Feature Stories
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Aug-2025 05:11 ET (21-Aug-2025 09:11 GMT/UTC)
The $19 strawberry that went viral. The egg prices everyone’s talking about. An expert explains why
University of California - San Diegorocery prices are having a moment in 2025. On social media, food costs have become a full-blown cultural conversation, from outrage over a $19 strawberry (yes, one strawberry) at the upscale Los Angeles grocery store Erewhon to the rising price of staples like eggs. These moments fuel frustration, memes and more than a few stressed-out grocery haul videos.
But behind the jokes and viral receipts is something real: food isn’t optional. For many, these price spikes aren’t just inconvenient—they’re overwhelming. And while the financial burden is a driving force, the constant conversation around the cost of food—whether we’re talking overpriced indulgences or everyday essentials—may also reflect deeper concerns about stability, control and trust in the economy.
To unpack the psychology behind these reactions, we turned to neuroeconomist Uma Karmarkar, an associate professor with a joint appointment at UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management and School of Global Policy and Strategy. Karmarkar holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA and a second Ph.D. in consumer behavior from Stanford, and her research draws from psychology, marketing and neuroscience to understand what drives economic behavior.
Research brings hope for new treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, autism
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoAncient bacteria that have evolved to become integral to our cells – converting nutrients from food into energy – may also contribute to neurologic disorders, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and autism, according to research in the lab of Yongchao Ma, PhD, from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
Interviews with Professor Graeme Swindles and John T. Van Stan II, Ph.D. for PLOS One article: Climate and water-table levels regulate peat accumulation rates across Europe
PLOSInterview with Professor Graeme Swindles, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, U.K.
Author of PLOS One paper: Swindles GT, Mullan DJ, Brannigan NT, Fewster RE, Sim TG, Gallego-Sala A, et al. (2025) Climate and water-table levels regulate peat accumulation rates across Europe. PLoS One 20(7): e0327422. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327422
AND Interview with John T. Van Stan II, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Natural Philosophy at Cleveland State University, U.S.
Associate Editor of PLOS One paper: Swindles GT, Mullan DJ, Brannigan NT, Fewster RE, Sim TG, Gallego-Sala A, et al. (2025) Climate and water-table levels regulate peat accumulation rates across Europe. PLoS One 20(7): e0327422. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327422
- Journal
- PLOS One
Organ-on-chip technology to study neurodegenerative diseases
Eurac ResearchIn vitro brain organoids enable the study of the nervous system, while organ-on-chip technology allows researchers to explore the integration and interaction of neural tissues with other organ systems. At Eurac Research’s Institute for Biomedicine, scientists are cultivating various types of organoids in the laboratory. These tiny, three-dimensional structures, derived from human stem cells, replicate features of specific human organs. When placed on a ‘chip,’ the organoids are studied to observe their development and responses to stimuli and drugs. Researchers can also connect different organoids—such as those representing the liver and heart, or different regions of the brain—to study how they interact with one another, simulating human physiology in an increasingly realistic way. This innovative approach advances our understanding of diseases and supports the testing of treatments, with a strong emphasis on ethical medical research, health, and prevention.
- Funder
- European Union, European Regional Development Fund, Italian State, Rotation Fund, Swiss Confederation and the Cantons under the Interreg VI-A Italy-Switzerland cooperation programme, Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol
Inside the Fluid Innovation Lab: Applying aerospace technology to the human body
University of Nevada, Las VegasUNLV biomedical engineer Huang Chen studies how blood cells interact with medical devices and how to make them more efficient. The research is addressing challenges faced by adults with end-stage heart failure and children undergoing treatment for congenital heart defects where only one ventricle is functional.