Father’s Sweet Tooth Slows Offspring’s Metabolism
We all gain a few pounds after a little indulgence, especially over a gut busting Christmas, but why are some of us affected more than others? New research suggests that your father’s diet could...
Category: Snippets
The Fountain of Youth… In a Whale Genome?
Wouldn’t we all like to live longer? In our society, the pursuit of youth and longevity is an obsession – from the constant barrage of anti-aging cosmetics to the recent approval of self-DNA tests...
Paws for Thought: Panda Pregnancy is a Tricky Business
Why is it so hard to get a panda pregnant? As many of us were saddened to find, Edinburgh Zoo’s own panda Tian Tian was confirmed not pregnant after briefly showing signs early this...
Fungal Killer vs. Bacterial Champion: The Battle for Kermit’s Life
There is a killer out there, and its name is Chytrid… Well, actually it is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The spores of this aquatic fungus get under the skin, causing it to ulcerate and slough...
Differences in Gene Regulation Between Mice and Humans
Mammalians have around 25,000 genes, but only 62% of the human genome is transcribed in one or more cell types . Considering this, it’s possible to understand that the performance of a cell is...
Peering into the Brain of Adolescent Suicide
Despite the fact that adolescent suicide is a major public health issue, research which investigates its possible neurobiological causes is still sparse. However, so far, researchers have found some intriguing differences in the brain...
Using Circulating Tumour Cells to Personalise Cancer Treatment
Rapid technological advances within the past decade now allow the isolation and analysis of individual tumour cells circulating in the blood stream of cancer patients. We are beginning to realise the potential of these...
Breaking the Chemist’s Back
As many of you will know, the definition of a chemist is “a scientist trained in the field of chemistry who studies both the properties and composition of chemicals and who studies the way...
