Category: Health News

Cyclin-dependent kinases are a type of serine/threonine kinase which are activated by cyclins to drive the progress of the cell cycle. The cell cycle is a comprised of 4 stages, which are tightly controlled to ensure accurate replication of DNA and formation of daughter cells. Each of these stages is accompanied by an increase in

Each year the criminal justice system in the United States costs taxpayers about $280 billion USD, which funds municipal policing and the maintenance of state prisons and local jails. Experimental criminology aims to reduce the financial burden that crimes pose to nations, as well as improve safety in the process, by understanding what causes crime

Doctor explains causes and symptoms of endometriosis Endometriosis symptoms can vary intensely from one person to the next, with signs of an irritable bowel, such as bloating, being one sign of the condition. What are the other symptoms? The charity Endometriosis UK explained the condition affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. The second

Extremophiles are organisms that can survive in environmental conditions that are hostile and even lethal for other organisms; this includes extremes of temperature, high salt concentrations, extremes of pH, and even toxic waste, radiation, and organic solvents. Image Credit: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock.com To be able to survive in these extreme conditions, adaptations are needed. Often, an

Adhesins are proteins that are present on the surface of bacteria or fungi that help in attaching to biotic or abiotic surfaces Bacteria Adhesins Many pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria associate with surfaces, and this is achieved using proteins called adhesins. Bacterial adhesins recognise and attach to target molecules on a surface in a lock and

Iran’s ambassador to Russia said Saturday that Tehran expects to receive the first batch of Moscow’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine by February 4, state news agency IRNA reported. The news comes just days after Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced the vaccine had been approved by the Islamic republic. “A contract for the purchase

How do you multiplex an immunoassay? There are two main ways of multiplexing an immunoassay; by separating the individual assays into different spaces (spatial separation) or by immobilizing antibodies onto different beads based on what they target. Jarun Ontakrai | Shutterstock Spatial separation is typically achieved by placing antibodies in different parts of a shared

AFM-IR, or atomic force microscope infrared-spectroscopy, is an analytical technique used to characterize unknown substances on a nanoscale level by combining atomic force microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. What is atomic force microscopy? This is a type of scanning probe microscopy used to image the surface of a substance, but at an atomic level. It can

Gold nanoparticles are between 1–100 nm in diameter and show great potential as drug delivery vehicles, contrast agents, biosensors, and radiation dose enhancers. However, basic understanding of how the physical and chemical properties of these particles interact with a biological environment is lacking. Upon intravenous administration, nanoparticles must overcome opsonisation and clearance by reticuloendothelial system,

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a tool that is used to separate, quantify, and analyze organic compounds that are naturally volatile. This article describes how to interpret and present GC-MS results in a publication, for all purposes. HPLC chromatogram of common food additives. Chromatos | Shutterstock. Understanding GC-MS Gas chromatography is used to separate the

Several decellularized materials have recently been synthesized that have previously demonstrated significant potential in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, therefore improving the understanding of cardiac muscle growth. Image Credits: Jose Luis Calvo / Shutterstock.com Out of these new biomaterials, decellularized myocardial matrix hydrogels have recently shown great potential for synthesizing cellular microenvironments that are representative

Despite the numerous advantages associated with worldwide vaccination, there remains a significant disparity in the availability of vaccines throughout the world. Image Credit: KiattisakCh/Shutterstock.com This limited availability is often due to the complex processes and high cost associated with producing a sustainable amount of vaccines. Recent research on the advancing technology of affinity chromatography shows

Multiple fields of microbiology rely on techniques of microbial identification, such as in food microbiology for detecting contaminants, and in microbial ecology to characterize biodiversity. Image Credit: Parilov / Shutterstock.com Traditionally, microbial identification techniques have used staining, culturing, and biochemical tests to conduct phenotypic identification. However, recent years have seen progress in the methods available

Spectroscopy is the study of the interactions of light and electromagnetic radiation with matter. Over several decades the field has matured into a range of sophisticated analytical techniques with a wide range of applications, from the minute and detailed study of the structure and composition of materials at an atomic scale, to determining the chemical

Fertilization is defined as a process where gametes (an egg and sperm) join together to form a full zygote. Both the sperm and egg contain a single set of 23 chromosomes, coming together to form 46 in the final zygote. To make sure that the resulting embryo only ends up with a single set of

Kombucha is a fermented drink (also known as ‘Kombucha Tea’) that is thought to have originated in China and was first recorded as being a beverage in 221BC. P-fotography | Shutterstock Kombucha is thought to have a variety of health benefits and has had a recent surge in popularity. It is sweet and slightly acidic

How does a microbalance work? A microbalance is a tool used in laboratories and in scientific research with the capacity to make accurate measurements of the weight of very small objects, with a resolution in the order of a millionth of a gram. Image Credits: daniel jack lee / Shutterstock.com The instrument is considered to

In chromatography, the components of a mixture are separated. This is made possible because different components interact with the mobile and solid phases differently, thus either being retained on the column (if it binds strongly to the solid phase) or not interacting with the column at all. Image Credit: hotsum / Shutterstock These factors can

Humans have had a significant effect on the natural world. Our activities have had wide-reaching and long-lasting consequences for the planet. Pollutants can be found in all environments, and come from sources such as landfill sites, pesticides, and industrial waste. To effectively mitigate damage caused, effective monitoring programs must be designed. Image Credit: VAKS-Stock Agency

A bioorthogonal reaction is a reaction within a living system that does not interfere or interact in any way with native biochemistry of the system. The phrase ‘bioorthogonal’ was coined in 2003, and bioorthogonal chemistry is now widely used to study biomolecules in living systems. Pavel Chukhov | Shutterstock The functional groups participating in the