On its face, agriculture seems simple: crops need water, sunlight, and soil to grow. The soil that crops are planted in, however, is complex. In order for plants to thrive, fertile soil requires a variety of elements that can become depleted over time, including nitrogen.
Often inaccurately hyped up as the “pleasure molecule,” dopamine is implicated more in “pursuing” than producing pleasure, explains Rabeea Saleem in her article for The National. For example, if you enjoy a sugar rush, dopamine is responsible for motivating you to seek a cupcake to satisfy your cravings, rather than the actual rush. She spoke with McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Zachary Freyberg, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Cell Biology at the University of Pittsburgh, for her article.
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Neill Turner, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. At the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, he specialized in tissue engineering of vascular grafts using endothelial cells. He then did post-graduate work at the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering, University of Manchester, before he became a Research Associate in the Badylak Lab at the McGowan Institute, where he researches regenerative medicine approaches to repair musculoskeletal injuries. Dr. Turner is investigating the role of decellularized extracellular matrix in limb and muscle regeneration. He has extensive experience studying vascular biology, cardiovascular tissue engineering, and the development of decellularized tissues and ECM-based implants.
A person suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) endures the progressive loss of muscle function throughout their body. Eventually, they lose the ability to control their limbs, to swallow, and even to speak. Their inability to communicate becomes a particularly devastating symptom of the illness. Other diseases can cause similar, debilitating impairment.
