A New York biology teacher clapped back at a transphobic Facebook meme with a brilliant, scientifically based exposition thats now going viral. Grace Pokela, who teaches at Arlington High School in Lagrangeville, New York, said she spotted the meme, which argued, Being one sex but thinking youre the other is a psychological disorder, and that support of those who identify as transgender was sociopathy, on Wednesday. She took a screenshot of the meme, which can be found below. Facebook For Pokela, who identifies as gay, that was the final straw. The 33-year-old put her knowledge of human genetics to use and wrote a lengthy response to the person who posted the meme. You can be male because you were born female, but you have 5-alpha reductase deficiency and so you grew a penis at age 12. You can be female because you have an X and a Y chromosome but you are insensitive to androgens, and so you have a female body, she wrote, before concluding, Dont use science to justify your bigotry. The world is way too weird for that sh*t. She then shared the post in full on her own Facebook page, where it has since received over … Continue reading →

for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 11:05 a.m. CT March 3, 2017 Chancellor Bernie Patterson, with guidance from Miron Construction Co. crane operator Jerry Laird lifts the final beam to the top of the new Chemistry Biology Building at UW-Stevens Point. Faculty, staff, students, community members and legislators signed the bean and attended a topping out ceremony Feb. 27. It marked the four-story, 176,500 square-foot building reaching its tallest point.(Photo: Courtesy of UW-Stevens Point) STEVENS POINT - Construction of the four-story Chemistry Biology Building at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has reached its tallest point. A topping-out ceremony marks completion of the highest point in a building project. The final beam was signed by Chancellor Bernie Patterson, legislators and others Feb. 27, then placed on top of the building. More than 100 students, faculty and staff signed the UW-Stevens Point-branded beam. The final beam was lifted to the top of the new Chemistry Biology Building at UW-Stevens Point Feb. 27. Faculty, staff, students, community members and legislators joined a topping out ceremony marking the four-story building reaching its tallest point.(Photo: Courtesy of UW-Stevens Point) The 176,500 square-foot building now dominates the campus skyline on what used to be parking lot X east … Continue reading →

Danielle Hemingson teaches the Anatomy and Physiology class. Image by Elizabeth Hanson. Visiting Professor of Biology Danielle Hemingson is no longer just a visitor on the BU campus. I really have enjoyed teaching and being in the classroom, Hemingson said. I really like our lab experience a lot, but just being at Baker itself is like a small family community all in one little place. Hemingson is originally from Waverly, Iowa, and she graduated from Buena Vista University, where she studied athletic training. She then attended graduate school and majored in kinesiology and sports science. This is the first time I have taught full-time at a university, I came from the YMCA, and I am more of a practitioner, so I have worked with a lot of clients and patients, Hemingson said. This is really my first full-time teaching, but I have always taught adjunct, which is online a lot more and you do not really get to know your students that well. Being here with them in person and seeing them nearly daily is really fun. For 2017-18, Hemingson will become a full-time faculty member teaching classes for both biology and exercise science. I am so happy for her, … Continue reading →

Observer A Biology Teacher Just Destroyed Every Excuse for Transphobia With Cold, Hard Facts Observer Ever since President Donald Trump rescinded an Obama administration order that required schools across the country to allow transgender students to use whatever bathroom they choose, many states and municipalities have reaffirmed their support for the ... Read more from the original source: A Biology Teacher Just Destroyed Every Excuse for Transphobia With Cold, Hard Facts - Observer … Continue reading →

With the costs of cell sequencing falling, it is the biological material itself that could prove to be a hurdle preventing us from sequencing every cell type in the human body. Recently published in Genome Biology a new study looks to address this potential bottleneck of progress using cryopreservation for long term sample storage. Here, lead author of the study, Dr. Holger Heyn, tells us more. Dr. Holger Heyn 3 Mar 2017 Is long-term sample storage possible without compromising the integrity of cell structures and RNA molecules? Schering AG/Getty Images All life on earth begins with a single cell. During an organisms development, cells divide and specialize to form complex tissues. However, how many distinct cell types exist is a matter of active discussion, which narrows down to the definition of a cell type in respect to more dynamic cell states. Recently, the capability to analyze individual cells using single-cell sequencing methods revolutionized the way we approach the complexity of tissues. Uncoupling experiments from prior knowledge, we switch project designs from hypothesis to data-driven experiments, allowing a largely unbiased characterization of tissues of interest. In this regard, single-cell studies greatly contributed to our understanding of brain, blood or pancreas tissue … Continue reading →