Blog Post

Allergy Season: A Letter from a Pollen Allergen

By Ariane Tsai, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Institute for Genomic Biology

Dear Host,

Hi, it’s me, a pollen allergen. I am writing to you because you seem to be experiencing some discomfort upon my arrival. Rest assured, I did not enter your body with any malicious intent. Allow me to share my side of the story in hopes of persuading you to let me pass through your body peacefully. Here is what happened:

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Blog Post

Inside the Body of a Marathon Runner

By Vivienne Couris, C2ST Intern, DePaul University

The 2023 Boston Marathon recently concluded when thousands of highly trained runners crossed the finish line after a grueling 26.2 miles. Evans Chebet, the winning runner, completed the race in an impressive 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 54 seconds for an average pace of 4 minutes and 48 seconds per mile! 

Extraordinary athletes like Chebet have trained their bodies to carry out several biological processes with incredible efficiency, allowing them to run a race most people wouldn’t even fathom running in their lifetimes. In this post, we’ll take a closer look into some of these amazing adaptations.

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Blog Post

The Science Behind Fat: Why This Nutrient Is So Good for You

By Vivienne Couris, C2ST Intern, DePaul University

Carbs, protein, fat. 

These big three macronutrients are names we hear a lot in our everyday lives, but what are they, really? Most people are familiar with protein and its importance for building muscle, and we know that carbohydrates give you energy, but what about fats? These nutrients are often overlooked, and even feared when, in reality, they are incredibly beneficial to sustaining a healthy body and feeling great. In this post, we’ll discuss why!

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Blog Post

Another Letter from a Pathogen: Neutrophil & Macrophages

By Ariane Tsai, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Institute for Genomic Biology

In a recent blog post, we looked at adaptive immunity and how T cells and B cells react to seeing a pathogen in our bodies. But T cells and B cells are not the only immune cells fighting against outside invaders. In this post, we will look at other formidable, innate immune cells and learn how they protect our bodies as first responders!

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Blog Post

Lab-Grown Blood: Aiding People One Drop At A Time

By Laura Tran, PhD, C2ST Intern, Rush University

Blood is the fluid of life. 

It contains three types of cells: platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. (1) Platelets are responsible for forming blot clots when we are injured. White blood cells are responsible for aiding our immune system by fighting off infection. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. 

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