How Stevia (sugar substitute) could have potential in the cancer research field

Writer: Ashley Boscco

Stevia’s Secret: Unpacking the Anti-Cancer Science Behind the Green Packet

It’s 6 A.M. and, as you navigate the blur of the early morning fog and go for your essential coffee fix, you might reach for an alternative sweetener. Perhaps, today, it is the little green packet of stevia perched on the condiments tray: a simple choice to avoid refined sugars. While this small, everyday decision may feel trivial, scientists are now discovering it could have benefits other than weight-watching. In particular, recent research indicates that the natural components of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, the source of this popular sweetener, may have exploitable anti-cancer properties.

Beyond the Sweetness: Steviol Glycosides

The major players are compounds known as steviol glycosides (SGs), which give the plant leaves their natural, tooth-aching sweetness. This chemical family, theorized to act as either the plant’s natural defense or storage system, consists of a core steviol molecule linked to diverse sugar groups [1]. This conserved structure becomes critical for digestion in mammals, where the SGs are hydrolyzed by symbiotic bacteria in the colon, breaking into its two main constituents [2]. The steviol is further transported into the liver for further processing while the released sugar groups stay in the gut, unlike other sweeteners that travel to the blood. This then gives the plant extract its classification as a “sugar alternative.”

In one review, researchers compiled evidence showing that SGs counteract a variety of malignancies, from breast cancer to gastrointestinal tumors [3]. But, you may ask yourself—how can this simple compound challenge such aggressive diseases?

How it Works

Fundamentally, cancer cells are mutated host cells that ignore natural signals from the body to stop dividing or die when damaged. Steviol glycosides seem to address this issue in a few suspected ways:

1. Programmed Cell Death: SGs mark for cell destruction, often triggering the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. For instance, stevioside, a common SG, was shown to increase apoptosis rate through reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in breast cancer cells [3].

2. Cell Cycle Arrest: SGs are correlated with halting the cell cycle specifically at the G1, S, and/or G2 phases, stopping cancer cells from propagating further [3].

3. Inhibition of DNA Replication: Certain products such as isoteviol, made from stevioside, inhibit enzymes needed for DNA replication and stability such as mammalian DNA polymerase λ and DNA topoisomerase II [3].

Hence, through either outright destroying or stopping the replication of these cancerous cells, SGs offer a way to corral cancer’s out-of-control mechanism.

Benefits and Next Steps

While these anti-tumoral properties seem powerful, they are not unheard of in the field. Hence, what might make these molecules appealing to study? One of the major characteristics of SGs is their exceptionally low toxicity. Unlike the standard indiscriminate chemotherapy agents, SGs potentially have fewer negative effects on non-cancerous cells, suggesting a safer treatment option [3]. Furthermore, due to being sourced from a common plant, the extract is readily available for study or following large-scale drug development.

However, this does not mean we should all start switching to stevia in our morning coffees. It is critical to understand this research is still in its infancy. Most of these results come from in-vitro cell or in-vivo animal studies, needing much more rigorous clinical studies to confirm similar effects in human patients [3]. So, for now, stevia remains as a healthy sugar substitute, but its potential in cancer research reveals how even the simplest choices we make every morning may hold clues to medical breakthroughs.

References

[1] Libik-Konieczny M, Capecka E, Tuleja M, Konieczny R. Synthesis and production of steviol glycosides: recent research trends and perspectives. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2021;105(10):3883-3900. doi:10.1007/s00253-021-11306-x

[2] Renwick AG, Tarka SM. Microbial hydrolysis of steviol glycosides. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2008;46(7, Supplement):S70–S74. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2008.05.008

[3] Iatridis N, Kougioumtzi A, Vlataki K, Papadaki S, Magklara A. Anti-Cancer Properties of Stevia rebaudiana; More than a Sweetener. Molecules. 2022;27(4):1362. doi:10.3390/molecules27041362

Doping and Designer Materials

Writer: Makeen Shafer

Pictured: Silicon wafer [1]

Ever wondered how a physical computer chip has information on it? Or how a solar panel turns light into electricity? Well the answer, in many cases, is a process called doping.

In materials science, doping is the highly tunable process that unlocks the hidden potential of ordinary materials. It's the art of adding precise, tiny, amounts of impurities to a substance to drastically transform its properties. Like salting pasta water, a little bit of doping goes a long way.

The star of modern doping is the semiconductor, its most famous being silicon. By itself, silicon is a poor conductor and a poor insulator of electricity, but with as few as one impurity atom per million silicon atoms, its conductivity can increase by over a thousandfold [2].

To understand how it works, let's take a step back. You might’ve learned in chemistry that different elements behave differently depending on their outermost valence electrons. For a material like silicon with four valence electrons, the impurity introduced, called a dopant, will have either one more valence electron (phosphorus) or one less electron (boron) [3]. This added electron (or “hole” where an electron is missing) in a system of silicon creates a mobile charge carrier, something that can move, in a material where there otherwise were no charges able to move [3]. Think of it like a football stadium where every seat is taken: when an electron is added, a new person can walk freely across the aisles, and when an electron is removed, a seat is freed up that anyone can move to.

Depending on whether the silicon was doped by increasing or decreasing electrons, an n-type semiconductor (more negative charge) or a p-type semiconductor (more positive charge) is created [3]. 

The real magic happens when p-types and n-types are put together. The simplest configurations make up diodes, components where electricity only flows in one direction from n to p, and transistors, the building blocks of computers [4]. For a chip, diodes control current flow and transistors control the 1s and 0s. For a solar cell, when light knocks electrons off an atom, the diode pushes electrons to the n side, building up electricity [5]. 

The GPUs sold by companies like NVIDIA use this same principle: thin silicon wafers are coated with an exact pattern of billions of p-type and n-type regions stacked on top of each other to make a massive system of transistors [6].

But doping goes far beyond semiconductors and chips, it’s everywhere! Just to name a few devices, catalytic converters, fiber optic cables, lasers, and even glow-in-the-dark toys are made using doped materials [7][8][9][10]. Superconductors, for example, are made by specially tuning the total amount of valence electrons (called the fermi level) in a material, a perfect job for doping [11]. Doping doesn’t just involve electronic properties, but can also have to do physical and mechanical properties. For example, tough ceramics (like in dental implants or ceramic knives) can be made by taking zirconia, a brittle material that wants to self-destruct, and adding yttria molecules, providing larger atoms that lock the zirconia in place and prevent it from cracking[12][13].

Using doping, the future of materials science might not depend on discovering new materials, but on tuning the ones we already have. From advancing computers and technology to improving everyday objects, none of it would be possible without clever and atomically precise doping: making humble molecules and elements into designer materials.

References

[1] Scientists grow “perfect” atom-thin materials on industrial silicon wafers. (2023, January 19). Nano Magazine - Latest Nanotechnology News. https://nano-magazine.com/news/2023/1/19/scientists-grow-perfect-atom-thin-materials-on-industrial-silicon-wafers 

[2] Silicon Resistivity. (2018, October 1). UniversityWafer, Inc. https://www.universitywafer.com/silicon-resistivity.html

[3] The Complete Guide to Doping in Semiconductors: What Is it and Why Is it Necessary? (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2025, from https://www.waferworld.com/post/the-complete-guide-to-doping-in-semiconductors-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-necessary

[4] P-N Junction: Semiconductor Interface | UniversityWafer, Inc. (2018, October 1). https://www.universitywafer.com/p-n-junction.html

[5] Photodetectors. (n.d.). http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Electronic/ligdet.html

[6] What are P type and N type Silicon Wafers? | WaferPro. (2024, January 10). https://waferpro.com/what-are-p-type-and-n-type-silicon-wafers/

[7] bluefire. (2021, October 8). Noble metal-free catalysts compared to catalysts containing noble metals – A question of recycling—Blue Fire. https://blue-fire.org/en/noble-metal-free-catalysts-compared-to-catalysts-containing-noble-metals-a-question-of-recycling/

[8] Introduction to Fiber Doping Techniques. (n.d.). https://www.gohecho.com/introduction-to-fiber-doping-techniques

[9] Laser Crystals – rods, slabs, disk, neodymium, ytterbium, erbium, thulium, holmium, cerium, titanium, chromium. (n.d.). https://www.rp-photonics.com/laser_crystals.html

[10] Lisensky, G. C., Patel, M. N., & Reich, M. L. (1996). Experiments with Glow-in-the-Dark Toys: Kinetics of Doped ZnS Phosphorescence. Journal of Chemical Education, 73(11), 1048. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed073p1048

[11] Tao, Y.-L., Zeng, W., Fan, D.-H., Liu, Z.-T., & Liu, Q.-J. (2025). Comprehensively understand the mechanism of doping to enhance the superconducting transition temperature of H3S under high pressure. Applied Materials Today, 43, 102653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102653

[12] An Introduction to Yttria Stabilized Zirconia. (n.d.). https://www.preciseceramic.com/blog/an-introduction-to-yttria-stabilized-zirconia.html

[13] Kumar, A., Kumar, P., & Dhaliwal, A. S. (2021). Structural studies of zirconia and yttria doped zirconia for analysing it phase stabilization criteria. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1033(1), 012052. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/1033/1/012052

The Flint Water Crisis

Writer: Mihir Sekhar

Introduction

On April 25, 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan decided to switch their municipal water supply from Detroit’s Lake Huron to the Flint River [1]. Intended as a bold cost-saving measure to ease Flint’s financial struggles, this decision instead triggered one of the most devastating public health disasters of the 21st century.

History: Financial Hardships and the Water Switch

The tale of Flint, Michigan starts in the 1900s. As the birthplace of General Motors, the city quickly developed to meet the growing expectations and demands of the automobile boom [2]. Over a span of 80 years, the city experienced a long period of prosperity, growing to a population of over 200,000.

Flint’s prosperity, however, began to unravel as the automobile industry declined. As a result of rising oil prices and imports, workers experienced mass layoffs – decreasing the city’s population to 100,000, with ⅓ of Flint residents living below the poverty line [3]. By the 2000s, the city’s shrinking tax base and deepening poverty pushed local leaders to seek desperate financial solutions – one of which would change the city forever.

In 2011, Flint fell under state control. In 2014, to combat the financial crisis, a state-appointed emergency manager made the decision to switch Flint’s drinking water source to the Flint River, with the goal of saving the city $5 million over 2 years until a newly constructed, cost-saving pipeline was built [4]. The problem: Flint River water was highly contaminated and corrosive, and required proper treatment before distribution [5]. City officials had failed to add anti-corrosive chemicals into the water supply. This failure triggered a public health disaster as lead from aging pipes leached into the city’s drinking water.

Water Crisis: Overlapping Contamination Crises

The change in water quality was noticed almost immediately: residents reported foul tasting, discolored water to city officials. However, despite repeated concerns over the water, officials continued to maintain that the water was safe. Between April 2014 and October 2015, thousands of Flint residents were exposed to dangerous lead levels in their drinking water, with kids being the most at risk for sickness and adverse health effects [6].

Without proper corrosion control, the Flint River water stripped away layers from the old pipes, allowing toxic metals to leach into the drinking water [7]. A study conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech analyzed water samples collected from 252 homes. They found that roughly 17 percent of samples registered above the EPA’s accepted standards of 15 parts per billion (ppb), with over 40 percent of samples measuring above 5 ppb, which the researchers considered indicative of a major health problem [8].

Another study by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a Flint pediatrician, found that the number of children with elevated blood-lead levels had doubled since the switch to the Flint River water supply [9]. The health harms were significant: lead is highly dangerous to children, causing development delays, intellectual disabilities, and behavioral problems [10].

Compounding this crisis, low chlorine levels in the water supply resulted in an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease (a severe form of pneumonia), killing 12 residents and sickening over 87 people – the 3rd-largest outbreak of the disease in US history [11]. In response, officials increased the use of chlorine for water treatment, creating a new problem: high levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) – chemical byproducts of chlorine that can cause cancer with prolonged exposure. Flint was now facing multiple overlapping contamination crises.

Impacts: State of Emergency and the Flint Recovery Plan

On January 5, 2016, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint [12]. President Barack Obama quickly followed up, declaring a federal emergency and allowing federal agencies to step in to supplement local and state efforts.

In response to the Flint Water Crisis, the federal government launched a comprehensive recovery plan comprising four key areas: safe water access, public health, infrastructure repair, and economic recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) distributed safe drinking water (bottled water, water filters), working in tandem with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which installed and maintained filters in public housing. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expanded Medicaid coverage for children and pregnant women, funded local clinics, and coordinated lead testing for affected families. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) led long-term restoration efforts, conducting extensive testing and awarding over $100 million in grants to upgrade Flint’s water infrastructure. Other federal agencies offered nutritional assistance and social services to help decrease the effects of lead exposure and support residents during recovery [13].

On May 19, 2025, 9 years after issuing a state of emergency, the EPA lifted the Safe Drinking Water Act emergency order, marking an end to the water crisis [14].

Conclusion

The story of Flint, Michigan is powerful. It shows how financial struggles and governmental oversight led to one of the most devastating public health disasters of this century. The crisis exposed thousands of residents to toxic lead, along with countless other health harms resulting from drinking water contamination. Although progress has been made and Flint’s water system is now considered safe, the lasting effects on residents’ health and trust in government remain.

References:

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Story: Flint water crisis. https://www.cdc.gov/casper/php/publications-links/flint-water-crisis.html

[2] A 20-year review of Flint finances shows consequences of lack of investment. https://fordschool.umich.edu/news/2022/20-year-review-flint-finances-shows-consequences-lack-investment

[3]Flint water crisis: Everything you need to know.https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know

[4] Board, D. F. P. E. (2024). 10 years after Flint water crisis began, emergency manager law must change. Detroit Free Press. https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/editorials/2024/04/25/flint-water-crisis-anniversary-michigan-emergency-manager-law/73423174007/

[5] Joy Crelin. Flint water crisis: Overview. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/environmental-sciences/flint-water-crisis-overview

[6] Runwal, P. (2025). 10 years on, Flint still faces consequences from the water crisis. Chemical & Engineering News. https://cen.acs.org/environment/water/10-years-Flint-Michigan-still-faces-consequences/102/i14

[7] Pieper, K. J., Tang, M., & Edwards, M. A. (2017). Flint Water Crisis Caused By Interrupted Corrosion Control. ACS Publications. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.6b04034

[8] Kennedy, M. (2016). Lead-laced water in Flint: A step-by-step look at the makings of a crisis. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/20/465545378/lead-laced-water-in-flint-a-step-by-step-look-at-the-makings-of-a-crisis

[9] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021). Pediatrician who uncovered Flint water crisis recounts experience. NIH. https://nihrecord.nih.gov/2021/04/30/pediatrician-who-uncovered-flint-water-crisis-recounts-experience

[10] World Health Organization. Lead poisoning.https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health

[11]Was Flint’s deadly Legionnaires’ epidemic caused by low chlorine levels in the water supply? AAAS. https://www.science.org/content/article/was-flint-s-deadly-legionnaires-epidemic-caused-low-chlorine-levels-water-supply

[12] Gov. Snyder declares emergency for Genesee County. State of Michigan. https://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/recent/snyder/press-releases/2016/01/05/gov-snyder-declares-emergency-for-genesee-county

[13] National Archives and Records Administration. Fact sheet: Federal support for the Flint Water Crisis Response and Recovery.https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/05/03/fact-sheet-federal-support-Flint-water-crisis-response-and-recovery

[14] Environmental Protection Agency. EPA lifts 2016 emergency order on drinking water in Flint, Michigan.https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-lifts-2016-emergency-order-drinking-water-flint-michigan

Cut, Paste, Prompt: How AI Can Help Rewrite Life Itself

Writer: Sandra Alb

Can a robot write a symphony? Can a robot turn a canvas into a beautiful masterpiece?” Will Smith’s character asks an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robot in the movie I, Robot. The answer might still be no for now, but as of July 2025, AI can rewrite our genome. Dr. Le Cong’s team at Stanford Medicine has published a new large language model (LLM) called CRISPR-GPT, which is designed to aid in planning and executing CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing experiments.

This technology is very similar to the more familiar ChatGPT, using the same “chat” prompting format to allow for human-AI collaboration in three modes: beginner, expert, and Q&A [1]. According to Cong, the goals of this technology are to reduce the trial and error associated with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and to minimize any adverse effects that may occur due to genomic manipulation. CRISPR-Cas9 makes genomic edits by using an RNA guide (gRNA) that matches a specific DNA sequence as a GPS signal to lead the Cas9 enzyme to the exact spot in the genome. Cas9 then cuts both strands of the DNA (forming double-stranded breaks, or DSBs), causing the cell’s natural repair machinery to kick in. It either patches up the break with insertion/deletion or adds a supplied template to make precise edits. This system allows scientists to remove, add, or change stretches of DNA in a controlled way [3]. AI deep learning models like inDelphi have already been used to ensure that DSB repair mechanisms proceed without error but CRISPR-GPT takes a much more AI-involved role in prompted gene editing. CRISPR-GPT is only a part of a larger shift toward using AI for precision in gene editing. Deep learning models can predict gRNA efficiency and editing outcomes, though inconsistent datasets and the lack of standard evaluation methods still limit progress [4].

While this new form of gene editing is exciting and holds the promise of curing countless diseases such as hereditary diseases, genetic disorders, potentially cancers and more, it also raises profound ethical questions. An AI companion like CRISPR-GPT would not only assist researchers in editing genes but could also, in theory, design and execute experiments far beyond human oversight. To address risks of AI misuse, Dr. Le Cong and his team have built safeguards into the system [2]. If CRISPR-GPT is prompted to engage in unethical activities, such as editing human embryos or enhancing viruses, it is programmed to issue a warning and respond with an error message, halting the interaction [2]. However, these measures introduce a deeper dilemma: what happens if someone alters the AI’s parameters or bypasses its restrictions? And more importantly, who gets to decide what counts as “ethical” in the first place? As AI systems become more autonomous and integrated into biological research, the line between innovation and interference grows thinner. Moving forward, a considerable challenge will be to ensure that technologies like CRISPR-GPT remain tools for healing, not harming, and that our ethical frameworks evolve as fast as the algorithms guiding them.

CRISPR-GPT is a powerful fusion of AI and biotechnology that could redefine how we approach genetic medicine. With such power comes an equally great responsibility to ensure these tools are guided by rigorous ethics. Now, as we stand at the intersection of code and creation, the question is no longer what AI can do, but what we should allow it to do.

References:

[1] Qu Y, Huang K, Yin M, et al. CRISPR-GPT for agentic automation of gene-editing experiments. Nat Biomed Eng. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41551-025-01463-Z
[2] Kay C. AI-powered CRISPR could lead to faster gene therapies, Stanford Medicine study finds. Stanford Medicine. September 16, 2025. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/09/ai-crispr-gene-therapy.html
[3] Asmamaw M, Zawdie B. Mechanism and applications of CRISPR/Cas-9-mediated genome editing. Biologics (Targets & Therapy). 2021;15:353–361. doi:10.2147/BTT.S326422
[4] Naert T, Yamamoto T, Han S, et al. Precise, predictable genome integrations by deep-learning-assisted design of microhomology-based templates. Nat Biotechnol. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41587-025-02771-0

Why do we dream?

Writer: Srilalitha Jyosyula

Dreams are the strangest yet most vivid experiences we can have and they happen every single night! In fact, people spend about two hours dreaming every night, even if they don’t remember what they have dreamed [3]. During those two hours, our brains create a series of images, sounds, and sensations that can feel as real as our waking experiences.

This has been a fascination for a large part of human history: from ancient Mesopotamian dream diaries to published scientific studies in the modern day [3]. But even after thousands of years, there is no overarching reason for why we dream. Scientists have offered many theories but there is no definitive answer [1].

Some of the uncertainty comes from the intangibility of dreams. For much of history, dream research relied on people’s own reports of what they saw in their dreams. It wasn’t until MRI scans to image the brain were developed that researchers could understand the anatomical basis for dreams. They found that when we dream, we have increased activity in the parts of our brains that are responsible for movement (such as running, falling, or talking) and sensory input when we’re awake [1]! On the other hand, brain areas linked to logic and self-awareness had little to no activity at all. That’s why we sometimes dream of completely nonsensical things like a dog teaching algebra or your house falling into a pit of lava.

Most people dream about four to six times a night but only remember them if they wake up during or immediately after REM sleep [2], [4]. Otherwise, the memory fades almost instantly. Individual people can have wildly different levels of dream recall: some people can remember every little detail while others don’t remember dreaming in the first place.

It’s not just humans that dream! Animals also experience REM sleep and have twitching paws or tails, which may be a clue that they can also dream [3].

As for the purpose of dreaming, some scientists think that dreams are a by-product of REM sleep, the stage of sleep marked by high levels of brain activity that almost mirror waking brain activity [3], [2], [4]. However, it seems that REM sleep and dreaming are somewhat independent because it is possible to have REM without dreaming or vice versa depending on which area of the brain is damaged [4].

Another leading theory is that dreaming helps with memory and learning. During sleep, the brain could be sorting through the events of your day, strengthening useful connections and removing unnecessary ones [3], [4]. Dreams could also be some sort of practice for real-life situations, such as processing emotions, solving problems, or preparing for future problems [4].

Basically, while you dream of flying through the skies, your brain might be quietly reorganizing your brain, solidifying your memories and preparing you for waking life. We may never understand dreams, but they are a reminder that even while we sleep our brains are busy learning and understanding the world around us.

References

1.  MacDonald J. Nobody really knows why we dream. JSTOR Daily. October 15, 2019. Accessed October 26, 2025. https://daily.jstor.org/nobody-really-knows-why-we-dream/

2.  Marks H, Booth S. Dreams. WebMD. Accessed October 26, 2025. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/dreaming-overview

3.  What is a dream and why do we have them? BBC Bitesize. Accessed October 26, 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zmnjb7h

4.  Why do we dream? Cleveland Clinic. Accessed October 26, 2025. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-we-dream

5.  Zhang J, Pena A, Delano N, et al. Evidence of an active role of dreaming in emotional memory processing shows that we dream to forget. Sci Rep. 2024;14:8722. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-58170-z