Home — Tekh Decoded

A Surprising Method for Preventing Future Pandemics: Conservation

Lead Image: Pandemics are global outbreaks of infectious diseases that spread rapidly and affect a large number of people. They can be caused by a variety of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites, and can have severe consequences for public health and the economy. In recent years, the world has seen several pandemics, including the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have had a significant impact on global health and society. New research reveals the mechanisms behind pathogen spillovers and a way to predict and prevent them. Preserving and restoring natural habitats could help prevent the spread of…

Unprecedented Views of Cell Interiors With New Expansion Microscopy Methods

Expansion microscopy (ExM) provides unprecedented views of cell interiors. The emerging super-resolution imaging technique relies on physical — rather than optical — magnification. Advancements by Carnegie Mellon University’s Zhao Biophotonics Lab increases the expansion rate and allows many types of tissues to be viewed in 3D. Credit: Carnegie Mellon University Unprecedented views of the interior of cells and other nanoscale structures are now possible thanks to innovations in expansion microscopy. The advancements could help provide future insight into neuroscience, pathology, and many other biological and medical fields. In the paper “Magnify is a universal molecular anchoring strategy for expansion microscopy,”…

Signatures of Alien Technology: The Key to Finding Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life

Lead Image: Astronomers have been looking for radio waves sent by a distant civilization for more than 60 years. If an alien were to look at Earth, many human technologies – from cell towers to fluorescent light bulbs – could be a beacon signifying the presence of life. We are two astronomers who work on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence – or SETI. In our research, we try to characterize and detect signs of technology originating from beyond Earth. These are called technosignatures. While scanning the sky for a TV broadcast of some extraterrestrial Olympics may sound straightforward, searching for…

Catastrophic Trend Alert: Global Warming in the Arctic Fuels Megafires on the Permafrost

Lead Image: A 30-kilometer-wide wildfire front detected in the Siberian Arctic at a latitude of 69.31°N on August 6, 2020. Sentinel-2 Infrared color image. Credit: Adrià Descals The Siberian Arctic experienced an unusual number of fires in 2019 and 2020. This raised concerns in the scientific community, as the Arctic has large areas of permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of subsoil that accumulates large amounts of carbon. Fires damage the permafrost and contribute to the release of carbon emissions in the form of greenhouse gases. The question that remained unanswered was whether this increase in fires in 2019-2020 was an…

Serotonin Deficiency Directly Linked With Depression in Groundbreaking Study

Lead Image: A new research study provides the first direct evidence of disrupted serotonin release in the brains of people with depression. New research in Biological Psychiatry offers the first direct evidence of diminished 5-HT release cements “serotonin hypothesis.” Researchers have postulated since the 1960s that major depression stems from disruptions in the serotonin neurotransmitter system. However, the evidence for that idea, though plentiful, was indirect. In fact, a recent comprehensive analysis of existing studies concluded that there was not strong evidence to support the “serotonin hypothesis.” In its wake, some in the field have called for a reexamination of…