AT BROWN, researchers have discovered that the tropic-loving C4 grasses evolved because of rainfall, not temperature. Previous theories had attributed the rise of C4 grasses, roughly 35 million years ago, to the plants’ ability to survive in warmer temperatures.  Brown’s scientists have found that this is only because hot climates tend to receive less precipitation. Unlike C3 plants, C4 plants don’t need much water to survive. These results illustrate the importance of precipitation in the evolution of different grasses.

AT COLUMBIA, researchers have discovered a way to cure osteoporosis in rats and mice by inhibiting the production of serotonin in the gut. Osteoporosis — a bone disease that leads to an increased risk of fractures — affects millions of people.  Recent studies have shown that serotonin has an adverse effect on bones. The Columbia-led research team thus created an experimental serotonin-inhibiting compound to administer orally to rodents. Daily doses of the drug prevented osteoporosis and cured the disease in infected rodents.

AT DARTMOUTH MEDICAL SCHOOL, scientists reported a clinical trial showing that a newly developed vaccine against Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium vaccae, can prevent TB in people battling HIV. The DarDar Health Study found that the vaccine reduced the rate of TB by 39 percent in a sample of 2000 HIV infected patients in Tanzania.   Since TB is one of the most common causes of death in patients suffering from HIV in developing nations, this vaccine is providing hope for many currently infected people.

AT HARVARD’S SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, researchers identified a molecule, PKR, which can destroy the normal metabolism of a mouse.  When a mouse overeats, its immune system responds to the excess nutrients.  PKR causes these immune molecules to interfere with normal metabolic mechanisms, like insulin, which causes body cells to absorb glucose. These results connect the immune system to metabolic functions, and future research may apply this knowledge to prevent ailments, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

AT PENN, biologists and neuroscientists have found a molecular pathway in the brain that causes cognitive impairment as a result of sleep deprivation. The scientists also believe that the effects associated with sleep deprivation can be reversed by reducing the concentration of the enzyme that builds up in the hippocampus.  The findings are promising, since they could present a new way to treat the memory and focus problems that plague insomniacs.

AT PRINCETON, researcher Andrey Sokolov has recently discovered that bacteria can turn microgears.  Aerobic bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, were placed in solution with microgears, and Sokolov observed that while the bacteria swam around randomly, they occasionally collided with the gears and began turning them. Several hundred bacteria, working together, are able to turn the gears. This behavior provides insight for the design of biologically inspired materials.

AT YALE, analysis of a fossil unveiled the true colors of the feathered dinosaur, Anchiornis huxleyi. The four-winged dinosaur lived in China during the Late Jurassic, and researchers discovered that its feathers contained ornate colors. Anchiornis used this plumage to communicate and to attract mates.  This research indicates that early feathers evolved to fulfill functions unrelated to flight.