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BioLine

BioLine - sharing bio-related research beyond the bubble

BioLine is a graduate student-led blog and email newsletter centered on sharing recent bio-related research findings and stories. The aims of BioLine are three-fold: 

  1. Provide researchers practice communicating their work to new audiences,
  2. Increase communication about research among students, and
  3. Celebrate the work of student researchers.

The success of BioLine relies on contributions from the UMN research community. Learn more about its origin story and the nuts and bolts of submitting. 

Recent BioLine Entries

The light at the end of the tunnel: bioluminescence’s fight against the climate crisis

UMN scientists use fungi to create a fluorescent glow in plants – a discovery that researchers hope to use to guide insects to pollinate flowers.

A small bumblebee travels swiftly through the air, searching for a flower to pollinate. It scans the field for vibrant colors and aromatic smells but finds that its timing is off. Flowers typically blossoming at this time of year don’t look quite ready, and the flowers it usually pollinates next month are already in full bloom. 

Breaking the Ice by Plunging Into a Puddle

How I learned to embrace embarrassment in science.

Flies buzzed around my sweaty face as I pushed a patch of especially tall grassy sedges out of my way. It was a hot summer day and I stood in the middle of a wetland on Leech Lake in a long-sleeved shirt and chest-high waders. Thick clumps of roots and deceptively deep puddles added extra effort to every step. After an hour in the meadow, I was tired like I’d run miles.

I was having a great time. Sort of.

Luciferin, the lights behind science and food security

Using fungi bioluminescence in plants could increase crop pollination for food production.

On dark, starless, summer nights, sometimes we get surprised by steady lights emitted by click beetles or flashing lights from fireflies. Have you ever wondered why those lights liven up the sky? The lights are used to communicate, attract prey, defend, and mate. Maybe similar lights can be designed for plants to talk to insects to increase natural insect pollination rates of crops for food production.