The report card is in for the state of the birds in the USA. So how did we do? Certainly not an A+ or even […]

The post Our birds are in real trouble. Can we fix it? Yes we can! appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

What crunchy food did Americans spend $5.5 billion on last year—with sales that spiked before snow and ice storms? If you guessed birdseed then you […]

The post Simple tips to keep your backyard birds healthy this winter appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Millions of people across the United States will sit down Nov. 27 to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn and cranberries. These […]

The post Where did your favorite Thanksgiving Day food originate? Anthropology has the answer appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

1. Centaurus A – A split-personality elliptical galaxy Centaurus A isn’t your typical elliptical galaxy. Its most striking feature is a dark dust lane across […]

The post Five Images of our universe that will astound you appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Every few thousand years, an unlucky star wanders too close to the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The black hole’s powerful […]

The post Our Galaxy’s Black Hole is Spewing Planet-size “Spitballs” appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Washington, D.C. is a city of symbols. The rites, rituals, and places that define Washington capture the aspirations of our nation and its citizens. Just […]

The post Trusted Sources: Why Museums and Libraries Are More Relevant Than Ever appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The center of our Galaxy has been intensely studied for many years, but it still harbors surprises for scientists. A snake-like structure lurking near our […]

The post Cosmic filament probes our galaxy’s giant black hole appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

As command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission to the moon in 1971, Al Worden spent six days orbiting the moon, including three days completely alone, the most isolated human in existence. In Falling to Earth, Worden tells for the first time the full story around the dramatic events that shook NASA and ended his spaceflight career.

The post “Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut’s Journey to the Moon” by Al Worden with Francis French appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Olivia R. Grafinger, Genya Gorshtein, Tyler Stirling, Megan I. Brasher, and Marc G. Coppolino

Malignant cancer cells can invade extracellular matrix (ECM) through the formation of F-actin-rich subcellular structures termed invadopodia. ECM degradation at invadopodia is mediated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and recent findings indicate that membrane-anchored membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) has a primary role in this process. Maintenance of an invasive phenotype is dependent on internalization of MT1-MMP from the plasma membrane and its recycling to sites of ECM remodeling. Internalization of MT1-MMP is dependent on its phosphorylation, and here we examine the role of β1 integrin-mediated signaling in this process. Activation of β1 integrin using the antibody P4G11 induced phosphorylation and internalization of MT1-MMP and resulted in increased cellular invasiveness and invadopodium formation in vitro. We also observed phosphorylation of Src and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and an increase in their association in response to β1 integrin activation, and determined that Src and EGFR promote phosphorylation of MT1-MMP on Thr⁵⁶⁷. These results suggest that MT1-MMP phosphorylation is regulated by a β1 integrin-Src-EGFR signaling pathway that promotes recycling of MT1-MMP to sites of invadopodia formation during cancer cell invasion.

Xian Hu, Salma Jalal, Michael Sheetz, Oddmund Bakke, and Felix Margadant

Despite progress made in confocal microscopy, even fast systems still have insufficient temporal resolution for detailed live cell volume imaging, such as tracking rapid movement of membrane vesicles in three-dimensional space. Depending on the shortfall, this may result in undersampling and/or motion artifacts that ultimately limit the quality of the imaging data. By sacrificing detailed information in the Z-direction, we propose a new imaging modality that involves capturing fast "projections" from the field of depth which shortens imaging time by approximately an order of magnitude as compared to standard volumetric confocal imaging. With faster imaging, radiation exposure to the sample is reduced, resulting in less fluorophore photobleaching and potential photodamage. The implementation minimally requires two synchronized control signals that drive a piezo stage and trigger the camera exposure. The device generating the signals has been tested on spinning disk confocals and instant structured-illumination-microscopy (iSIM) microscopes. Our calibration images show that the approach provides highly repeatable and stable imaging conditions that enable photometric measurements of the acquired data, in both standard live imaging and super-resolution modes.

Björn Eismann, Teresa G. Krieger, Jürgen Beneke, Ruben Bulkescher, Lukas Adam, Holger Erfle, Carl Herrmann, Roland Eils, and Christian Conrad

3D cell cultures enable the in vitro study of dynamic biological processes such as the cell cycle, but their use in high-throughput screens remains impractical with conventional fluorescent microscopy. Here, we present a screening workflow for the automated evaluation of mitotic phenotypes in 3D cell cultures by light-sheet microscopy. After sample preparation by a liquid handling robot, cell spheroids are imaged for 24 hours in toto with a dual-view inverted selective plane illumination microscope (diSPIM) with a much improved signal-to-noise ratio, higher imaging speed, isotropic resolution and reduced light exposure compared to a spinning disc confocal microscope. A dedicated high-content image processing pipeline implements convolutional neural network based phenotype classification. We illustrate the potential of our approach by siRNA knock-down and epigenetic modification of 28 mitotic target genes for assessing their phenotypic role in mitosis. By rendering light-sheet microscopy operational for high-throughput screening applications, this workflow enables target gene characterization or drug candidate evaluation in tissue-like 3D cell culture models.

The pendant took Grand Prize in the National Saul Bell Design Competition in 2008 and features a beautiful 3.76-ct pink tourmaline from Nigeria.

The post Pink tourmaline “Nautilus” pendant enters National Gem Collection appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Many traits unique to humans were long thought to have originated in the genus Homo between 2.4 and 1.8 million years ago in Africa. A […]

The post Human Evolution Rewritten: We owe our existence to our ancestor’s flexible response to climate change appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Odile Madden knows a lot about plastic. A materials scientist with the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute, she has spent the past eight years studying plastics […]

The post Microplastics in our environment: A conversation with Odile Madden, Smithsonian plastics scientist appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

To the Hopewell Culture, ancient Native Americans who sought out the exotic from near and far, metal was a rare and precious resource. Copper, found […]

The post Ancient Native American beads traced to otherworldy source: an iron meteorite appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

On Monday, Aug. 21, beginning shortly after 9 a.m. Pacific Time, the sky will darken across North America as the moon’s orbit carries it between […]

The post Enrich your solar eclipse experience with this new app! appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The post Meet Our Scientist: National Zoo veterinarian Katharine Hope appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Dr. JoGayle Howard of the Smithsonian's National Zoo discusses her work to breed and study one of the world's most endangered cats, the clouded leopard. More about the National Zoo's work to save clouded leopards: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/SCBI/ReproductiveScience/ConsEn...
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/support/annualappeal/cloudedleo... ... (more info)

The post Meet Our Scientist: Dr. JoGayle Howard of the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Dr. Thomas R. Watters of the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum talks about his research in astronomy, particularly our moon. More about space science at http://www.nasm.si.edu

The post Meet Our Scientist: Tom Watters – Moon Science appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Dr. Mary Hagedorn, a marine biologist at the Smithsonian Institution, talks about her research to understand and conserve our oceans' corals.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Mary Hagedorn – Coral Science appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Center Botanist Stefan Schnitzer talks about his work studying lianas (woody vines) in the jungles of Panama. These hardy vines compete with trees for water and nutrients and also act as highways for jungle animals moving through the forest canopy.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Stefan Schnitzer – Tropical Vine Science appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

What determines the variety of trees in a tropical forest? Is it the seed size? Perhaps seed-hungry animals? And what happens to forests that are being drastically changed by humans? Smithsonian Tropical Research Center Botanist, Helene Muller Landau, talks about her attempt to find answers to these questions.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Helene Muller Landau – Tropical Forest Science appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Invasive plant species are threatening native species across the globe. Learn how scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Center in Panama are trying to fight one species of grass in Panama that is wreaking havoc on the country's tropical biodiversity.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Jefferson Hall – Invasive Plant Science appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Dr. Mary Hagedorn, a marine biologist at the Smithsonian Institution, talks about her research to understand and conserve our oceans' corals. To meet more scientists, visit https://insider.si.edu.

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Here come the stinkbugs...With the cooler temperatures of fall the brown marmorated stinkbug begins a determined quest to find a warm place to spend the winter. Crowding around window screens and searching for other ways to get inside, homeowners in the United States will share their indoor living space this winter with millions of brown marmorated stinkbugs. In this video Gary Hevel, an entomolgist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, shares some information about these interesting creatures, as well as some advice about how to deal with those that inevitably gain entry to your home.

The post Smithsonian entomologist Gary Hevel gives information and advice about stinkbugs in your home appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Smithsonian Scientist Helen James dives into dormant Hawaiian volcanoes to find bird fossils. Her work to identify these species (some new species, some extinct) helps us learn about the past--specifically, how humans might have caused the extinction of certain bird species.

The post Meet Our Scientist–Helen James dives into dormant Hawaiian volcanoes to find bird fossils appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

When birds and planes collide: Carla Dove, a forensic ornithologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, talks about the work of the Smithsonian's Feather Identification Lab and its role in improving aviation safety.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Forensic ornithologist Carla Dove explains bird-strike science appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Join National Zoo Conservation Biologist Brian Gratwicke in his work to save Panama's amphibians from extinction. You can also catch up on his dispatches from the field on the Panamanian Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project's blog: http://amphibianrescue.org/

The post Meet our Scientist: Brian Gratwicke, Amphibian Avenger appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

This new PBS Newshour video takes a look at a new exhibit at the Air and Space Museum celebrating NASA's space art program.

The post PBS Newshour takes a look at the new National Air and Space Museum exhibition “NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration” appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Mark Torchin, a marine ecologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, talks about how he studies the parasites of invasive marine animals such as snails. Much of his research focuses on biological invasions and the dynamics between the host, the parasites and the surrounding ecosystem.

The post Meet our Scientist–Mark Torchin tracks invasive marine species and their parasites in Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Digging up early human and animal remains from the field in Africa, performing examination and publishing research about her findings, then enticing and educating the public about the implications are all in a week's work for Briana Pobiner.

The post Meet Our Scientist–Briana Pobiner, human origins researcher at the National Museum of Natural History appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Meet the Smithsonian's Matthew Carrano, curator of Dinosauria at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Matthew studies all things dinosaur, but focuses on the evolutionary history of predatory (meat eating) dinosaurs.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Matthew Carrano, curator of dinosauria at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Meet Rachel Collin, a staff scientist and director of the Bocas Research Station at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Rachel studies the evolution of marine gastropods (snails) and oversees multiple disciplines of marine biology at the Collin Lab in Bocas del Toro.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Rachel Collin, an expert in the evolution and development of snails who is working in Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Meet Smithsonian scientist Justin Touchon, a National Science Foundation (NSF) postdoctoral researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

Justin's work focuses on developmental ecology and reproductive plasticity of the hourglass treefrog (Dendropsophus ebraccatus) and red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas). Justin and his advisor, Karen Warkentin, were the first to have witnessed the frogs laying eggs in water, in addition to doing so on land -- something with major implications for the evolutionary biology of similar creatures.

The post Meet Our Scientist: Justin Touchon, Frog Follower at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The post The amazing story of adaptation and survival in our species, Homo sapiens. appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Meet Rachel Page, a Smithsonian scientist in Panama who studies frog-eating bats (fringe-lipped bats), among other topics. Her current research focuses on learning and memory in neotropical bats, combining field studies with laboratory experiments to learn about predator cognition and its effects on the evolution of their prey.

The post Meet our Scientist Rachel Page. She studies frog-eating bats, and other animals, in Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Smithsonian planetary geologists Sharon Purdy and Maria Banks explain how you can take your very own photo of Mars.

The post Scientists Maria Banks and Sharon Purdy explain how to take your own photo of Mars. appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

If a supernova vaporized Earth’s ozone layer, what would happen to life in the ocean? Smithsonian biologist Pat Neale shows how UV rays could harm […]

The post If a supernova vaporized our ozone layer, what would happen to life on Earth? appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Click photo to take a tour of the 1903 Wright Flyer with Smithsonian X 3D Explorer. The Smithsonian X 3D Collection features objects from the […]

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Meg studies intergroup competition in white‐faced capuchin monkeys by tracking them through radio telemetry collars and observing their behaviors.

The post Meet our scientist Meg Crofoot, primate researcher in Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

On Monday, June 23, Asian elephants Swarna, Maharani and Kumala finished their 30-day quarantine and made their public debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. This […]

The post Asian elephant journey: Calgary to National Zoo appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

myVolcano is a crowd-sourcing app that enables you to share your photographs and descriptions of volcanic hazards, as well as collecting samples and measurements of […]

The post New: myVolcano crowd-sourcing app appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Here are some of the many resources the Smithsonian Libraries have to offer for Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History

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Linn Meyers (American, b. Washington, D.C., 1968; lives and works in Washington, D.C.) created her largest work, “Our View From Here,” at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn […]

The post Linn Meyers “Our View From Here” Time-lapse appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Gwen Ifill sat down with Lonnie Bunch, the director of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture, which is due to open this […]

The post PBS Newshour interview with Lonnie Bunch, African American Museum director appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Get a quick tutorial on how to upload a story about your local culture and experiences to the Smithsonian’s storytelling website, located www.museumonmainstreet.org Museum on […]

The post Posting Your Story to Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street Website appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Part 1 – Public Programs Coordinator Gloria Kenyon demonstrates crafting for the next Handi Hour program at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art […]

The post Handi-hour crafting – Cross Stitch Embroidery appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.