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TS Digest
February 2022, Issue 1

February 2022, Issue 1 Table of Contents

This Issue

February 2022, Issue 1

Choosing Sides

Cell chirality could underlie development of a left and a right

Feature

Image of an abstract fractal blue and green sea shell.

Cell Chirality Offers Clues to the Mystery of Body Asymmetry

Catherine Offord | Feb 1, 2022 | 10+ min read

Researchers explore the idea that molecular patterns in individual cells could underlie the development of a left and a right in animals.

Speaking of Science

Ten Minute Sabbatical

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse

Slideshows

Researchers Identify Novel Long-Tongued Fly Species

The discovery that what was long believed to be one fly species is actually two deepens researchers’ understanding of plant-pollinator relationships in a unique habitat in southern Africa.

Notebook

Microbes Responsible for Stealing Aquarium Medicine

Researchers discover that bacteria break down medicinal compounds for their nitrogen, solving a mystery that has vexed aquatic veterinarians for years.

Critic at Large

Illustration of man receiving a COVID test.

Opinion: What COVID-19 Has Taught Us About the Importance of Testing

The pandemic has yielded many lessons. One is that adequate and well-distributed diagnostics are key to battling disease outbreaks.

Infographics

Illustration of fibers in a cell twisting

Infographic: The Emergence of Chirality in the Cell Cytoskeleton

Researchers use imaging to show how actin fibers tilt and then swirl to create left-right asymmetry in the cell.

The Literature

A photo of a termite’s head with its brain clearly visible

Termite Brains Anticipate Future Visual Challenges

Dampwood termites with the potential to leave the colony have larger optic lobes before ever being exposed to different visual environments, an example of predictive brain plasticity.

Epigenetic Changes to Placenta Correlate with Maternal Depression

An epigenome-wide association study found more than a dozen methylation changes in placental DNA that correlated with expectant mothers’ self-reports of depression and stress during their pregnancy.