As a cellular biologist, I am endlessly curious about the ends of DNA (telomeres), and how telomeres shortening too quickly leads to premature aging. During graduate studies I focused on a protein that is important for telomere maintenance, and is as complex and multifaceted as life itself (to which this protein is essential).

A glowing butt might help some pitvipers attract their dinner

Many animals have been discovered to have biofluorescence, but it is not always clear why an organism might have evolved this trait

Lightning blasts on clay-rich soils support a dramatic theory of how life began on Earth

Phosphorus in clay-rich soils suggest that lightning was a key ingredient in life's recipe

A potential new treatment for premature aging diseases keeps stem cells fresh longer

The drug helps keep stem cells' telomeres long, preventing them from aging too quickly