A pod of Humpback whales swim together on their annual migration to northern waters. Photo by Corey Ford
Do whales “speak” in a similar way that human beings do? Stony Brook University Postdoctoral Fellow Mason Youngblood from the university’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science has published a new study in Science Advances that reveals that whale communication is not just complex—it’s remarkably efficient, following the same linguistic principles that shape human speech.
By analyzing vocal sequences from 16 whale species and comparing them with 51 human languages, Dr. Youngblood found that many whales “compress” their calls to maximize efficiency, similarly to how humans do when speaking. Eleven species exhibit Menzerath’s law, meaning longer vocal sequences are made up of shorter elements, and some—like humpback and blue whales—also follow Zipf’s law of abbreviation, where frequently used sounds are shorter. This suggests that much like humans, whales have evolved ways to streamline their communication, potentially saving energy and avoiding predators.
But not all whales play by the same rules, according to Dr. Youngblood. Some dolphin species, like those in the Cephalorhynchus genus, show no evidence of these efficiency patterns—possibly because they rely on stealthy, ultrasonic sounds to evade predators rather than optimize timing. Even within species, efficiency varies: killer whales compress their call sequences but not the smaller elements inside them. These findings suggest that the push for efficient communication is not universal, but shaped by a mix of biology, behavior, and environment. More broadly, they highlight just how much there still is to learn about the complex communication systems of whales.
“I find it fascinating that communication evolves in similar ways across species, even when the purpose is wildly different“, said Dr. Youngblood. “Humpback and bowhead whales are thought to sing to attract mates, dolphins and killer whales use calls to coordinate with one another, and sperm whales produce clicks to communicate clan identity. Yet, despite these differences, many of their vocal sequences show the same efficiency patterns found in human language—suggesting that the drive to communicate with less effort is widespread in animals.”
Allison Wong with her project. Photo by Kelly Gwydir
By Daniel Dunaief
Over 150 students around Long Island recently caught the science bug.
Allison Wong with Marivia Fernández-Serra. Photo courtesy of Kelly Gwydir
Students from kindergarten through 12th grade made one-minute videos to celebrate historic women in science as a part of the Institute for Advanced Computational Science’s (IACS) second annual competition.
Contestants in the Stony Brook University challenge described their connection with women who sometimes operated in the scientific shadows, while they also described an experiment they did that highlighted an important concept or achievement from the work of historical role models.
“We want to recognize the importance of women in the history of science and engineering,” said Mónica Buggalo, a co-chair of the event and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineeringand at the IACS. Despite the young age of some of the participants, Buggalo was “blown away by how confident they are. It’s unbelievable.”
On Feb. 13, in honor of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the finalists provided a two-minute summary of their work and then the IACS named the winners, who will receive cash prizes.
Baylee Stanton from Saxton Middle School and Allison Wong from Lynbrook South Middle School were tied for first place. Each of them will receive $875.
“I’m really proud of myself because this is a pretty advanced topic,” said Wong.
The students presented their one minute videos on any of 10 women.
Wong selected Katherine Johnson, whom she had studied in fourth grade during Black History Month.
“She inspired me to keep learning,” said Wong.
Allison Wong describing her project. Photo by Kelly Gwydir
After describing Johnson, who was one of the scientists featured in the movie “Hidden Figures” and for whom two NASA facilities are named, as an “African American mathematician who fundamentally transformed the field of aerospace engineering,” Wong went on to describe her project.
She set up an experiment using a catapult and four projectiles, in which she recorded the flight time and distance for a ping pong ball, cotton ball, bottle cap and marble. She recorded these measurements five times each at three different angles.
In an interview, Wong suggested that Johnson’s legacy is important as she calculated trajectories for the first US manned space flight and for Apollo 11.
Wong, who wants to be a doctor when she grows up, explained that the experience of competing made her feel “really inspired.”
She plans to put the money into a bank account and hopes to use it later in life.
Allison’s father David Wong was thrilled with the program and hopes it grows exponentially over the years, as the experience about researching women role models is inspirational.
David Wong said he himself knew about three of the scientists the contestants profiled, including Rosalind Franklin, who helped determine the double helical structure of the genetic material DNA and Marie Curie, who conducted ground breaking research on radiation and was the first woman to earn a degree from the University of Paris.
The opportunity to learn about the other scientists on the list was “eye opening,” David Wong said.
Designing a paper bag
Lucy Jane Sammarco. Photo courtesy of Samarco family
While many grocery shoppers might take the paper bag for granted, that is not the case for Hampton Street second grader Lucy Samarco.
Samarco learned about Margaret E. Knight, who had 27 patents and 100 inventions and was called “Lady Edison.” Knight developed the machine that created the flat bottomed paper bag, which is still in use today.
Samarco, who won an honorable mention for her entry and will collect $300 from the IACS, said the morning announcements in school included her result in the competition.
Her classmates clapped for her, which made her smile.
Samarco, who made a volcano that included baking soda, white crystals and water the weekend after the competition, wants to be a scientist when she grows up. Her favorite animal is the pink parrot.
Lucy’s mother Tricia Samarco was overwhelmed with emotion.
Lucy Jane Sammarco. Photo courtesy of Samarco family
All the competitors, who were mostly but not exclusively girls, were “absolutely amazing,” said Tricia Samarco. She said she was impressed with their confidence and their ability to speak in public.
Mike Samarco, Lucy’s father, was concerned that the project might be too challenging for Lucy and that he and his wife might not be able to offer much help.
“She kept coming back and saying, ‘This project looks exciting,” Mike Samarco said. Eventually, Lucy’s enthusiasm won the day.
Ultimately, Lucy has no shortage of ambition or ideas, suggesting she wanted to discover things, change the world and, perhaps, become president.
Strawberry DNA
Julia and Valerie D’Amico. Photo courtesy of D’Amico family
Mineola sisters Julia and Valerie D’Amico, who took home an honorable mention in last year’s competition, received a third place prize for their description and experiment on Franklin.
“She played a great part in discovering DNAs double helical structure,” said Julia, who is in 7th grade at Mineola Middle School. “We were inspired by her.”
The tandem, who received $500 for coming in third, conducted an experiment to extract DNA from a strawberry.
“It was cool seeing how you could do it,” said Valerie, who is in third grade at Jackson Avenue School. Valerie has longer term ambitions to study archeology.
Julia suggested that some of the women scientists from earlier times might have confronted biases against them if they were interested in science or math.
The combination plans to enter the contest again next year as well.
Enriching and enjoyable
Marivia Fernández-Serra, who also co-chaired the event and is a professor in Physics & Astronomy and at the IACS, appreciated how much fun the participants have.
She enjoys watching them take pictures with their scientists.
Fernández-Serra described the event as a “celebration of students.
The goal was of what she described as an “outreach activity” was to “get students excited about doing science and doing research and aspiring to come and start degrees at universities.”
Fernández-Serra suggested that the IACS may break the competition down into different age groups, with entries from elementary, middle school and high school.
Buggalo is thrilled that student competitors are demonstrating interest that extend beyond the challenge.
“There is a lot of excitement about science,” said Buggalo. “Some of them ask about opportunities that the university offers. We do have summer camps and academic activities in research.”
Rob Martienssen with Nobel Prize winning scientist Barbara McClintock in 1990.
Photo by Tim Mulligan, CSHL
By Daniel Dunaief
Cells, like the organisms they are a part of, are trying to balance between staying the same and making the kind of changes that might save a life or increase fitness.
At the cellular level, pieces of important genetic information, called small RNA, have the ability to introduce important so-called epigenetic changes. These alterations allow an individual to survive a potential threat, such as a disease or a toxin in the environment, without altering their DNA.
In a recent publication in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the University of Cambridge demonstrated that a slightly altered form of uridine, which is a combination of the base uracil and ribosome, can act as something of a master key throughout nature.
“When you see something like that conserved in plants and animals, it has to be basic in terms of inheritance or mechanisms,” said Rob Martienssen, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator who has been at CSHL since 1989.
Indeed, pseudouridine guides epigenetic inheritance, which, unlike a mutation, can represent a temporary change in gene function.
Pseudouridine helps transport small RNAs into reproductive cells in both plants and mammals.
Without pseudouridine, these small RNAs that lead to epigenetic changes can become the target of the body’s immune system, which reacts to anything that introduces changes into the genetic machinery as a potential threat, such as a virus.
The body’s Rig-1 pathway, which monitors the extracellular space for foreign genetic material, triggers a cascade of reactions that lead to the release of interferon by white blood cells.
“We think a conserved protein called RTL1 might provide this function in plants (and animals),” explained Martienssen.
Pseudouridine can signal to the body that these genetic codes that are heading towards the nucleus are “self,” keeping the immune system’s reaction at bay.
“It is known that pseudouridine (and other RNA modification) prevent recognition of long RNA as a virus by human cells and we think the same is true in plants,” Martienssen said.
Some viruses have effectively slipped behind the immune defenses by incorporating pseudouridine into their codes. The most famous example of this, Martienssen suggested, is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV.
Parasitic nematodes and plants also transfer small RNA into the plants they are parasitizing.
Martienssen speculates that those RNA depend on pseudouridine. In his current experiments, he is testing that hypothesis.
Vaccinations
The immune system initially treated the developing mRNA vaccines that were so instrumental in providing an immune defense against COVID-19 as a viral threat, rather than a potential life-saving shot.
A strong immune response prevented the vaccine from providing any benefit.
By adding pseudouridine, among other chemical modifications, to the mix, the pharmaceutical companies created vaccines that functioned effectively without triggering an immune reaction that would otherwise block their effectiveness.
By contributing to a filter that evades immune detection, pseudouridine can also enable the kinds of epigenetic changes — apart and aside from human intervention — that contribute to survival during challenging conditions.
Small RNA that contains pseudouridine can induce epigenetic changes that might be caused by the environment or some disease, enabling an important alteration in the genetic code that could protect an individual against harm.
Martienssen and his team believe pseudourilyation is required to get into the germ line, the cells that are a part of contributing to the next generation. He believes pseudourilyation might also make the germ line more stable.
Martienssen’s collaborator from Cambridge, Tony Kouzarides, independently found pseudouridine in mouse small RNA.
Shorter term changes
As for the long term impact of these changes, epigenetic inheritance typically only lasts a half a dozen generations in animals like worms.
Well known enzymes, such as demethylases, can remove epigenetic marks over time, as several mechanisms are trying to “clean up” the genome before these changes become permanent.
Lower organisms, such as fungi, can become epigenetically resistant to drugs. Epigenetics gives them a lot more variation than they would otherwise have had under natural selection.
An example includes cryptococcus, an infection that can be deadly for immunocompromised people, Martienssen explained.
About five percent of the bases in ribosomal RNA are pseudouridine and 100 percent of ribosomal RNA molecules have these bases rather than uridine at these locations.
Martienssen interfered with the process in his experiments by knocking out an exportin, which is a protein required to export small RNAs. He was able to knock it out without killing the plant.
English origins
Martienssen grew up in Essex, England by the Blackwater estuary near Maldon, which is famous for its sea salt.
Martienssen lived his childhood close to London. Long Island and New York City remind him of home.
When he was eight years old, his father Anthony Kenneth Martienssen gave him the book “The Double Helix’ by former CSHL chair and Nobel Prize winner James Watson.
Martienssen’s father was an author and an aviation consultant who pioneered computer guided air traffic control, his son said. The family recently reprinted some of his father’s books from 50 to 75 years ago.
When he arrived at CSHL, Martienssen worked with Nobel Prize winner Barbara McClintock, who studied transposable genetic elements.
“She showed me how to isolate male germline cells (pollen precursors) from maize plants,” Martienssen recalled. “She told me not to make models, but to stick to the observations.”
McClintock’s earlier models had been more accurate than she realized at the time, he said.
As for his study of epigenetics, Martienssen explained that such alterations are “amazingly useful” in theory, as they can “be induced in many individuals at the same time (random mutations would only occur in one individual at a time), inherited, but then reversed when conditions change.”
Smartphones are an attractive nuisance not just during family time, when parents might otherwise struggle to see anything other than the top of the heads of their children, but also during school.
Lauren Hale. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Medicine
In a recent research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics, scientists led by Lauren Hale, Professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University, found in a study of 117 students from the ages of 13 to 18 that smartphone use during school hours typically consumed an average of about 1.5 hours. That’s about 23 percent of a typical school day.
“School time should be a time for being present,” said Hale. It should involve interacting with peers and learning from teachers. “When a quarter of your day is spent with your finger on the phone” students are missing opportunities for academic and social growth.
The study, which was funded by the Della Pietra Family Foundation, comes as Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has unveiled a plan to restrict cell phone use during the day for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The governor’s plan allocates $13.5 million for pouches, cubbies and other storage devices and comes as other states and countries seek to limit the kinds of distractions that diminish learning and that prevent face-to-face social interactions.
The JAMA study “really does underscore the need to help children reduce their screen time, both at school and at home,” said Kris Perry, Executive Director of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.
At this moment, “we are seeing a crisis in childhood that is highly correlated with the introduction of the smartphone and social media platforms,” Perry added.
In the JAMA Pediatrics study, the researchers found that a quarter of the participants spent more than two hours on their phone during school.
The top five most used apps or categories, other than internet browsing, were messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio and email.
The study may underestimate the amount of time typical students spend on their phones, in part because the participants in the research knew that their phone use was being tracked.
Study design
The students in the study, who were divided almost equally between boys and girls and who came from a representative sampling of different backgrounds, completed a 15-minute smartphone-based survey and installed RealityMeter to measure their smartphone use.
The researchers examined data from these students, whose phones sent signals throughout the day about the time they are using the phone.
The average number of hours these students were on their phones during the day was 5.59, which excludes other electronic devices such as video games, desktop computers or laptops.
To be sure, the survey didn’t analyze the times during the day that these students were on their phones. Some of these participants, for example, could have used their smartphones during their lunch or free periods rather than during calculus classes or lectures about American History, French or any other subject.
“We didn’t have the granularity of each student’s schedule to know” when the phone usage was the highest, Hale said.
Still, using the phone instead of interacting directly with students in the room, at a lunch table, or in a hallway is a “missed opportunity for eye-to-eye contact in real life,” said Hale.
In the study, about 22 percent of the participants indicated that their parents restricted their phone use when they are at home.
The data for this group during school tracks, however, closely with the students who said they didn’t have any such similar phone restrictions at home. The study also compared phone usage for students whose parents attended college with those who didn’t attend or finish college.
The children of college graduates used the phone about 30 minutes less per school day.
Combination of factors
Several factors may have contributed to any potential increase in the use of smartphones in school.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdown and remote learning, students relied on technology to log in to their classrooms. Adolescents who couldn’t interact with each other in person also spent considerable time texting and interacting with each other on social media.
Additionally, various apps have enhanced their platforms to encourage users to stay on them for longer periods of time.
“The algorithms know that I like Shih Tzus, so I keep getting reels for tiny white dogs doing tricks,” said Hale. “If they put up cats, I wouldn’t watch.”
The same is true for adolescents, who see sports clips or other content regularly that compels them to stay online and that may interfere with their ability to learn in class or to socialize with people around them.
These apps and the devices adolescents use could provide information about usage patterns.
“I would love to see social media platforms share more information,” said Hale.
Perry added that parents act as important role models for their children when it comes to screen time. “What you’re modeling is going to be replicated,” she said. “Things that adults do without thinking, their children are copying.”
Next steps
Hale indicated that the research team has just finished collecting a second wave of data on the same participants. The scientists will be following up to see screen use patterns as well as any observed changes in mental health and physical well being.
The recent work published in JAMA Pediatrics is a “descriptive baseline” of smartphone usage in school, said Hale. She suggested that researchers need to conduct further research to understand the impact of phone usage patterns on education. “We need replication in science” to uncover more details over a larger population for smartphone use.
Like Gov. Hochul and others who have focused on this issue, Hale believes these personal electronics may hinder the learning process.
“I’m concerned about kids losing precious school hours to distracting devices,” Hale said. When students go to school, they should “be ready for learning and social time. That’s what’s going to make a difference in their education.”
The historical structure at Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe underwent significant structural damage after a fire on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. Photo courtesy Tesla Science Center
The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in Shoreham was recently awarded $500,000 from New York State Parks to support the restoration of Nikola Tesla’s only known surviving laboratory in the world. This crucial funding provides a much-needed boost to recovery and rebuilding efforts following a devastating fire in November 2023.
The grant comes at a pivotal moment as Tesla Science Center launches a renewed push for its Capital Campaign to restore the laboratory and complete its transformation into a world-class educational and innovation hub. The total cost of the project, originally estimated at $20 million, has risen to $24 million due to additional fire damage and adjustments for inflation. To date, $14 million has been raised toward this goal.
“This grant is a tremendous step forward in our recovery journey,” said Marc Alessi, Executive Director of Tesla Science Center. “We are deeply grateful to New York State Parks for their support in preserving this iconic site and advancing our vision for its future.”
Update on the Fire Investigation and Insurance Dispute
The 2023 fire caused extensive damage to the historic 10,000-square-foot laboratory, destroying critical features of the 1901 building, including its roof, chimney, and iconic cupola, with damages exceeding $3 million. Nearly a year after the blaze, its official cause remains undetermined, though evidence points to contractor error. Sparks from contractors using blowtorches likely ignited the fire, according to Alessi.
While the nonprofit organization’s insurance company has issued a payout, it falls short of covering the damage. Tesla Science Center has removed the contractor responsible for the work and is actively appealing the contractor’s insurance denial of liability.
Steps Toward Recovery and Restoration
Despite these challenges, Tesla Science Center is making steady progress in restoring the site and advancing its mission. Immediate priorities include clearing debris, assessing the building’s structural integrity, and protecting it from further weather-related damage. The $500,000 grant from New York State Parks provides critical support for these efforts, allowing the organization to stabilize the site and preserve its historic significance for the local community.
Tesla Science Center is also working closely with the Town of Brookhaven to secure permits for the new welcome center, which will include exhibit space and a classroom. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, offering new educational opportunities for students across Long Island.
Join Them in Securing Tesla’s Legacy
Once fully restored, the 16-acre Tesla Science Center campus will become a global hub for innovation, education, and imaginative thinking, featuring a museum, science labs, and a business incubator. The restoration is expected to bring significant economic benefits to Long Island’s North Shore, creating new opportunities for local businesses and revitalizing the region’s tourism sector.
The site’s transformation will benefit nearby restaurants, hotels, shops, and service providers, while also generating jobs, attracting new investment, and enhancing the region’s visibility as a premier destination for cultural and educational tourism. By preserving this iconic landmark and sharing Tesla’s legacy with the world, the project will foster a stronger, more vibrant local community while inspiring future generations to pursue advancements in science and technology.
“Preserving Tesla’s legacy right here in Shoreham is not only an opportunity to inspire future generations, but also a way to drive economic growth and strengthen our community,” said Alessi. “We invite Long Islanders to join us in this effort to restore a global treasure.”
Individuals, organizations, and communities can support Tesla Science Center by donating to the Capital Campaign, attending upcoming fundraising events, and spreading awareness of this important initiative.
To join the Capital Campaign or learn more about Tesla Science Center’s recovery efforts, visit www.teslasciencecenter.org.
Florence Aghomo in Madagascar. Photo courtesy Florence Aghomo
By Daniel Dunaief
Don’t say “no” to Florence Aghomo.
A graduate student at Stony Brook University who was born and raised in Cameroon, Aghomo’s ability to get past no, don’t, and shouldn’t led to a continent-hoping life complete with a recent compelling discovery in the rainforest of Madagascar.
Working on her PhD research in the laboratory of Distinguished Professor Patricia Wright, Aghomo went north in Ranomafana National Park when almost every other researcher has gone south in the national park. She was searching for a type of lemur called the Milne-Edwards’s Sifaka when she came upon a large hole on a steep surface.
The fossilized hippo bones, including a tusk and a mandible. Photo courtesy Patricia Wright
She suggested to her guide that it was a cave. Her guide insisted she was wrong. When she spoke with Wright, her advisor also was unconvinced.
Aghomo, however, was sure that what she saw was similar to the caves she studied in the class of Adjunct Lecturer Dominic Stratford, who has a dual position at Wits University in South Africa.
In November, several months after Aghomo’s initial discovery, a team of scientists trekked into the remote part of the rainforest in the north.
“It’s very, very difficult terrain,” Wright said.
The group found 13 caves, one of which, to their amazement, contained fossilized bones.
“This is impossible,” Wright recalled thinking. “Bones don’t fossilize in the rainforest. Everyone knows that.”
But, as the evidence suggested, they can and they do.
The researchers initially thought the unexpected bones were a pig.
“I’m saying, ‘No, it’s not a wild pig,’” said Wright. “That is a hippopotamus. They couldn’t believe it.”
Indeed, while three species of pygmy hippopotami have been discovered in parts of the island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent, none have been discovered in the rainforest.
Once the group at Centre ValBio, the research station in Ranomofana National Park run by Wright, confirmed the discovery, Wright immediately took two actions.
First, she wrote to Stratford.
“This is what we found and it is your fault for teaching Florence how to look for a cave,” Wright said. “It’s your responsibility to come over and help us. I’m not a paleontologist and you are.”
Stratford described the first few weeks after the discovery as frantic, as he had to grade papers, apply for a visa and make complicated travel plans – all before any possible rain washed away this remarkable discovery.
Stratford was thrilled with the finding.
“It was great to know that something you teach at Stony Brook University in the middle of the Northeast has helped somebody make a discovery on the other side of the planet in a rainforest,” said Stratford. The discovery “couldn’t be further away from where we are right now, sitting here in the snow.”
She Wright also wrote to the Leakey Foundation to secure emergency funds to bring experts to the area quickly before the rainy season threatened to wash away this remarkable find.
“This was a really great opportunity to use these emergency funds and is exactly the kinds of things we want to do,” said Carol Ward, co-chair of the Scientific Executive Committee for Paleoanthropology at the Leakey Foundation. “To find a cave system in this rainforest that’s preserving these fossils is really special.”
Acidic rainforest soils make the discovery of fossils in these areas rare.
Seeing the bones
Once Aghomo was able to see the fossilized bones, Wright appreciated the variety of information they these fossils might contain.
The bones had a mandible with molars that “look like flowers,” Wright said. “They had a really nice wear pattern.”
Based on the amount of wear on the teeth, Wright estimates that the individual hippo might have been a young adult when it died.
The collection of bones also included a tusk and several leg bones.
Stratford, who helped carefully excavate the bones with researchers from the University of Antananrivo (Tana), believes this pygmy hippo likely died in the cave. He is hopeful that they might find other parts of the same hippo’s skeleton that got washed into different parts of the cave.
Relatively speaking, this hippo has a smaller cranium and longer legs than similar species on the island nation. Wright suspects that the hippo is a different species from the three that have been categorized in Madagascar.
The bones are sitting in a refrigerator at CVB and Wright hopes to bring them to Stony Brook by some time around May, when Stratford and others might be able to examine them.
Researchers are hoping to answer several questions about the animal, including the age of the fossil as well as the food in its diet based on whatever they can extract from the teeth.
Searching other caves
Researchers, meanwhile, have discovered a tusk from another hippo in another nearby cave.
Wright is excited about the possibility of finding other fossilized bones in caves created by granite boulders that tumbled down a steep slope. Some of the caves have water running at the bottom of them, which can be meters down from their entrance. Scientists used ropes to descend into the caves.
Wright, who has won a range of awards from her research on these quirky lemurs and was the subject of the Morgan Freeman-narrated film “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,”believes some of these caves may reveal a whole new set of fossil lemurs.
Wright hopes to return to Madagascar next summer to do the rest of the excavation with paleontologists.
As for Aghomo, the eagerness to blaze her own trail that led her to find these caves in an isolated area is part of a lifelong pattern in which persistence and a willingness to follow difficult paths has paid off.
When she was younger, Aghomo wanted to work in the forest. Her father, Jean-Marie Fodjou, however, suggested such difficult physical work might not be especially challenging for a woman.
Her father didn’t think she would be comfortable walking distances in difficult terrain, crossing rivers, and carrying heavy loads.
Aghomo, however, recognized that it’s “something I want to do.”
The path to Stony Brook wasn’t immediate either. The first year she applied to the graduate program, she sent her application to the wrong department.
In her second year, she was accepted in the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences but found it difficult to get a visa. Finally, in her third year, she was accepted and received her visa.
This past December, Aghomo won the Young Women in Conservation Biology Award from the Society for Conservation Biology, which recognizes the work of young women in Africa who advance conservation biology.
Recently, Aghomo was back home with her father, who is “so proud of me.”
While she didn’t listen to his advice about staying out of the rainforest, he is pleased that he urged her to pursue her interests to the best of her ability.
“He told me, ‘Do it as well as you can,’” said Aghomo.
Despite the challenge of trekking to parts of a Madagascar rainforest that others don’t generally visit, of following her own path into the forest and of persisting in her efforts to start a PhD program at Stony Brook, Aghomo remains committed to following her own path.
She is hopeful that the discovery of fossils in a few caves in Madagascar leads to additional searches in other rainforests.
After this finding, perhaps paleoanthropologists will “think of searching in Central African countries for fossils.”
As for Ward, she believes the fossilized bones from an extinct species might provide information about human interactions with the world and climate and environmental change that “we might learn from today. There might be lessons about what’s happening now that [we can get] buy looking at what happened in the past.”
Students from Great Neck South Middle School, left, and Ward Melville High School during their final Science Bowl matches that secured their first-place wins. Photos by David Rahner and Kevin Coughlin/BNL
Both teams will compete for the National Science Bowl title in April
Bright minds from Great Neck South Middle School and Ward Melville High School won first place at regional middle and high school Science Bowls — fast-paced question-and-answer academic competitions — hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31.
The Science Bowl tests students’ knowledge on a range of science disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, astronomy, earth, and computer science.
The teams’ first place wins secured them an all-expense-paid trip to the National Science Bowl, where they’ll compete with students from around the country. The National Science Bowl is scheduled to take place from April 24 to April 28 near Washington, D.C.
“The regional Science Bowl competition brings together some of the best and brightest STEM students from our region. We must inspire these students by highlighting career pathways and training opportunities, setting them on the path to become the next generation of STEM professionals,” said competition coordinator Amanda Horn, an educator with Brookhaven’s Workforce Development and Science Education Office.
The winning teams also received a banner to hang in their schools, the top four teams received trophies, and the top three received medals. The first-place high school team won $500 and the second-place team won $250. All prizes and giveaways are courtesy of the event’s sponsors, Brookhaven Science Associates and Teachers Federal Credit Union.
Middle School Science Bowl Top Four
Great Neck South Middle’s first-place team, from left to right, Diane Caplain (coach), Zale Zhang, Nathan Li, Ryan Tsai, Leeann Lee, and Nathan Wong (coach). Photo by David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory
The regional middle school Science Bowl on Jan. 30 was open to schools from Long Island and New York City.
Team members from Great Neck South Middle School spent hours the day before the middle school competition studying as much as they could, said student Ryan Tsai. Each team member specialized in a different subject.
“I would like to thank the math people for doing math,” said Tsai, who focused on chemistry questions.
Looking ahead to the National Science Bowl, captain Nathan Li added, “We’re looking forward to not getting last place and also just having a good time.”
First Place: Great Neck South MS (Team 1)
Second Place: Hunter College MS
Third Place: Paul J. Gelinas JHS
Fourth Place: R.C. Murphy JHS
High School Science Bowl Top Four
Ward Melville High School’s winning team, from left to right, Philip Medina (coach), Harry Gao, Anna Xing, Sean Skinner, Jason Yin, and Gunes Sunar. Photo by Kevin Coughlin/BNL
Ward Melville Senior High School is sending a team to the National Science Bowl for the third straight year.
To prepare for the regional high school competition on Jan. 31, the team studied even more than they did last year since two previous members graduated since then, said captain Sean Skinner. They also practiced how to buzz in to answer questions as fast as possible, he said.
“Most of us have read a textbook cover to cover in our main fields,” Skinner said, noting that each team member specialized in a subject or two. He added that he was happy with the teamwork Ward Melville showed. “Everyone was really positive and focused; that was awesome to see,” Skinner said. “I think my favorite thing is working together with other people to solve a problem that goes between both of your skills.”
First Place: Ward Melville Senior HS
Second Place: Great Neck South HS
Third Place: Roslyn High School
Fourth Place: General Douglas MacArthur Senior High School
Encouraging STEM participation
Science Bowl competitors learned about research happening at Brookhaven Lab straight from scientists, engineers, and postdoctoral researchers at the STEM Expo. (David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory)
Both competitions kicked off with an introduction to Brookhaven Lab’s role as one of 17 DOE national laboratories and its unique facilities that aid researchers in making groundbreaking discoveries.
Gary Olson, deputy site manager at the DOE-Brookhaven Site Office, encouraged students and their teachers to explore STEM training opportunities available through DOE programs.
“We need your minds. We need your inputs. We need your collaboration with your peers who are sitting next to you, in front of you and behind you to make those world-class discoveries, those scientific leaps of sorts, those transformational things, whatever they may be,” Olson said.
Students also heard from two early-career scientists at Brookhaven Lab about their areas of research.
Amie Dobracki of the Environmental and Climate Sciences Department shared with middle schools why researchers study aerosols and their impacts, and how the tiny particles are key ingredients in the formation of clouds.
Success! These middle school students quickly cracked codes to unlock treats during the STEM Challenge. (David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory)
Ejiro Umaka of the Physics Department explained how sPHENIX, one of two detectors that captures particle collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, a DOE Office of Science User facility for nuclear physics research at Brookhaven, helps scientists further understand the nature of matter in our early universe.
During a STEM Expo organized by the Lab’s Workforce Development and Science Education Office, students were the ones asking questions. Scientists from across the Lab’s disciplines offered demonstrations that revealed the basic principles of vacuum chambers, electron beams, software that operates instrumentation used to view materials at the nanoscale, and more.
Science Bowl competitors also toured the National Synchrotron Light Source II, a DOE Office of Science User facility at Brookhaven.
Teams that did not move on to the competition’s final double elimination rounds had the chance to further test their know-how at a STEM Challenge. They quickly put their minds together to solve puzzles that revealed codes to unlock boxes filled with treats. The teams with the fastest times won gift bags.
Middle school STEM Challenge results:First Place: New Hyde Park Memorial High School;Second Place: Great Neck South Middle School (Team 2); Third Place: Plainedge Middle School
High school STEM Challenge results: First Place: Lindenhurst High School; Second Place: Long Beach High School; Third Place: Jericho High Schoo
Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
Arianna Maffei in her lab viewing a slice of brain that shows the mark of the infusion in the gustatory cortex (identified by the red and yellow). This is one of the images which helped the researchers confirm their study data. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University
Study findings reveal a specific signal in one brain region that may hold the key
Researchers at Stony Brook University used genetic manipulation in a laboratory brain model to demonstrate that neurosteroids, signals involved in mood regulation and stress, can reduce the sensitivity and preference for sweet tastes when elevated within the gustatory cortex – a region in the brain most involved with taste. Their findings are published in Current Biology.
According to senior author Arianna Maffei, PhD, Professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, studies in humans suggest that the preference for certain foods influences how much we eat and that decreased sensitivity to taste is often associated with overconsumption, which may lead to obesity. Currently there is limited knowledge of how brain activity contributes to the differences in taste preference.
Determining the relationship between brain activity, taste and eating habits is difficult in humans because available technology for measuring changes in brain activity does not have sufficient resolution to identify biological mechanisms. However, scientists can accurately monitor brain activity in lab mice while measuring their taste preferences.
As the biology of taste is very similar in all mammals, this approach can shed light on the human brain and taste.
In their murine model, the research team investigated neural circuits regulating the preference for sweet taste in adult brains. Their work focused on the effect of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone, which is known to be elevated in people affected by obesity.
This neurosteroid modulates brain activity by increasing tonic inhibitory circuits mediated by a specific type of GABA receptor. The team demonstrated that these GABA receptors are present in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the gustatory cortex.
They infused allopregnanolone locally into the gustatory cortex of the mice to activate neurosteroid-sensitive GABA receptors. This manipulation reduced the model’s sensitivity and preference for sweet taste. Then they used genetic tools to remove neurosteroid sensitive GABA receptors locally, only in the gustatory cortex. This manipulation eliminated the preference for sweet taste over water.
“This reduced sensitivity and preference for sweet taste was even more prominent if the receptors were selectively removed only from inhibitory gustatory cortex neurons. Indeed, in this case mice were practically unable to distinguish sugared water from water,” explains Maffei.
Their approach confirmed that a specific type of GABA receptor is the target of neurosteroid activity and is essential for fine-tuning sensitivity and preference for sweet taste.
Maffei says their findings illustrate the fascinating ways the mammalian brain contributes to the taste experience and reveals a specific signal in a specific brain region that is essential for sensitivity to sweet taste.
Ongoing research with the models is exploring whether neurosteroids only regulate sweet taste sensation or contribute to the perception of other tastes, and/or how changes in taste sensitivity influences eating.
The research was supported by several grants from the National Institute for Deafness and Communication Disorder (NIDCD) branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and was supported by NIH grants R01DC019827, R01DC013770, R01DC015234, F31 DC019518 and UF1NS115779.
The authors are members of Stony Brook University’s College of Arts and Science (Yevoo and Maffei) and of the Renaissance School of Medicine (Fontanini).
Pictured from left are David Lyons, Maggie Ramos and Michael Voltz of PSEG Long Island with John Tuke, Brandon King, Bruce Schadler and Steve Monez of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Photo courtesy of PSEG LI
PSEG Long Island recently commended Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) for its commitment to the environment. The lab completed several projects that qualified for rebates of nearly $280,000 through PSEG Long Island’s energy efficiency programs.
The renovations include replacing 5,700 lights with energy-saving LEDs, heating and cooling upgrades, and a sub-metering project, which will allow the lab to more effectively monitor and manage its energy usage.
CSHL is expected to realize nearly $300,000 in annual savings with the 1.7 million kWh of electricity these projects will save per year.
Pictured from left are David Lyons, Maggie Ramos and Michael Voltz of PSEG Long Island with John Tuke, Brandon King, Bruce Schadler and Steve Monez of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
These composite brain images from the study of WTC responders reveal evidence of amyloidosis. Areas shaded in red and yellow indicate regions of the brain with amyloid. Image courtesy of Sean Clouston, Stony Brook Medicine
By Daniel Dunaief
Even over 23 years after first responders raced to the smoldering site of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, many emergency crews continue to battle the effects of their exposure.
With a combination of toxic aerosolized particles infusing the air, first responders who didn’t wear personal protective equipment and who had the highest degree of exposure have suffered from a range of symptoms and conditions.
Sean Clouston
In a recent study of 35 World Trade Center first responders in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, lead author Sean Clouston, who is a Professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine, found evidence of amyloid plaques, which are often linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.
The paper links exposure to a neurodegenerative protein.
Research with World Trade Center first responders not only benefits those who worked tirelessly to try to find survivors and to restore the area after the attack, but also could help other people who inhale aerosolized toxins.
Indeed, such research could help those who are spending hours battling the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, which have been consuming forests and trees, homes and commercial buildings, at a furious and uncontrolled pace.
People have a feeling that fresh air is safe, but what scientists have learned from their studies of the World Trade Center first responders is that “just being six feet away from a pile of rubble that’s smoldering, even if you can’t see that it’s dangerous, doesn’t mean it isn’t,” said Clouston. “There is at least some risk” to human health from fires that spew smoke from burned computers and refrigerators, among others.
Given the variety of materials burned in the fires, Minos Kritikos, Senior Research Scientist and a member of the group in the collaborative labs of Clouston and Professor Benjamin Luft, suspects that a heterogeneity of particles were in the air.
People in Los Angeles who are inhaling these particles can have them “linger in their circulation for years,” said Kritikos. “It’s not just a neurological issue” as the body tries to deal with carrying around this “noxious” particulate matter. Since most neurons don’t regenerate, any toxicity induced neuronal death is irreversible, making damage to the brain permanent.
Even in non-emergency situations, people in polluted cities face increased health risks.
“There is a recognition that air pollution is a major preventable cause of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias, as noted by the latest Lancet Commission,” Clouston explained.
Two likely entry points
People who breathe in air containing toxic chemicals have two likely pathways through which the particulates enter the body. They can come in through the nose and, potentially, travel directly into the brain, or they can enter the lungs, circulate through the body and enter the head through the blood-brain barrier. The olfactory route is more direct, said Kritikos.
Minos Kritikos in front of Stony Brook Hospital.
The amyloid plaques in these first responders was found primarily in the area near the nose, which supports the idea that maybe inhaling the dust was the problem, Clouston said.
Once these chemicals enter the brain, Clouston and his team believe the body engages defenses that are designed much more for viruses than for toxic compounds. The immune system can encapsulate these chemicals in amyloid plaques.
Amyloid plaques, in moderation and under conditions that protect the brain against pathogens, are a part of a protective and helpful immune response. Too much of a good thing, however, can overwhelm the brain.
“When there’s too much plaque, it can physically disturb neuronal functions and connections,” said Kritikos. “By being a big presence, they can also molecularly and chemically react with its environment.”
A large presence of amyloid can be toxically necrotic to surrounding neural tissue, Kritikos added.
What the scientists believe they are tracking is the footprint of an adaptive response that may not help the brain, Clouston added.
Clouston cautioned that the plaques and cognitive decline could both be caused by something else that scientists haven’t yet seen.
The findings
The research, which used positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans to search for evidence of amyloid plaques, found evidence that doesn’t look like old age Alzheimer’s, explained Clouston. Usually these levels of plaques are not located in one spot, but occur throughout the brain during Alzheimer’s.
The immune response may be causing some of these plaques.
The amount of amyloid plaque doesn’t look like Alzheimer’s Disease and does not appear abnormal in the traditional way of testing, but with careful analysis of the olfactory system, the researchers can find elevated levels.
“I was surprised by how little amyloid was necessary to show this association,” said Clouston.
Researchers at Mt. Sinai have examined the effect of exposure to these same particulates in mice.
“The answer is very much similar to what we see in humans,” said Clouston. “That supports this work.”
To be sure, Clouston and Kritikos are hoping to build on this research. They are particularly interested in following up with participants to measure the rate of change in these plaques from the observed amyloid signals they measured at baseline.
“Doing so would enable us to calculate the rate of amyloid buildup allowing us to assess our responders more precisely, opening doors to possible therapeutic interventions such as the recently approved anti-amyloid therapies,” Kritikos explained.
Additionally, they hope to expand on the study beyond the 35 people who participated.
It is unclear whether tamping down the immune system could make patients better or worse. By reducing amyloid plaques, scientists might enable the harmful dust to cause damage in other areas of the brain. Alternatively, however, a lower level immune response with fewer plaques might, in the longer term, be better for the brain.
This study “does open the door for some of those questions,” Clouston said. Kritikos and Clouston plan to study the presence of tau proteins and any signs of neurodegeneration in the brains of these first responders.
“More research needs to be done,” Clouston said, which specifically targets different ways of measuring exposure, such as through a biomarker. He’s hoping such a biomarker might be found that tracks levels of exposure.
Future research could also address whether post traumatic stress disorder affects the immune response.
“It’s certainly possible that PTSD is playing a role, but we’re not sure what that might be,” said Clouston.
The researchers are continuing this research as they study the effects of exposure on tau proteins and neurodegeneration.
“We are hopeful that this will be an important turning point for us,” Clouston explained
From the Medditerranean to the Atlantic
Born and raised in Cyprus, Kritikos comes from a large family who are passionate about spending time with each other while eating good food.
He earned his doctorate from the University of Bristol in England.
Kritikos met his wife Jennifer LoPresti Kritikos, who is originally from Shirley, New York, at a coffee shop in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was doing postdoctoral research.
LoPresti, who works at Stony Brook as the Department Head Administrator for Biomedical Engineering, and Kritikos live in Manorville and have an eight year-old daughter Gia and one-year old son Theseus.
As for his work, Kritikos is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to research with Clouston and Luft, who is the Director of the Stony Brook WTC Health and Wellness Program.
“I’m happy to be in a position whereby our large WTC team (the size of a small village) is constantly pushing forward with our understanding for how these exposures have affected” the brain health of WTC first responders, Kritikos explained. He would like to continue to uncover mechanisms that underly these phenomena, not just for WTC responders but also for similarly exposed populations.
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