Daily Archives: December 14, 2015
Bone cells prefer to grow on aligned fibers
The finding of suitable biomaterials allowing the bone restoration of large bone defects is the subject of active research. Non-resorbable biomaterials such as polymers can constitute suitable scaffolds allowing the deposition of new bone. Microfibers made with
The resilient pituitary gland: What happens when the pituitary gland has to be cut during surgery?
The pituitary gland is considered to be the “master endocrine gland”. It is a pea-sized structure located at the base of the brain, important in controlling growth and development and the functioning of the other endocrine glands.
Spectroscopic platform to cut time and resources needed to quantify cancer cell biomarker concentrations
Survivability of a living cell, tissue and ultimately a being is influenced by the state of proteolytic degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components; if the dynamics of the degradation is perturbed, regulation of many biological processes such
Child protection in research undertaken by UK universities
In a review of the literature on child protection in research we showed that there is variation in the way researchers deal with protecting children who participate in research. We also found some concerning practices where researchers
Maps can help in the fight against neglected tropical diseases
Numerous diseases affect the populations of Africa. Some diseases receive a lot of attention and others do not. The World Health Organization has grouped seventeen of these latter diseases into what is now known as Neglected Tropical
Application of bacteria as microbial factories for natural products
Bacteria may be described as tiny chemical factories that take up simple molecules like sugars or alcohols as nutrients and utilize them to build all components that are necessary for basic cell metabolism, thus so called primary
Detecting biological hydrogen sulphide gas using metal-organic frameworks
Remember the unpleasant smell of boiled egg? It’s a Hydrogen Sulphide(H2S) an infamous flammable gas known for its smell and toxic effects.The exposure to H2S causes loss of sense of smell (Olfactory Paralysis) while the prolong exposure
Human blood brain barriers malfunction in Alzheimer’s disease
While the ancient Greeks and Romans already associated old age with dementia, it was not until 1901 that the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer diagnosed the first case of Alzheimer’s disease in a fifty year old woman. Today,
Using Anthrax toxin (Atx) for drug delivery
When people think of toxins in relation to medicine, they usually think of the use of the toxins’ warhead. This warhead has been used to kill things like cancer cells when directed by a cell-targeting antibody. However,
