The alarm rings, and you hit snooze without thinking. A few minutes later it goes off again, and suddenly getting out of bed feels really tough. It might seem like a motivation problem, but the real explanation is rooted in biology and our bodies.

Even the common habit of hitting the snooze button can make the problem worse. Studies suggest that about 45 percent of people press snooze regularly. Each time someone falls back asleep, the brain may begin starting another short sleep cycle. When the alarm interrupts that cycle just minutes later, it can intensify the feeling of grogginess and make waking up feel even harder.

Ultimately, it takes more than just laziness or a lack of willpower to get out of bed. It takes time for the body and brain to adjust from sleep to wakefulness. The struggle you have with your alarm clock is more about biology than discipline when you understand the science behind mornings.

In addition to the standard recommendation to “get more sleep,” research points to a few less evident methods that can facilitate waking. Exposure to bright light shortly after waking is one of the most effective. Morning light strengthens the body’s circadian rhythm and signals the brain to stop producing melatonin, which makes you feel alert faster. Another method is changing the temperature. Moving into a slightly cooler environment or splashing your face with cool water can help the body transition out of sleep by increasing alertness. Some sleep researchers also suggest placing your alarm across the room so you have to physically get up to turn it off, which interrupts the urge to fall back asleep. Even small habits like drinking water soon after waking or doing a quick stretch can help signal to the body that the day has started and make the transition from bed to morning feel a little less painful.

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Janvi Singh '27

mliddle@mlschools.org

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The ball dribbles by your hand, you grip the racquet tightly, beads of sweat drip one by one down your forehead towards the hard court, and your eyes are laser focused on your opponent. In the blistering summer, you are one point away from losing the tennis tiebreaker to your opponent, but deep inside of you, you just know the comeback is there. You take a deep breath, loosen your body in preparation for the serve, and your mind clears ever pristine…

Everything is just perfect, but the heavens have intervened with just one small, teensy thing. This thing flies out of nowhere, pestering your eyes, and your purified focus crumbles in just a split second. You double faulted, thereupon, you bash your racquet into the ground in a fit of rage and curl up in shame in the middle of the court. 

That thing was actually a spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), notoriously known to be an invasive, ever-growing species taking over in the United States. The U.S. Wildlife Service claims that compared to the average invasive species, the spread of this species is far more rampant. First detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, they have now spread to 15+ states.

While they are not capable of eradicating the entirety of the United States, it is still important to understand what they are. This article will cover the properties of the spotted lanternfly, the effect of its sudden boom in the U.S., and what you should do if you run into one of these pests.

What are they?

According to the National Park Service, the spotted lanternfly mainly originates from China, with a few integrated in other East and South Asian countries. Ironically, it’s actually considered a plant hopper, not a fly, and it has its own life cycle from egg, nymph, to adult.  

In appearance, the eggs take on a putty, muddy color commonly found on smooth surfaces (trees, vehicles, stones, etc.), and they are found in major clusters ranging from 30-50 eggs per mother. Sometimes, mothers will even lay 2 clusters per lifetime. The hatched nymph takes on a black, snooted beetle-like appearance coated in white dots, and they move around by hopping from plant to plant. At the latest stage of the nymph (also known as the fourth instar), they start to be dressed in red patches, signifying their transformation towards their winged adulthood that occurs after molting their skin. The adults take on a striking design with its forewings brown with black spots and dotted bands at the end, hindwings scarlet with black spots and black and white bars at the end, and an abdomen that is black and yellow. 

For feeding, they are indiscriminate feasters of 100+ different plant species. Funnily enough, the species’ most preferred meal is the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), which is also an invasive species native to China that spread into the United States. The insects feed by extracting plant sap out of young leaves and stem via their piercing mouth while excreting a honey dew that attracts other insects and black sooty mold. This stunts the growth of plants, while also initiating possible fungal infections. Also, both nymphs and adults feast in large groupings usually in the base or up a plant to be less visible to predators. 

The lifespan of a spotted lanternfly is just one year, where they live as eggs mid-fall to late-spring and become mobile for the remainder of the time in hopes of laying their eggs sometimes between September and December. Lucky for us, all adults should approach death by the time it hits winter. With their high eggs per mother ratio, insatiable feasting, and flight, the adult form of spotted lanternflies are able to wreak havoc towards any unadapted plant life they lay upon.

What’s the impact?

The mobility of the spotted lanternfly is not the best, as the nymph form only traverses by hopping, and the adults only take on short-distance flights. Therefore, they most likely reached the U.S. on an accidental oversea carriage in the stationary egg form.

The species impact is surprising. It has actually affected the economy more noticeably than the environment due to its taste in crops, specifically grapes. Since the lanternfly typically only sucks the sap out and does not target a specific plant species, it rarely directly kills its plant host, but it does cause a nuisance with its honeydew and black soot. According to Cornell Integrated Pest Management, grapes are one of the most affected, and as an agricultural crop, this has caused economic issues such as “crop loss, exporting issues and increased management costs.”

Outside of crop yields, spotted lanternflies often harm native forests and can even destroy habitats for thousands of species, although there is currently still a lack of information on their impact on wildlife. Their hidden nature and high reproduction rate can also infest the lives of people.

Overall, with their honeydew, mold, and high breeding rate, spotted lanternflies are a major nuisance. They won’t sting you, they won’t bite you, and they certainly are not capable of wiping the United States off the map, but they are complicating the average Joe’s life.

The population is increasing every summer, so we should take action. Here’s what you should do when you run into any spotted lanternflies:

• If you see a cluster of eggs, please squish them and clean up any residue with a sanitized plastic bag.
• For major infestations, contact your local cooperate extension agent.

Save the tennis courts and grape fields. Thanks.

About Post Author

Edan Yang '27

mliddle@mlschools.org

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The world of mathematics often brings to mind dry formulas and strict proofs, but beneath its logical surface lies a universe of surprising beauty and infinite complexity. With the clever interplay of simple numerical rules and looping processes like shrinking and moving bits of a shape, we can watch endless patterns come to life. Today, we will be diving into four of the coolest fractals out there: the Barnsley Fern, which magically grows into an organic leaf from a few “shrink-and-move” steps; the Koch Snowflake, an ice-crystal shape that somehow keeps adding new spiky details; the Apollonian Gasket, a mind-bending stack of ever-smaller circles filling every gap; and the Lorenz Attractor, the iconic butterfly curve born from a handful of looping rules that turn tiny changes into beautiful chaos. Together, these fractals are all examples of how mathematics can transform the mundane into the miraculous, weaving order and unpredictability into patterns that mesmerize our eyes and challenge our minds. Most importantly, no rocket science degree required—just bring your curiosity and get ready to be amazed!

1. The Barnsley Fern

It might sound like a stretch, but this fern wasn’t grown in soil—it was grown with math. “Shrink-and-move” transformations are simple mathematical rules that scale down a point (shrunk down) and move that point to a new location. It’s incredible that by simply repeating a few of these “shrink-and-move” steps, math can create a fern that looks so real, you’d think it came straight from a forest trail. 

Developed by mathematician Michael Barnsley, this fractal mimics the appearance of a real fern using a process called an Iterated Function System (IFS). The Iterated Function System (IFS) uses four specific linear transformations, each with its own probability, to build the fractal pattern. The Barnsley Fern is made entirely from these functions—called affine transformations—which are basic geometric rules that scale, rotate, and shift points. 

Each transformation is a function that takes a point (with x and y coordinates), shrinks it, rotates it, and moves it to a new location. By randomly applying one of these transformations again and again, a realistic fern shape begins to form. The fern uses four of these functions, each with a different effect (one makes the stem, one makes the main leaflets, and the other two make side leaves). Through applying these functions repeatedly and randomly based on specific probabilities, this unique fractal appears. 

The Barnsley fern is a stunning example of how simple math rules, repeated over and over, allow complex natural shapes to emerge into a lifelike fern leaf, straight from numbers to nature.

2. The Koch Snowflake

Imagine starting with a simple equilateral triangle, then adding smaller and smaller triangles to each side—forever. That’s the magic behind the Koch Snowflake, it’s a shape that never stops growing along the edges, yet somehow fits neatly into a finite space, like a snowflake drawn by infinity itself. 

The Koch Snowflake is a classic fractal curve first described by Swedish mathematician Helge von Koch. It begins with an equilateral triangle, and at each iteration, the middle third of every line segment is replaced with two sides of a smaller equilateral triangle, creating a star-like pattern. This process is repeated infinitely, resulting in a figure with an infinite perimeter but a finite area. Specifically, as the number of iterations approaches infinity, the perimeter grows without bound, while the area converges to 8/5 times the area of the original triangle. 

The Koch Snowflake is also notable for its self-similarity, meaning when you zoom in on any part of it, it looks similar to the whole snowflake. Furthermore, the Koch Snowflake’s fractional dimension is about 1.2619, which means it’s more than a line but less than a full 2D shape—it lives in the space in between.

This fractal is a famous demonstration into how infinity can hide inside something that fits on a page. With just a triangle and a repeating rule, it continues to show how simple steps can lead to endlessly complex results. Whether you see it as a frozen snowflake, a starry pattern, or a puzzle that never stops building itself, the Koch Snowflake captures the strange and beautiful power of fractals: turning the ordinary into something truly extraordinary.

3. The Apollonian Gasket

Named after the Greek mathematician Apollonius of Perga, the Apollonian gasket is like a circle’s version of Tetris—no matter how many gaps you fill, there’s always room (and pressure) for more—and, like the Barnsley fern and Koch Snowflake, it’s a fractal that cleverly lets us see infinity packed into a finite space. To construct the Apollonian gasket, we will start with three circles that are all pairwise tangent to each other, meaning they do not touch at the same single point. These circles can be different sizes—some might sit inside another, or they could all be separate. From there, two more circles can be added that touch all three of the originals: one externally tangent to all three of them (the smaller one), and one internally tangent to all three of them (the larger one). These are called Apollonian circles. 

When the two Apollonian circles are added to our three original circles, you get six curved triangle-shaped gaps between the circles. The process continues by placing a new circle inside each of those curved gaps so that each new one touches all three sides. Doing this creates even more curved spaces, and you can keep filling those with new touching circles, over and over, creating an endlessly detailed pattern.

As you keep building the Apollonian gasket, each stage adds more circles than the last—specifically, you get twice as many as three to the power of the stage number. So after a few rounds, the number of circles really adds up fast. Keep repeating the process forever, and you end up with the full, endlessly detailed fractal we call the Apollonian gasket. In this final version, something amazing happens: between every two circles that touch, there’s an infinite chain of even tinier circles that also fit perfectly. This chain is called a Pappus chain.

Now, the size of every new circle in the gasket isn’t guessed—it’s calculated using a rule called the Descartes’ Theorem. This formula tells you the size of a circle that fits perfectly between three others. Although sometimes it produces a negative value, which means that the circle wraps around the others instead of sitting inside.

However, unlike the Barnsley fern or Koch Snowflake, the Apollonian Gasket is not perfectly self-similar because a zoomed-in part of it is not necessarily the same as the whole. Yet, the Apollonian Gasket is still considered a fractal.

The Apollonian gasket might just look like a fancy arrangement of circles at first, but it’s all about fitting circles into gaps, and pushing it to infinity. Like the previous two fractals, it also shows how repeating a basic rule over and over can create something endlessly detailed and deeply connected to geometry and number theory. 

4. The Lorenz Attractor

The Lorenz attractor, named after meteorologist Edward Lorenz, is one of the most recognizable symbols in chaos theory. It’s famous for its butterfly-like shape, which is as delicate as it is complex. Unlike the Barnsley Fern, Koch Snowflake, and Apollonian Gasket—all of which have fractal dimensions between 1 and 2, meaning they’re more intricate than a line but don’t fully occupy a two-dimensional space—the Lorenz attractor has a fractal dimension of about 2.06. That puts it just beyond a surface, hinting at a complexity that stretches into the third dimension without fully filling it.

What makes the Lorenz attractor especially fascinating is that it emerges from just three coupled, nonlinear differential equations. Lorenz originally created them as a simplified model for how heat moves through the atmosphere. The variables represent the speed of circulating air (x), the temperature difference between rising and falling currents (y), and the vertical temperature distortion (z).

When you solve and plot these equations over time in 3D space, you get a swirling, looping path that never intersects itself and never repeats. This shape is called a strange attractor. It holds the system in a familiar form, yet it remains unpredictable in the details.

What really made the Lorenz attractor famous was its extreme sensitivity to initial conditions. Even the tiniest change in starting values leads to wildly different outcomes, which was a phenomenon Lorenz described as the “butterfly effect.” That’s why long-term weather forecasting is so hard—even if the math is solid, chaos makes the system incredibly fragile.

In the end, the Lorenz attractor is a powerful reminder that simple systems can create breathtaking complexity. It blends structure with unpredictability and shows how a few equations can mirror the rich, chaotic behavior we see in the real world.

Wrapping Up: Unveiling the Infinite Complexity of Mathematical Fractals

From ferns that mimic nature with a few simple moves, to snowflakes that build infinity from triangles, to gaskets that cram endless circles into every corner, to butterfly-shaped chaos spun from just three equations, fractals are everywhere. the fractals we explored aren’t just math curiosities; they show how simple rules can lead to wild complexity. Whether through geometric tricks or chaotic spirals, each fractal invites us to look deeper, to see patterns hiding in plain sight. And that’s the real magic: math isn’t just about solving problems—it’s also about discovering hidden patterns that have been there all along, quietly shaping the world around us.

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Jessie Liu ('28)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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When most people think of cancer treatments, they picture chemotherapy or radiation. But what if the next big breakthrough came from a plant with deep purple petals that look like bat wings? Deep in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia grows the bat flower—scientifically known as Tacca chantrieri—and hidden inside it is a group of powerful compounds called taccalonolides. Scientists believe these natural molecules could be key to developing new, more effective treatments for cancer.

What Are Taccalonolides?

Taccalonolides (pronounced: tack-a-lawn-oh-lides) are natural chemicals produced by plants in the Tacca genus. They’re part of a class of molecules called microtubule stabilizers. Although that might sound very technical, these are actually tiny structures inside every cell called microtubules. Think of them as the cell’s internal scaffolding. They help cells maintain their shape, transport materials, and most importantly, divide and reproduce. Cancer happens when cells divide uncontrollably. So, many cancer drugs try to stop this division by targeting microtubules. One famous example is paclitaxel (Taxol), a drug originally derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. Paclitaxel binds to microtubules and freezes them, stopping the cancer cell from splitting into two.

Here’s where taccalonolides come in—they do something very similar, but with slightly different methods.

Why Are They Important?

Unlike paclitaxel, taccalonolides attach to microtubules in a completely different way. This makes them especially excited as they can overcome drug resistance, a major problem in today’s health landscape. In many cancers, cells eventually adapt to traditional treatments like paclitaxel and start resisting them. But because taccalonolides bind differently, they still work even when the usual treatments fail.

Studies in labs and on animals have shown that certain taccalonolides, like taccalonolide AJ and AF, can kill cancer cells effectively, even in previously drug-resistant tumors. These molecules are also more stable than some other natural compounds, which means they last longer in the body and can potentially be used in more precise ways.

Current Developments

While the science is promising, taccalonolides aren’t ready for use in hospitals yet. They’re still in the preclinical research phase, which means scientists are studying how they work and testing their safety. One challenge is that it’s hard to extract large amounts of taccalonolides from the bat flower, so researchers are also looking for ways to make them synthetically in the lab.

Nature Inspires Science

The story of taccalonolides is a reminder of how nature often holds the answers to our biggest challenges. Just like the discovery of penicillin from mold or Taxol from tree bark, the bat flower’s strange, starry bloom may one day help save lives.

In a world where drug resistance is becoming one of the biggest threats in medicine, compounds like taccalonolides give scientists hope. They remind us that sometimes, the most powerful cures can come from the most unexpected places!

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Avni Kaushal ('26)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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As more communities look for ways to go green, electric school buses are getting a lot of attention. They could provide benefits such as cleaner air and quieter neighborhoods; however, they come with negative impacts as well. 

Pros

Firstly, they would contribute to creating cleaner air. Electric school buses don’t have tailpipes, so they don’t pump out harmful emissions like diesel buses. This helps reduce air pollution around schools and neighborhoods, which benefits kids’ health, as diesel fumes have been linked to asthma and other respiratory issues, especially in children. Electric buses are also much quieter than diesel ones, which can help make neighborhoods more peaceful for parents and students.

Cons

However, electric buses do cost a lot. They can cost two to three times more than a regular diesel bus, which is difficult for many school districts to afford, even with government grants. Switching to electric also means installing charging stations and upgrading electrical systems. That takes time, planning, and money as well. 

Switching to electric also comes with range limits. Most electric school buses can go about 100 to 150 miles on a full charge, which is usually enough for typical routes, but it can be limiting for longer trips or field days. Batteries also don’t last forever. Making and recycling them has its own environmental impact, and large-scale battery recycling is still catching up. 

Conclusion

Electric school buses are a big step toward cleaner, healthier communities. They may cost some school districts heavily and be difficult to implement, but over time, they could save money and improve air quality for everyone. 

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Hania Shafqat ('27)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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For many years, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has been among the top beneficiaries of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services that provides grant funding to prestigious universities nationwide. In fiscal year 2024, Johns Hopkins University received approximately $857 million in direct grant funding from the NIH, and an additional 64% for indirect costs, totaling about $1.022 billion. NIH’s budget is essential for biomedical and public health research, which is crucial for saving lives in America. Investment in the NIH produces significant economic returns, including supporting more than 400,000 jobs and roughly $93 billion in economic activity in the U.S. However, recent federal cuts have alarmed researchers nationwide, with many institutions forced to withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.

One grant recipient from JHU, Dr. Tom Carpino, who recently completed his Ph.D. in infectious disease epidemiology, has been researching the stigma surrounding mpox (previously known as monkeypox) while gathering data on testing and vaccination rates. Carpino was awarded an NIH grant worth $48,974 to support his work—at least, that’s what he thought. Last week, when he checked his email, he was surprised to find an NIH award letter stating that his grant had been terminated, effective March 10, 2025.

“I was confused at first,” Carpino admitted. The letter explained that the termination was due to NIH’s policy shift: “It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research activities that focus on gaining scientific knowledge about why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or exploring ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment no longer effectuates agency priorities.”

Carpino clarified that his research does not focus on those topics. “Vaccination is one piece of the puzzle when you’re studying an infectious disease. Without talking about vaccination, you’re not looking at the full picture,” he said. The loss of the grant has had devastating consequences for Carpino, as it covered his tuition, research funds, and livelihood.

Johns Hopkins researchers are not alone in facing funding challenges. USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development, has also made significant cuts, affecting Johns Hopkins’ global health affiliate, Jhpiego. For over 50 years, Jhpiego has worked to improve health outcomes worldwide, supporting efforts to combat diseases like HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis in low-resource communities. Jhpiego and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have been hit hard by recent USAID budget reductions, which have led to the termination of over 80% of its programs.

As a result, JHU has had to scale back its USAID-funded activities both domestically and internationally, leading to the loss of over 2,200 jobs—1,975 in 44 countries and 247 in the U.S., primarily in Baltimore. Another 107 employees will be furloughed. USAID was the largest funding source for both Jhpiego and the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP), making these cuts particularly severe.

“Today is a profoundly difficult day for our colleagues and for our university,” said Ron Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University. “Over more than five decades, our colleagues have brought the benefits of research, discovery, and clinical care to mothers, children, and families at home and around the world. We remain immensely grateful for all they have done for the communities in which they have worked.”

Leslie Mancuso, president and CEO of Jhpiego, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need to adapt to the shifting landscape of global health. “The unwavering commitment of our team to mothers, children, and families remains steadfast. Now more than ever, we must innovate and work alongside our partners to ensure access to essential, high-quality care.”

Despite the setbacks, Johns Hopkins plans to continue its life-saving work globally and is actively seeking new partnerships to help support its mission.

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Avni Kaushal ('26)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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Introduction

We’ve all heard of times when a leader rallies a group of individuals behind a single goal, or when a charismatic speaker wins the support of an entire country. It may seem like these people are unique, possessing an ability to persuade that only a few can harness. But what is persuasion, really? According to social psychologist Robert B. Cialdini, persuasion is not just a gift that some naturally possess; it’s a science rooted in predictable human responses. By understanding six key principles rooted in psychology, anyone can persuade with success.

The Six Principles of Persuasion

1. Liking

Liking captures the simple truth that people are more inclined to agree with someone they like. On an evolutionary level, we evolved to affiliate and cooperate most readily with those we see as “part of our tribe,” so spotting genuine similarities or offering thoughtful compliments goes a long way towards persuading others. Psychologically, positive feelings toward another person prime us for openness. Perhaps you discover you went to the same school, or you strike up a friendly conversation about a shared interest in travel. Even a small commonality can create a sense of comfort that translates into receptivity. Sincere praise also fits here: when you recognize someone else’s hard work or talents, you build goodwill that makes future interactions easier. By finding real points of connection with others and offering heartfelt compliments, you can create a foundation of trust, making it easier for them to be swayed by your ideas.

2. Reciprocity

Reciprocity speaks to another universal inclination: the urge to repay acts of kindness or generosity. For centuries, societies have flourished by encouraging the give-and-take of resources and assistance. Today, this principle appears whenever we feel obliged to return a favor or help someone who once helped us, typically driven by a deep sense of moral duty rather than mere logical calculation. That same sense propels us to open our wallets for charities that send small gifts or to support neighbors who go out of their way for us. This urge to pay back kindness can be used in persuasion: when you offer genuine help, valuable advice, or even a small token of appreciation, you create a sense of obligation. Others become more inclined to listen to your requests and agree to your proposals as a way to pay back that kindness.

3. Social Proof

Social Proof builds on the idea that we often look to the people around us, especially those we identify with, for cues on what is correct or desirable. For example, if your classmates start using a new study app and keep praising its benefits, you’re more likely to give it a try. Likewise, when a popular artist or sports figure publicly endorses a cause, their approval carries significant weight. This principle is rooted in our instinct to follow a group’s lead in uncertain situations, as seeing others succeed or approve helps reduce our fear of making the wrong choice. By sharing genuine testimonials or success stories from peers and emphasizing that many people like them have already embraced the idea, a reassuring environment is created where saying “yes” feels like the natural, safe choice.

4. Consistency

Consistency reminds us that once we commit to something, we naturally want our actions to follow suit. Written agreements, spoken promises, or even casual nods among friends reinforce our desire to be true to our word. Psychologically, when we say “yes,” we feel compelled to keep that promise, both for our own self-image and because we don’t want others to see us as unreliable. This is why asking for a minor favor can often lead to bigger commitments later: once someone has agreed once, agreeing again feels like a natural continuation. To use this in persuasion, start with a small, manageable request that someone else is comfortable with, like asking them to support your opinion. Once they agree, their subsequent decisions tend to align with that initial commitment, making it easier for you to build toward larger agreements, like persuading them to support a cause.

5. Authority

Authority reflects the power of perceived expertise or credentials. For most of human history, listening to knowledgeable or experienced figures was a practical way to stay safe and thrive. Today, we still respond to signals that someone is an expert in what they’re saying, like holding a degree, having a strong track record, or showing a deep understanding of a topic. Subtle cues, such as mentioning a relevant achievement or offering insightful details, can immediately increase your influence. At the same time, however, constantly flaunting your credentials can have the opposite effect, causing people to feel wary or overwhelmed. Ultimately, the best approach is to use expertise modestly, letting others feel reassured rather than pressured into believing you.

6. Scarcity

Scarcity addresses our tendency to desire things more when they are in limited supply or soon to be unavailable. Historically, if certain resources, like food or water, were running low, acquiring them could mean survival. Today, that same sense of urgency propels us to snap up opportunities the moment we hear they’re limited or exclusive. Simply making it known that time is running out or that only a few people have access to certain information can be highly persuasive. Still, any hint of short supply needs to be genuine: by inventing an emergency or faking a shortage, others tend to see through it quickly, and can lose trust.

Conclusion

At its core, persuasion is about recognizing and responding to the psychological currents that guide our decisions. The principles of Liking, Reciprocity, Social Proof, Consistency, Authority, and Scarcity each address a different aspect of how we instinctively interact with and trust those around us. Through them, we foster a sense of mutual benefit rather than a feeling of manipulation. Persuasion isn’t the sole province of those born with a commanding presence; it’s a skill rooted in predictable human responses, ready for anyone to learn and master.

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Connie Wang ('26)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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New Research Unlocks Key to Long-Lasting Immune Response in Cancer and Chronic Diseases

In a groundbreaking study, researchers from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have identified a rare type of immune cell that could revolutionize the treatment of cancer and chronic diseases. These stem-like T cells, fueled by a unique protein called ID3, can maintain powerful and long-term immune responses, offering new hope in the fight against immune exhaustion.

T cells, the immune system’s frontline defenders, often become exhausted when battling prolonged illnesses like cancer and chronic infections. This exhaustion significantly reduces their ability to function, limiting the effectiveness of treatments. However, the discovery of ID3+ stem-like T cells changes this narrative. These cells are able to self-renew, resist exhaustion, and sustain immune responses far longer than other T cells that do not express the ID3 protein. 

ID3 Protein: A Game-Changer in T Cell Longevity

The research, published in the renowned Science Immunology, highlights how the ID3 protein is crucial to the endurance of these stem-like T cells. Catarina Gago da Graça, a PhD student at the Doherty Institute and co-first author of the study, emphasized the role these cells could play in overcoming the challenge of immune exhaustion, a major barrier in treating chronic illnesses, stating, “ID3+ T cells have the remarkable ability to resist burnout and maintain a powerful immune response over time, making them particularly effective in the face of chronic infections or cancer.”

Potential Impact on Immunotherapy and CAR T Cell Therapy

One of the most promising aspects of this discovery is the potential impact on treatments like CAR T cell therapy. While this therapy has shown significant success in treating certain cancers, its effectiveness can diminish over time due to T cell exhaustion. By promoting the formation of ID3+ T cells through specific inflammatory cues, researchers believe they can extend the effectiveness of CAR T therapy and other immunotherapies.

Professor Ricky Johnstone, Executive Director of Cancer Research at Peter Mac and co-lead author of the study, explained that enhancing the activity of ID3 could strengthen the endurance of these cells, making cancer therapies more robust and long-lasting.

“We discovered that ID3+ T cell formation could be promoted by specific inflammatory cues, potentially offering new strategies to boost the number of immune cells that excel at fighting cancer in patients,” said Professor Johnstone. “This could lead to better treatments for cancer patients and improve clinical immunotherapy outcomes.”

Roadmap to Improved Treatments for Chronic Diseases

The findings also offer hope for people living with chronic infections like HIV or hepatitis B and C. Dr. Daniel Utzschneider, Laboratory Head at the Doherty Institute, explained that the research provides a roadmap for how the immune system could be reinvigorated to improve health outcomes in chronic disease cases.

“Exhausted immune cells remain one of the biggest challenges in treating chronic diseases,” said Dr. Utzschneider.” This research provides a roadmap for how we might reinvigorate the immune system to improve health outcomes for people with cancer or chronic infections, thanks to these stem-like T cells, the immune system’s secret power.

Looking Ahead

As researchers continue to study these stem-like T cells, their findings could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies, including vaccines that provide long-lasting protection. Enhancing the body’s ability to produce these resilient cells could be the key to tackling not only cancer but also chronic diseases that have been difficult to treat due to immune exhaustion. 

The discovery of ID3+ stem-like T cells opens new doors in the fields of immunotherapy and cancer treatment. By promoting the endurance of these rare immune cells, researchers are one step closer to developing treatments that offer long-lasting and effective immune responses.

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Avni Kaushal ('26)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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Can 3D Printing Help Us Understand the Brain?

Advancements in 3D printing technology have opened new avenues for understanding the complexities of the human brain. Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have recently developed a 3D-printed “brain-like environment” using tiny nanostructures to mimic the brain’s soft neural tissue as well as its extracellular matrix fibers. This new model allows neurons to grow and form networks in a manner similar to their natural development, providing valuable insights into neural processes and potential applications for mental health and neurological diseases.

Understanding Neuron Growth Through 3D-Printed Models

Traditional lab methods often involve growing neurons on flat, rigid surfaces, which do not accurately replicate the brain’s soft, fibrous environment. The Delft researchers addressed this limitation by designing nanopillar arrays using two-photon polymerization, a 3D laser-assisted printing technique with extreme precision. These nanopillars, each thousands of times thinner than a human hair, create a 3D structure that neurons can interact with, closely resembling the extracellular matrix found in the brain. This experimental design influences how neurons grow and connect, leading to more organized network formations when compared to traditional flat, hard surfaces.

Implications for Mental Health and Neurological Diseases

The ability to replicate the brain’s environment in a laboratory setting has significant implications for understanding and treating neurological disorders. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and autism spectrum disorders involve disruptions in neural network formation and function. By studying neurons in a 3D-printed environment that closely mimics the brain, researchers can gain relevant insights into how similar disorders affect neural development and connectivity. This understanding could lead to the development of more effective treatments and therapies tailored to the specific mechanisms of these diseases.

In conclusion, the development of 3D-printed brain-like environments represents a significant step forward in neuroscience innovation. By providing a more accurate model of the brain’s structure, this technology enhances our ability to study neural growth and connectivity, with promising applications for understanding and treating neurological disorders. For researchers and students across the world, it offers an exciting glimpse into the future of medical research and the potential for technological advancements to improve human health.

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Avni Kaushal ('26)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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Every animal and person sees the world differently. Different types of animals see different colors and it is all due to the amount of color detecting cells, called cones, in their eyes. The number of cells determine the colors that animals can see. For example, humans have three cone cells which allow us to see all of the colors humans can detect.

Dogs

Dogs, however, only have two cone cells, which only pick up on blue and yellow ultraviolet light. The fewer cones animals have, the fewer colors that animals can see.

Geckos

Geckos have very powerful rod cells, which are used to help see in the dark. While humans have rod cells that allow us to see everything in the dark as grey, they are nowhere near as powerful as geckos, who can still detect color in the dark. Snails have terrible vision, they can not focus and can not make out colors. 

Mantis Shrimp

The animal that can see the most colors is the Mantis shrimp, which has four times as many cones cells than humans do, meaning they have 12 cones cells.

The animals of the world all perceive color differently from the number of cone cells they have, leading to every creature seeing the world in a different way.

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Zara Rebuli ('28)

mliddle@mlschools.org

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