UNDER the SCOPE

Volume 13

2022-2023 or the past 13 years, Under the Scope has captured the essence of today’s bright minds in student research. Each article, written by a pair of staff writers, has undergone countless drafts meticulously revised by our technical editors and faculty editors before our illustration and production teams brought their words into the visual realm, creating the eye-catching spread you hold in your hands. The great care and attention given to each piece speaks to the need for accurate scientific reporting, without which the meaning of the research itself would be lost.

The features in Volume 13 outline the ups and downs of the scientific process as researchers advance long-standing methods with cutting-edge technology. Our cover story dives into new methods of monitoring factors that impact the viability of a fetus during embryonic development. As you read, you’ll learn about cutting-edge approaches in the Wilkinson Lab and Laurent Lab, which study RNA destruction in the blastocyst phase and the role of micro RNA in pregnancy-related conditions respectively. In the following articles, you’ll read about the cellular basis for autoimmunity, the influence of the external environment on biological decision-making, and how tight control of gene expression is essential to proper physiological function. Finally, you’ll learn about the promising field of algae-derived biofuel, which reminds us that some of the tools for a sustainable future lie within nature itself.

Our writing team unearthed these stories during a school year of great transition. Slowly, the time we spent on Zoom began to decline, and our meetings returned to an in-person modality. But in the final few weeks of fall quarter, we witnessed a bigger transition than we could’ve anticipated — a complete shift in what it means to be in research, following the largest grounds. The stories told in Under the Scope have emerged from a changing landscape in science, in which the importance of graduate researchers’ well-being is finally recognized. We invite you to read about faculty perspectives on the current academic climate on page 26.

Despite the uncertainties of academia, both current and future, the ingenuity and dedication of student researchers to perfecting their craft has persisted. Similarly, what remains at the heart of Saltman Quarterly is our staff’s commitment to clear, concise, and accurate scientific communication in a time when honest scientific reporting is crucial to sorting out facts from fiction. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the writers, editors, illustrators, photographers, and designers whose hard work has resulted in this earnest publication.

We hope you enjoy Volume 13 of Under The Scope.

Sincerely,

Lina Lew & Sharanya Sriram

Editorial Board

Editors-in-Chief

Lina Lew

Sharanya Sriram

Editor-at-Large

Nicole Adamson

Features Editor

Emily White

Production Editors

Tania Gallardo

Amber Hauw

Head Technical Editor

Nicolas Bello

Technical Editors

Gulshanbir Baidwan

Megan Hackbarth

Daniel John

Sarah Malko

Ishrak Ramzan

Irene Tsaur

Ariya Uyeno

Maya Wallace

Under The Scope

Features Design Editor

Dhathry Doppalapudi

Head Illustrator

Kristiana Wong

Head Photographer