WHEN EARWAX SPEAKS, THEY LISTEN Scientific research done by two Arts & Sciences faculty members has sparked interest and news coverage around the world. Dr. Stephen Trumble, professor of biology, and Dr. Sascha Usenko, associate professor of environmental science, have developed a novel technique to reconstruct contaminant and hormone profiles for whales using their earwax. Earplugs are harvested from deceased whales and then analyzed for exposure to hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, and organic contaminants such as mercury and pesticides. The earwax can show – for the first time – pollutant exposure and hormones profiles from birth to death for whales, information that was previously unattainable. “Whales are free-ranging animals and you can’t get these types of profiles or information on free-ranging animals in any part of the world. This has never been done before,” Trumble said. With the collected data, the professors are able to assess the human impact on individual whales and multiple generations, as well as marine ecosystems.
Dr. Sascha Usenko (left) and Dr. Stephen J. Trumble
RED EYE REVELATION Dr. Bryan Shaw
30 /BAYLOR ARTS & SCIENCES
Research done by Dr. Bryan Shaw, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has determined that baby photographs might be able to reveal a certain type of cancer in an early stage. Shaw’s son Noah, shown in the photos below, was diagnosed with an eye cancer known as retinoblastoma when he was just months old. Shaw’s wife had noticed that in some photos, Noah experienced “red eye” — but one of his eyes looked milky-white, not red. Further research determined that digital photography could indeed reveal the syndrome leading to a diagnosis of retinoblastoma.