Category Archives: Research

Understanding how liposome composition and manufacturing affect docetaxel encapsulation and cell killing

Docetaxel (DTX) belongs to a class of anticancer drugs clinically used to treat a plethora of cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. DTX works by interfering with the cell cycle and blocking cell proliferation. Although being a

A culturally adapted lifestyle intervention among Middle-Eastern immigrants in Sweden

In Sweden, there is an increasing immigrant population of which a large proportion originate from the Middle East. Middle East is one of the areas with highest diabetes prevalence in the world. Middle-Eastern immigrants in Sweden have

Bioinformatics at the cutting EDGE: Empowering the Development of Genomics Expertise

An in-depth understanding of how microorganisms function is required to address many challenging issues facing society today such as understanding how to eradicate infectious diseases and mitigate climate change. Answers are held in their genetic code. Advancements

Is there a sexual double standard?

A sexual double standard refers to the conceptualization that men and women are judged differently relative to the same behaviors. The perception that society holds a view of evaluating women and men differently for similar behaviors (a

Is ecotype difference in switchgrass a reflection of photosynthetic efficiency?

Switchgrass, a warm season perennial grass native to the North American Prairie, is a potential cellulosic feedstock for biofuel production in the United States. Using switchgrass for bioenergy production is environmentally friendly and economically feasible. It is

Children and their parent’s terminal illness: The role of doctors and nurses

The diagnosis of a terminal illness is a stressful event. However, when patients have dependent children (children under the age of 18 years) there are additional anxieties, uncertainties and stressors. A concern for parents is about how

SLiMming the fuzz in gene-regulating interactomes

Organisms depend on strict regulation of their genes for proper cellular function. This regulation is mediated by large protein interaction networks – the so-called interactomes. By analogy to the World Wide Web, interactomes display a scale-free architecture

Gamma irradiation on canola seeds and crop-insects interactions

Plant breeding by gamma irradiation is one of the most important anthropogenic forces that influences ecosystem function and structure. It has been reported that gamma irradiation can affect the morphology, anatomy, biochemistry and physiology of plants that

Urea is truly toxic: the empire strikes back

Urea is a metabolic waste product that accumulates in the body in the setting of chronic kidney disease. It is routinely measured on blood tests as a marker of kidney function (higher urea levels indicate lower kidney

Divorce can be good for health in traditional societies such as China

China has achieved impressive economic growth during the last three decades due to rapid industrialization that has been facilitated by “Special Economic Zones”. In addition, internal migration of over 150 million workers from rural to urban areas

A novel regulator for the generation of muscle stem cells

The skeletal muscle is the largest organ in human body and plays a key role in locomotion and systemic energy homeostasis. Muscle dystrophy and atrophy often leads to frailty and fatality, underscoring the importance for maintaining proper

Molecular players behind sunflower architecture: differential transcription of two genes

During plant embryogenesis the primary axis of development is established by two groups of pluripotent cells: the shoot apical meristem ( SAM ), responsible for aboveground organs generation, and the root apical meristem (RAM), responsible for underground

Muscle memory creation: is tactile feedback alone enough?

Surgeons optimize their performance during a procedure based on multiple information received via eyesight, hearing or tactile feedback. The question remains of how much information can a surgeon take through tactile feedback? This research was motivated by

What about the real costs of next generation sequencing (NGS) in human genetic diagnostics?

Human genetics diagnostics (HGD), which always has to go together with human genetic counselling, is a rapidly developing field. HGD may become necessary in case of familial cancer syndromes, infertility, prenatal abnormal sonography or a child born

Phosphate dissolving fungi: a sustainable alternate for soil P nutrition

Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable element for plants due to its role in photosynthesis, respiration, energy storage and transfer and cell division. Its low availability in soil may limit the agricultural production in the next millennium. The

Live-cell imaging revealed the dynamics and the roles of cytoskeleton in polarizing plant zygote

Asymmetric cell division is one of the fundamental steps to form the plant body axis. In most flowering plants, the apical-basal axis is established by the asymmetric division of the zygote. In a model plant Arabidopsis thaliana,

What’s new in the plankton?

There is considerable interest in changes in species distributions related to climate change and the phenomenon of invasive species. Obviously, identification of a species as new to a given area requires near complete knowledge of the species

Soil remediation: a potential way of turning lignin waste to wealth

With the rapid economic development and industrialization, an increasing amount of agricultural and urban soils has been polluted in recent years. Among various kinds of pollutants, metal pollutions have paid much more attention. Unlike organic pollutants, metals

Use flat shoes and increase neurogenesis!

When starting to walk the plantarflexor triceps surae muscle is inactivated, the dorsiflexor tibialis anterior activated, and we fall forward because of gravity. The first step is taken, and just as the foot leaves the ground, we

The interaction between diet and gut bacteria in Autism Spectrum Disorder

The gastrointestinal tract is inhabited by millions of bacteria that live in a symbiont relationship with the human host. In recent years, researchers have discovered more and more that the gut bacteria can have effects on the