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Anatomy

Ally McBeal Sequel Series With Black Female Lead in the Works at ABC From Grey’s Anatomy Writer – TVLine

Ally McBeals TV status is no longer bygones.

ABC is developing a sequel series to the quirky 90s legal dramedy, with a Black female lead taking over for Calista Flockharts title character, our sister site Deadline reports.

The new take on Ally McBeal will focus on a young Black woman who joins the current incarnation of the Cage & Fish law firm straight out of law school and who is also reportedly the daughter of Allys old roommate Renee, played by Lisa Nicole Carson on the original series. (Flockhart has been approached about reprising her role and serving as an executive producer, but no deals have been made yet.)

Karin Gist, who wrote for Greys Anatomy and Revenge before serving as showrunner on Foxs Our Kind of People and ABCs mixed-ish, will write the pilot and serve as an EP as well. Original series creator David E. Kelley is not involved in the new series but has reportedly given it his blessing; hes said in the past if Ally were to come back, hed want a woman to write it.

Ally McBeal debuted in 1997 on Fox, starring Flockhart as a hopelessly romantic young lawyer at a top Boston firm. It quickly became a cultural sensation, breaking boundaries with its then-unique mix of comedy and drama and its bizarre CGI flourishes that represented Allys inner hopes and fears like the infamous Dancing Baby that appeared when her biological clock was ticking. Ally won the Emmy for best comedy series in 1999 along with a pair of Golden Globes, ultimately running for five seasons. TVLine first reported that a revival was in the works last year.

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Ally McBeal Sequel Series With Black Female Lead in the Works at ABC From Grey's Anatomy Writer - TVLine

Physiology

An expanded whole-cell model of E. coli links cellular physiology with mechanisms of growth rate control | npj Systems Biology and Applications -…

An expanded whole-cell model of E. coli links cellular physiology with mechanisms of growth rate control | npj Systems Biology and Applications  Nature.com

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An expanded whole-cell model of E. coli links cellular physiology with mechanisms of growth rate control | npj Systems Biology and Applications -...

Physiology

From plant biology 2022: following the light – hortidaily.com

As explained by the symposium chair, Prof. Andreas Madlung (University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington), summarizing the Responses to Light concurrent symposium, presented Sunday, July 10 at Plant Biology 2022, is quite challenging as, in very simple words, plants use light for many things. This blog post discusses the enlightening results shared during that sunny Sunday by the leading lights in the fields of shade avoidance, seedling establishment, and photosynthesis.

Le Thuy Do | Dreamstime.com

Respiration in the lightPlants are able to convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. They capture CO2 from the atmosphere to generate glucose and release O2. At night, when photosynthesis cannot occur, plants remobilize the energy stored during the day through respiration. Respiration can be simplified as the opposite of photosynthesis, where plants capture O2 and release CO2. Although respiration mostly occurs during nighttime, this process can also occur (to a lesser extent) during the day. Respiration in the light is still poorly understood as it is tricky to measure it accurately. Dr. Stephanie Schmiege, postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University and University of Western Ontario East Lansing, explained that current tools and models used to estimate respiration in the light need serious optimization. Dr. Schmiege demonstrated that respiration in the light depends on light intensity, a parameter often not included in prediction models and tools but could be a key parameter to accurately quantify CO2 fluxes on Earth and potentially better evaluate the impact of climate change on our planet.

In addition to utilizing sunlight for photosynthesis, plants can distinguish the color composition of sunlight through photoreceptors, a set of specialized proteins that detect different wavelengths of light. During this session, we have mostly heard about phytochromes (phys), sensors of red and far red light, and the coolest photoreceptors ever discovered in plants.

Gene duplication and evolution in tomatoA wonderful talk from the chair, Prof. Andreas Madlung, focused on the evolution of phys function in tomatoes. Through evolution, the duplication of certain genes may result in the creation of pairs of genes of different functions (also called sub- or neofunctionalization). In tomatoes, two Phys B genes are known as PhyB1 and PhyB2. By using transcriptome profiling and co-expression network analysis coupled with physiological experiments, Prof. Andreas Madlung elegantly demonstrated that PhyB1 and PhyB2 in tomatoes, although showing some overlapping functions, seem to regulate distinct light-mediated responses as a result of subfunctionalization. Prof. Madlungs research is a good example of how coupling different techniques such as phylogeny and transcriptome profiling and plant physiology are essential to understanding and learning how plants use light to grow.

Regulating phytochrome-interacting factorsAt the molecular level, phys inhibit the activity of a set of transcription factors called phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) by promoting PIF phosphorylation. PIFs act as a signaling node, linking the variation of light cues with elongation responses. Although the kinases that phosphorylates PIF are well studied, little is known about the phosphatases that mediate the opposite reaction. Xingbo Cai, a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas at Austin, identified two phosphatases that mediate PIF dephosphorylation and stability and are necessary to regulate hypocotyl elongation in red light.

Regulation of cell membranes by light signalsIf we think about an example of how phys shape plant physiology, the first thing popping into our minds is shade avoidance. Under a high risk of competition for light, plants trigger a set of changes in their morphology, typically enhancing the elongation of internodes and petioles, and in the case of seedlings, the hypocotyl. Prof. Christian Fankhauser (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) presented the latest results from his lab about the regulation of cell membranes by light signals. If you are going to elongate, you need more membranes, he said after showing how shade promotes lipid biosynthesis and autophagy to enhance hypocotyl elongation.

Source: http://www.blog.aspb.org.

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From plant biology 2022: following the light - hortidaily.com

Physiology

Heat Waves Are Feeling Hotter, And We’re Measuring Them Wrong, Too – ScienceAlert

While we all know things on Earth are generally getting hotter, heat isn't the only factor influencing how hot we actually feel.

Due to changing environmental conditions and quirks of our physiology, heatwaves are feeling up to 10C (18F) hotter than traditional measures imply, new research discovered.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) uses apparent temperature also called the heat index to measure what these environmental conditions feel like to us physiologically.

But the new weather extremes we're facing today have pushed the system's fringes to breaking point. In turn, the physiological responses of sweating and cooling would influence our brain's estimates of the relative temperature.

Physicist Robert Steadman calculated the heat index scale in 1979 by measuring how different temperatures impact the blood flow in our skin under different levels of humidity.

So at an average humidity of around 70 percent, a typical human body in the shade would experience 20C as 20C.

At higher temperatures, the body would increasingly rely on its evaporating sweat to cool down, making it feel hotter than it really was.

A temperature of around 30C, for example, might seem more like 34.5C. At elevated humidities, this disparity only worsens.

The humidity factor is one of the reasons the UK struggled with its recent heatwaves, even though it only reached temperatures other places in the world would consider fairly standard for summer.

The higher the humidity, the harder it is for our bodies to use sweat to cool us down through evaporative cooling. Our bodies also flush our blood through veins closer to our skin's surface to dissipate heat.

A study earlier this year found that we're even worse at tolerating combinations of high heat and humidity than we previously thought, with an upper-temperature limit of just 31C at full humidity.

And unfortunately for us, for every degree Celsius our atmosphere is warming, water vapor also increases by around 7 percent.

The NSW relies on the heat index to issue public warnings on a regular basis, and researchers use it to estimate the physiological impacts of future warming.

Under most circumstances, this measure accurately represents how these environmental conditions affect us. However, the heat index was never designed for the extremes of both heat and humidity we're facing today extremes that are becoming more severe and increasing in frequency.

For example, a relative humidity of 80 percent was only mapped physiologically for temperatures between 15-31C, but temperatures now rise above 32C for weeks at a time in some parts of the US.

Simply extending the calculations by applying the same formula to the more extreme conditions unfortunately does not match what happens physically to our bodies.

"Most of the time, the heat index that the National Weather Service is giving you is just the right value. It's only in these extreme cases where they're getting the wrong number," explains climate physicist David Romps from the University of California, Berkeley.

"When you start to map the heat index back onto physiological states and you realize, oh, these people are being stressed to a condition of very elevated skin blood flow where the body is coming close to running out of tricks for compensating for this kind of heat and humidity. So, we're closer to that edge than we thought we were before."

For the most sweltering days, we're now experiencing this measure is up to 10C off.

So earlier this year, Romps and UC Berkeley physicist Yi-Chuan Lu extended the heat index for all temperatures and all humidity levels by considering our physiology too.

"The original table had a very short range of temperature and humidity and then a blank region where Steadman said the human model failed," says Lu. "Steadman had the right physics. Our aim was to extend it to all temperatures so that we have a more accurate formula."

Steadman's model breaks when 100 percent humidity at the skin's surface prevents us from sweating further. By recognizing that we continue to replace the sweat that drips free as well, the formulae Steadman devised could be pushed into new limits of temperature and humidity.

"I'm no physiologist, but a lot of things happen to the body when it gets really hot," says Romps. "Diverting blood to the skin stresses the system because you're pulling blood that would otherwise be sent to internal organs and sending it to the skin to try to bring up the skin's temperature. The approximate calculation used by the NWS, and widely adopted, inadvertently downplays the health risks of severe heat waves."

In their newest paper, the team applied their updated heat index to the top 100 heat waves between 1984 and 2020. They identified the Midwest as the home to the most physiologically hazardous heat in the US, not the South as previously reported.

The soils of the Midwest were known to be moist during its most severe heatwaves, including a particularly severe one in July 1995 indicative of the high humidity that helped cause 465 deaths.

The old index suggested people would have experienced a 90 percent increase in their skin blood flow, whereas the new index now shows that it was more like a 170 percent increase. And this was for people in the shade.

As heat waves are already the top weather-related cause of death in the US, particularly impacting older adults and those who must work outside, and the conditions are only set to worsen, the heat index is a vital measure to get right.

"A 200F [93C] heat index is an upper bound of what is survivable," says Romps. "But now that we've got this model of human thermoregulation that works out at these conditions, what does it actually mean for the future habitability of the United States and the planet as a whole? There are some frightening things we are looking at."

This research was published in Environmental Research Letters.

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Heat Waves Are Feeling Hotter, And We're Measuring Them Wrong, Too - ScienceAlert

Physiology

UMHB’s Strength and Conditioning Education Program is the First in the Country to Receive Accreditation from CASCE – UMHB.edu

UMHBs Strength and Conditioning Education Program is the First in the Country to Receive Accreditation from CASCE

BELTON, TexasThe University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) is honored to announce that its Strength and Conditioning Education Program (SCEP) is the first in the country to receive accreditation from the Council of Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning (CASCE). UMHBs Strength and Conditioning Education Program is a concentration within the exercise physiology major.

According to the official letter from CASCE, this accreditation decision indicates the programs compliance with the CASCE Professional Standards and Guidelines. By achieving initial accreditation, the program has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and demonstrated its commitment to offering a measurable, accountable program, and of the highest quality in preparation for students pursuing careers in strength and conditioning.

At UMHB, the SCEP is offered in a Christian environment led by faculty who teach and mentor with integrity, sensitivity, and a commitment to excellence. The SCEP prepares undergraduate students to serve as leaders who demonstrate excellence in improving human performance, maximizing athlete safety and mastering athletes needs. The program provides an innovative and dynamic curriculum that reflects a scientific basis for understanding, contemporary strength and conditioning practice, exercise testing and technique, program design and program administration.

Its important that as a profession we standardize strength and conditioning education so we can optimize athlete peak performance, but more importantly, ensure athlete safety, explained Dr. Colin Wilborn, UMHBs executive dean for the Mayborn College of Health Sciences and director of the Strength and Conditioning Education Program. We could not be more honored to be recognized as the first program in the country to receive CASCE accreditation. This accreditation opens so many doors for the future of UMHBs exercise physiology graduates.

UMHB is at the forefront of exercise physiology education with its outstanding faculty, facilities and laboratories. Exercise physiology majors have opportunities to assist professors in cutting-edge nutritional, exercise, health and rehabilitation research in UMHBs state-of-the-art laboratories. The universitys exercise physiology major follows the guidelines established by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the leading membership organization for thousands of elite strength coaches, personal trainers and dedicated researchers and educators worldwide.

To learn more, visit Exercise Physiology | Health degree | UMHB.

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UMHB's Strength and Conditioning Education Program is the First in the Country to Receive Accreditation from CASCE - UMHB.edu

Physiology

Mangosteen Peel as Medicine – CU’s Faculty of Veterinary Science is Successful in Replicating Mangosteen Peel Extract, Treatment for Intestinal…

BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University has researched and replicated "Hydroxy-xanthones", the vital extracts rich in antioxidants found in mangosteen peels that kill germs and halt infections in the intestinal mucosa. It hopes to expand to include health products for humans and animals in the future.

Not only is "Mangosteen",the queen of Thai fruits, a delicious and healthy fruit, but its peel is also abundant with beneficial extracts. In days of old, local wisdom deemed mangosteen peel as a good cure for upset stomachs, inflammation on the skin, and cure wounds in animals. Today, there have been efforts to apply mangosteen peel extracts to various medicines and products such as plasters, gels, and surgical masks.

The benefits of mangosteen peel are even greater. Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee Poonyachoti of the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn Universityhas recently been successful in developing a substance that replicates the chemical structure of mangosteen peel extract that helps stall leakages in the intestine. Aside from its health benefits, the extract reduces the need for medication for both humans and animals.

Xanthones a natural substance in the mangosteen peel rich with benefits

Research on mangosteen peel enabled Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee to discover Xanthones, a substance in the Flavanol group that is effective in combatting or halting various types of inflammation with qualities such as anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-malarial and anti-oxidant.

With Xanthones' ability to reduce inflammation and destroy bacteria, a research project in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University was launched to develop and extract Xanthones in the form ofHydroxy XanthonesorHDXwith the highest efficacy for the health of humans and animals.

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"Extractions of mangosteen peels have brought about a variety of substances both beneficial and harmful. Moreover, they must go through a rather complicated process and we cannot control the quality of the extracts since it is dependent upon factors such as planting methods, use of fertilizer, climate, care, etc." Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee enumerated how the research project came about.

"We chose the method of analysis and sought to mimic the chemical structure of Xanthones from mangosteen peels, giving us the desired essential extracts which are easier to apply directly as part of adjuvants in medicines, foods, and other products and to control their efficacy in the best manner possible."

Leaky Gut Syndrome a cause of disease in both humans and animals

The leaky gut syndrome can lead to many diseases especially septicemia that can be hidden in human bodies. This happens when there is an abnormality in the functions of the intestines and the microvilli.

"If you can imagine how the cells in the microvilli work. They line up next to each other and are responsible for screening and controlling toxic substances, and bacteria that enter the bloodstream. When inflammation occurs, the cells cannot line up next to each other and function like a fortress, which makes it possible for toxic or foreign substances to enter the bloodstream. The condition is dangerous and must be treated before it is too late," she explained.

A leaky gut does not always show any symptoms or if it does it could affect other physical ailments such as overtiredness, fatigue, headaches, or other body aches without any clear indication of the causes.

"The cause is not clear but hypothesized to be the result of stress. If the symptom occurs in human beings, they can consult physicians right away. However, if this occurs in animals, it is harder to tell if they are sick."

Developing HDX into health products for humans and animals

This research is at the experimental stage to determine the quality of HDX's performance. It has been used in pig farms first before being experimented on human beings and larger and more diverse types of animals. As Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee concluded, "In the future, HDX will experiment in adjuvants in a variety of products like medicines and food items to improve the quality of life of both humans and animals."

For the full release and more images, please visit: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/80450/

Read the full article at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464621004631

About Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University sets the standard as a university ofinnovations for society and is listed in the World's Top 100 Universities for Academic Reputation, in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)World University Rankings 2021.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Miss Thanita Wangvanichapan at (+66) 2218 3280 or email thanita.w@chula.ac.th

SOURCE Chulalongkorn University

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Physiology

How long does it take to build muscle? – Livescience.com

Anyone who has ever tried to build their biceps or add bulk to their back will know the process is easier said than done but how long does it take to build muscle?

The answer depends on many variables, from training methods and calorie intake to the macronutrients provided by the foods you eat. Indeed, you can lift the best adjustable dumbbells (opens in new tab) all you want, but if you dont eat enough protein (opens in new tab) and utilize the progressive overload (opens in new tab) principle, then you wont be able to pack on mass.

But even optimizing the muscle-building (or hypertrophy (opens in new tab)) process isnt enough. Age, gender and genetics play their part in deciding how successful your bodybuilding exploits will be.

We spoke to exercise physiologist Bianca Grover to find out how long it takes to build muscle and to get advice on how to do it.

Bianca Grover is a certified exercise physiologist, medical exercise specialist and personal trainer. She holds several certifications and specializations from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association. Her specialities include functional training, strength training and orthapedic considerations.

There's no strict timeframe for how long it takes to build muscle. It all depends on the training regimen followed, nutritional adherence, rest, and so on, Grover says.

But, for a rough figure, she points to a 2018 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (opens in new tab) which explores the role of skeletal muscle damage and muscle protein synthesis.

According to this study, muscle growth can be seen after about 10 sessions, but only after about 18 sessions is significant muscle hypertrophy observed, says Grover.

The study says that increases in the size of the muscle in the early phase of resistance training (four or less sessions) is attributed to muscle damage-induced swelling. After 10 sessions, a modest magnitude of muscle hypertrophy ensues, and after around 18 workouts true muscle hypertrophy is observed.

However, 2017 research also published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (opens in new tab) concluded that significant increases in lean mass could be seen after just seven workout sessions, performed over the course of four weeks.

The study tasked 13 untrained men with performing dumbbell curls and shoulder presses twice per week for four weeks. They would complete 8 to 12 repetitions, working until they could not perform any more, and the weight was increased where appropriate as they progressed from session to session. Subjects also drank 500 milliliters of whole milk during training.

(You can also train different muscle fiber types to improve other elements of performance like endurance and power. To find out more, read our feature: What are the different muscle fiber types? (opens in new tab))

After the graft you put in to grow your hard-earned muscle, the last thing you want to consider is losing it (also known as atrophy). Unfortunately, a lack of muscle use, insufficient nutrient intake, or both can lead to that. Thankfully, though, it will take more than a missed gym session for this to occur.

Rates of atrophy typically vary depending on your current physical condition, says Grover. The more in shape you are, the longer it will take to atrophy, and the slower the rate will be.

However, typically after one week of little to no activity you can start to notice signs of atrophy.

A 2014 study into the impact of disuse on muscle size and strength - published in the Acta Physiologica (opens in new tab) journal found that even short periods of muscle disuse can cause substantial loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength.

This does refer to complete inactivity of the muscle, though, with the 24 study participants subjected to either five or 14 days of on-legged knee immobilization using a full leg cast. After just five days, leg lean mass had decreased.

If you're trying to bulk up, its important to know how to gain muscle (opens in new tab) in general.

When performing resistance training, small tears in the muscles are created by moving them through a range of motions under load, Grover explains. These tears are then repaired and built upon, using amino acids (protein) as building blocks.

In other words, muscle building relies on muscular effort (which is usually achieved through resistance or weight training (opens in new tab)) as well as adequate protein intake. We asked Grover to give some more insight on the best ways to target and grow muscle.

If you are looking to grow a specific muscle or group of muscles, also known as hypertrophy, you need to perform exercises that target them, says Grover.

The best approach is to remove the guesswork from your exercise program. You may think an exercise is focused on a specific muscle or group of muscles, but do you know for sure? Taking the time to do a little research into the exercises you are performing can make a big difference.

Grover gives the example of performing the leg press for glute muscle (opens in new tab) gains.

You may think your leg press routine is targeting your glutes, but the positioning of your feet may be targeting another muscle group altogether. If your feet are too low on the surface of the leg press, youre actually working primarily on your quads. Sliding your feet up will help readjust your focus on the intended muscle.

If you want to target your shoulder muscles, try these best exercises for shoulders (opens in new tab) recommended by Mitch Raynsford, a qualified strength and conditioning coach.

In order to grow muscles, you must put them under the proper amount of load, Grover says.

Or in other words, if the weight youre lifting or the number of repetitions you are completing does not challenge your muscles with the appropriate stimulus, they will not grow as efficiently.

When exercising for hypertrophy, generally you want to increase the weight and reduce the amount of repetitions. When talking about the weight used to exercise, also known as the load, fitness professionals measure it as a percentage of your one-rep max.

For muscle growth, you want to train using 75% of your one-rep max. This is a resistance that should allow you to complete eight to 10 reps at a time. If you cannot complete at least eight, or if the weight feels too light, adjust accordingly.

Training at higher and lower loads can stimulate muscle growth, but it is generally accepted that this load and an eight to 12 rep range is optimal for hypertrophy.

An American College of Sports Medicine (opens in new tab)review states: It is recommended that loads corresponding to one to 12 repetition maximum (RM) be used in periodized fashion with emphasis on the six to 12 RM zone using one to two minute rest periods between sets at a moderate velocity. Higher volume, multiple-set programs are recommended for maximizing hypertrophy.

Nutrition is a critical aspect of recovery and will play a big role in helping you build muscle, says Grover. There are several factors that come into play, including your protein source, protein quantity, carbohydrate intake, supplements and when you take all of these in.

Muscle hypertrophy occurs when muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown and results in positive net protein balance in cumulative periods, a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health says.

From the nutrition point of view, protein intake alongside resistance training is a potent stimulus for muscle protein synthesis.

Information published by the American College of Sports Medicine (opens in new tab) adds: People that exercise regularly also need to eat more protein than the recommended daily intake.

To increase muscle mass in combination with physical activity, it is recommended that a person that lifts weights regularly or is training for a running or cycling event eat a range of 1.2 to 1.7grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.

But other research suggests this figure could be higher. A 2017 study in The Journal of Nutrition (opens in new tab)looking at the protein needs of young male bodybuilders found the estimated average requirement of protein was 1.7g per kilogram of bodyweight, and the upper limit was 2.2g per kilo of bodyweight.

It's possible to get most of the protein you need from regular food sources, but if you need a helping hand you can look through our list of the best protein powders (opens in new tab).

This article is not meant to offer medical advice and readers should consult their doctor or healthcare professional before adopting any diet or exercise regime.

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How long does it take to build muscle? - Livescience.com

Physiology

New NSF-funded institute will probe biology in the absence of water – Carnegie Institution for Science

Palo Alto, CA Water is inextricably linked to our understanding of lifeit makes up most of our planets surface and organisms across the tree of life depend on it to function. Yet the ability to survive extremely dry conditions for long periods is crucial to the life cycles of many speciesincluding in plants, which can reproduce from desiccated pollen grains and grow from dried-out seeds.

There are some desert plants and micro-animals, like tardigrades, which can lose up to 90 percent of their water and resume normal biological function within hours of being rehydrated. We want to know how they do it, said Carnegies Sue Rhee, who was just awarded a $12.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to create a cross-disciplinary institute that will investigate this question.

Understanding the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms by which they accomplish this incredible hardiness could inform strategies for surviving climate change with minimal impact to the food supply and help identify conditions that could support life on other planets.

Called the Water and Life Interface Institute, or WALII (pronounced as wally), this new Carnegie-led initiative involving scientists from nine institutions will examine the interface of water and life among plants, animals, and fungi across four key areas:

Institute scientists will hail from a wide range of fields including molecular biophysics, computer science, genomics, and cellular and evolutionary biology, as well as plant biologists with expertise in seed physiology. Senior scientists, early career researchers, and both graduate and undergraduate students will comprise the team with a goal of producing a new generation of scientific leadership.

In addition to Carnegie, scientists from California State University Channel Islands, University of California Merced, the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Michigan State University, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Wyoming, and the Baylor College of Medicine are already committed to joining the institute.

WALII will prioritize inclusion of individuals from a diversity of backgrounds, which will bring an array of perspectives to the table and enhance our ability to undertake creative problem solving and tackle big questions from novel angles, Rhee said.

The initiative will also spearhead outreach and education activities to raise awareness of drought, water quality impairments, and climate change. Carnegie and University of Wyoming colleagues have already completed a pilot program teaching San Francisco-area children about tardigrades, which are among the most resilient animals in the world.

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New NSF-funded institute will probe biology in the absence of water - Carnegie Institution for Science