapon — venom. While venom is most often associated with creepy, crawly creatures like scorpions, snakes and spiders, this naturally occurring biological weapon is used by an extremely diverse set of species across the animal kingdom. From caterpillars to cone snails to short-tailed shrews, venom serves as a quick, efficient way to subdue prey, as well as a potent defense tactic. Venom can paralyze the respiratory system, destroy muscle tissue and prevent blood from clotting, among other physiological effects…