Biomedical Sciences

POSTS FROM 2023

Xenotransplantation Megan Chan discusses recent advances in replacing damaged human tissues with those from other species Monday, 21 August 2023

Is 3D Printing All It’s Cracked Up To Be? Sarah Lindsay introduces the many layers of 3D printing Monday, 19 June 2023

Lateral Flow Tests – Beyond COVID-19 Caroline Reid talks about pushing existing medical technology to its full potential Tuesday, 13 June 2023

Femtech Venture Creation Weekend – May 2022 Benedetta Spadaro reviews the first Femtech Venture Creation event, which focused on how technology could be used to improve female health Thursday, 25 May 2023

POSTS FROM 2022

Treating C.diff Infection with ‘Crapsules’ — Faecal Microbiota Transplants in Capsule Form Lily Taylor explores a potential new treatment for microbiota imbalances Thursday, 29 September 2022

Why patient experiences should shape medical knowledge Jacob Smith explains why and how patient experiences should shape our current medical knowledge Tuesday, 23 August 2022

Brain Connectomics Throughout The Life Outcome: In-Person Conference at the MRC LMB Elizabeth English reviews her first in-person neuroscience conference Thursday, 11 August 2022

Review of Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution, and the Science of Life by Kat Arney. Lily Taylor reviews Kat Arney's Rebel Cell Tuesday, 9 August 2022

Valuing Vaginal Variation: Why Size Matters Benedetta Spadaro explores how male-centric research neglects vaginas Thursday, 7 July 2022

Clinical Trial Design May Perpetuate Health Inequalities Differences in immunological responses between disparate human populations are well-documented. Lauren Lee considers that inadequate representation of some groups in clinical trials omits the study of the genetic and environmental factors relevant to those populations Thursday, 20 January 2022

Hidden Figures: The Erasure of Scientific Labour and the Hope of Decolonisation For the FOCUS article of Issue 52, Gianamar Giovanetti-Singh, Rory Kent, and Swathi Nachiar Manivannan discuss who is excluded from the narratives surrounding scientific practice - and who benefits from this exclusion. Tuesday, 4 January 2022

POSTS FROM 2021

The Chicken or the Egg? First Came a Chicken Virus: Celebrating 50 Years of Oncogenes Research Benedetta Spadaro and Harry Bickerstaffe delve into the discovery of oncogenes and the development in our understanding of cancer genetics and the therapeutics available Thursday, 6 May 2021

Cutting Edge: CRISPR/Cas9’s Molecular Scissors Hazel Walker explores the Nobel Prize-winning innovation of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing Thursday, 15 April 2021

Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Vanquisher Or Accomplice Of Osteoarthritis? Minji Ai discusses osteoarthritis, mesenchymal stem cells, and and how our mechanistic understanding of them both is bringing us closer to a therapy currently just out of reach. Thursday, 8 April 2021

Stressful Stuff: Is Psychological Stress More Damaging Than We Realise? Eleanor Sherlock investigates the hidden connection between psychological stress and immune-related illnesses Thursday, 1 April 2021

Hope Beyond Hype, EuroStemCell Debbie Ho reviews a stem cell research comic Thursday, 25 March 2021

POSTS FROM 2020

All Hands On Deck Alice McDowell explores the need for collaborative drug discovery programmes Thursday, 31 December 2020

A Pathogen’s Dilemma: The Virulence-Transmission Trade-Off Oakem Kyne explores why pathogens evolve to cause different levels of harm Thursday, 10 December 2020

A World Without Antibiotics? Megan Hardy discusses antibiotic resistance and the importance of antibiotic development Thursday, 3 December 2020

Obesity, a Choice or ‘Fat Chance’? Dean Ashley explores the role of genetics in our lifestyle choices Thursday, 26 November 2020

Staying Sane In An Insane World: The Challenge Of Social Distancing Mirlinda Ademi discusses the neuroscience behind isolation and loneliness Thursday, 19 November 2020

Re-Discovering Depression Zuzanna Stawicka explores new research efforts in the study of depression that are looking at the brain to help determine how the disease operates, and hopefully how to treat it better Friday, 2 October 2020

Weird and Wonderful: Disrupting Language What is the role of association fibers in the neocortex? Friday, 11 September 2020

Genetic Engineering of Humans - Opening Pandora’s Box? BlueSci explores the biology and ethics of human genetic engineering Tuesday, 26 May 2020

Progressive: Leeches in Medicine Katarina Grobicki explores how the outdated, historical practice of leeching has a place in modern-day medicine Wednesday, 13 May 2020

COVID-19 And You The current COVID-19 outbreak has caught everyone by surprise. In this special article, find out more about why it is so serious, and what can be done about it. Friday, 20 March 2020

Locked Out of My Own House Anna Serrichio looks into overcoming language difficulties in aphasia with treatments in Speech and Language Pathology. Monday, 9 March 2020

First humans placed in suspended animation 'Freezing' time to save lives - a groundbreaking treatment or a risky gamble, asks Serene Dhawan Tuesday, 18 February 2020

POSTS FROM 2019

Review: The Violinist’s Thumb “Every word and sentence contribute to the engaging narrative - the book is just impossible to put down!” Thursday, 27 June 2019

POSTS FROM 2018

Pharmaceutical Companies Unite to Advance Nucleotide-Based Medicines Scientists work together to create more effective medicines Wednesday, 24 October 2018

Time Flies Philip Myers tells us how scientists unravelled the secrets of time telling using the humble vinegar fly Thursday, 27 September 2018

Medicine’s Forgotten Warriors Laura Upstone tells the story of virus based medicine in the war against bacteria, the wonder drug that almost was Monday, 10 September 2018

Review: The Secret Language of Anatomy “... with a sense of wonder and whimsy, this book reveals the thoughtfulness of anatomists through the ages” Thursday, 6 September 2018

Pterodactyls lived like seagulls Jack McMinn investigates pterosaur parenting Sunday, 11 February 2018

Judged by your Genes Katherine Dudman introduces genetic discrimination, the sly cousin of racism and sexism Sunday, 11 February 2018

Read, learn, and inwardly digest Joy Thompson studies the links between the lavatory and the literary Sunday, 11 February 2018

POSTS FROM 2017

A Psychedelic Conversation: Tackling the Taboo Antonina Kouli and Bart Nieuwenhuis report on the CamBRAIN panel discussion of psychedelic drugs’ medical potential Friday, 7 July 2017

The Drug that Brought the Dress Back Following Professor France Ashcroft’s 2015 damehood, Atreyi Chakrabarty examines how the work of one woman transformed both treatment and understanding of a debilitating childhood disease. Friday, 7 July 2017

Standing on the Gene: an interview with Professor Wolf Reik Jiali Gao and Salvador Buse discuss the emerging field of epigenetic modification, and ask Professor Wolf Reik where it might take us. Friday, 7 July 2017

Understanding the Irrational Laura Nunez-Mulder discusses psychiatry's future with Professor Paul Fletcher Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Zika Virus Alex Sampson considers the spread and disappearance of a new disease Friday, 14 April 2017

Cannabis Joins The Fight Against Addiction Rachael Rhodes explores the potential medical applications of a Class C drug Wednesday, 29 March 2017

Driving Away Mosquitos Zohaib Arain explains the potential for new genetic tools to tackle deadly diseases. Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Come Flu with Me Holly Giles tracks the spread of post-World War II collaborations within international research communities Sunday, 19 March 2017

Big Bucks for Big Bugs Zoë Carter considers the role of commercial research in the global fight against antibiotic resistance Sunday, 19 March 2017

Running Away from Unwanted Inflammation Kimberley Wiggins explores the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise Saturday, 18 March 2017

Overherd Immunity Caitlin Stewart discusses the importance of vaccination and the dangers of the anti-vaccination movement Saturday, 18 March 2017

Multidrug Resistance Arthur Neuberger explains how increasing antibiotic resistance is a global threat that we breed inside ourselves Saturday, 18 March 2017

The Ageing Brain Antonina Kouli and Bart Nieuwenhuis put the future of our brains under the microscope. Saturday, 18 March 2017

When Citizen Science Works Kimberley Wiggins gives us the story of an email that led to a medical breakthrough Saturday, 18 March 2017

Revisiting the Test Tube Sarah Foster considers the ethical implications of growing human embryos in the lab for longer-term experiments Tuesday, 14 March 2017

The Rise of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Rebecca Richmond-Smith investigates the new kid on the block in medical research. Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Syndrome: Tumbling into Wonderland Mirlinda Ademi scrutinises the syndrome that simulates Wonderland Sunday, 5 March 2017

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds: Guiding the rise of Cell Therapies Oran Maguire explains how engineering and cell biology are carving out a new field Sunday, 5 March 2017

Does Your Brain Have a Sex? Does your brain have a sex? Sunday, 5 March 2017

POSTS FROM 2016

How your brain knows you have eaten enough Worldwide, 600 million people are obese and the global obesity rate has more than double since 1980. Researchers from Johns... Monday, 4 April 2016

Wolves and relatives have species-specific howls, extensive study finds Organisms living in groups have means of communicating with one another, which can be visual, acoustic and/or olfactory. Even though groups may use the same communication system (e.g. acoustic cues), even among closely related species communication (i.e. language) may differ. Friday, 19 February 2016

Newly identified role for immune cells in maintaining a healthy gut Our intestines have a complex army of immune cells and molecules that work together fighting against bacterial infections. A new... Tuesday, 16 February 2016

The Ghost Virus Bethan Clark explains the persistent effects of the Ebola crisis Sunday, 14 February 2016

Habit formation leads to changes in brain circuitry A month into the new year, many of us are finding that resolutions to resist cravings are harder to keep than planned. According to new research from Duke University, this may be due to long-lasting changes in particular brain circuits which prime us for giving in. Monday, 8 February 2016

POSTS FROM 2015

Targets to reduce dengue infected mosquitos Dengue fever is a virus-driven disease causing a worldwide burden. The WHO estimates that 500,000 infected people are hospitalised each... Monday, 21 December 2015

Ovarian cancer survival increased by the contraceptive pill Are there more positive side-effects to the contraceptive pill than we know of? While most media coverage of birth-control methods... Tuesday, 15 December 2015

Cultural shocks enhance cognitive performance Do you think a ‘cultural shock’ can’t Wednesday, 2 December 2015

New compound offers hope for Ebola A new compound has been found to protect rhesus monkeys from Ebola when administered three days after infection. The small molecule, known as GS-5734, led to 100% survival rate against the deadly virus, showing promise for further development. Thursday, 29 October 2015

Month of birth linked to natal and adult differences, study suggests An adult's behaviour, morphology and physiology develops throughout its life, and their development depends on the interaction between the genes... Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Improving the treatment of urinary infections using DNA sequencing A DNA sequencing device the size of a USB stick could be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of... Friday, 25 September 2015

Train the brain – improving memory in schizophrenia with an iPad game Schizophrenic patients struggle with many symptoms. They have hallucinations, delusional beliefs, and often lack motivation. Apart from these “classical” symptoms,... Friday, 7 August 2015

The unique roughness of screams directly activates fear centres in the brain A group led by David Poeppel from New York University has investigated what makes screaming different from other human vocalisations... Monday, 3 August 2015

Brain's reaction to certain words could lead to new passwords With 19 passwords on average per person, it is unsurprising that people often struggle with remembering them all. However, a new study, “Brainprint”, suggests that unique brain responses to a set of particular words could replace traditional passwords. Friday, 12 June 2015

Changing social attitudes during sleep Are you biased against Black people? Do you think women are not good at science? Most people would reject such racial and sexual biases when they are asked. But even if you do, does that mean you are truly unbiased? Wednesday, 3 June 2015

First test of gene-editing method using CRISPR/Cas9 in non-viable human embryos Last week, a group from China led by Pupin Liang reported the testing of a gene-editing method in human tri-pronuclear... Friday, 1 May 2015

Two millennia glow-in-the-dark mushroom mystery solved If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise… If these woods are home to... Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Comfort eating may make you worse We all know that fatty and sugary foods are bad for us- increasing our risk of diabetes and heart disease.... Monday, 30 March 2015

So you have your father’s eyes, your mother’s hair….. and your blood type from a bacteria?! Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered that we acquire ‘foreign’ genes from other organisms as part of our development as a species. Friday, 13 March 2015

POSTS FROM 2014

Flu: How viral infection causes intestinal disease Why do we often suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea during an influenza? Influenza is an infectious respiratory disease, whereas vomiting and diarrhoea are symptoms of a gastrointestinal disease. Researches have now found the mechanism by which they are connected. Monday, 15 December 2014

Inflammation: New regulatory gene identified Researchers have identified the gene Ccdc88b as a new regulator for inflammation. Factors affecting this gene might be responsible for onset, progression, and severity of several inflammatory diseases, such as encephalitis or multiple sclerosis. Monday, 24 November 2014

New software allows to live-track cells Since the discovery of the cell by Robert Hook in the 1665, biologists have been studying cells under microscopes. Currently... Friday, 17 October 2014

Science and Policy: The Pint is Right Robin Lamboll debates whether the price of alcohol should be raised Monday, 13 October 2014

Technology: Solitary cell confinement Verena Brucklacher-Waldert discusses the challenges and benefits of chips that analyse individual body cells separately Monday, 13 October 2014

Top Headline Grabbers of the Past Ten Years In celebration of BlueSci’s tenth anniversary, Joanna-Marie Howes revisits the past ten years of influential scientific stories Monday, 13 October 2014

Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of the Past Ten Years In celebration of BlueSci’s tenth anniversary, Joanna-Marie Howes revisits the past ten years of influential scientific stories Monday, 13 October 2014

Ten Years of Nobels For over 100 years, Nobel Prizes have recognised those conferring “the greatest benefit on mankind”. Meanwhile, the Ig Nobel Prizes... Monday, 13 October 2014

Focus: GM crops: Feeding the nine billion BlueSci explores the debate surrounding GM crops and whether current legislation hinders progress Sunday, 12 October 2014

Feature: You are your genes and your environment Alex O’Bryan-Tear discusses the long-standing nature versus nurture debate Saturday, 11 October 2014

Feature: Measles: The return of an ‘eliminated’ virus Sarah Smith investigates the return of measles and developments in vaccines Saturday, 11 October 2014

Can sugar affect your memory? Western diet consumption, high in fat and sugar, is known to be linked to many negative health outcomes including diabetes... Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- waves of fear in the brain Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common consequence of overwhelming stressful or fearful events. Although people suffering from PTSD... Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Elucidating functions of mutant genes in a deadly cancer Bile duct cancer is one of the most common types of liver cancer. For bile duct cancer, unfortunately, there is... Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Heated nanoparticles awaken the immune response to attack cancer Nanoparticles, far too small to be seen by the naked eye, have been the subjects of lots of research recently.... Friday, 1 August 2014

Feature: Pulling all-nighters is harming your brain Camilla d’Angelo looks into some of the beneficial effects of sleep and why skimping on those precious hours can be damaging Wednesday, 16 July 2014

A touching story? How touch can trigger emotion Scientists have described how light, gentle touch conveys events to our brain that are pleasant or rewarding. Wednesday, 4 June 2014

The importance of timing in Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects one in six people over the age of 80. Along with... Tuesday, 3 June 2014

Science and Policy: Stem Cells: with great power comes great responsibility Alessandro Bertero discusses the controversy behind stem cell therapies Tuesday, 20 May 2014

History: Royal to the Bone Charlotte Houldcroft outlines the scientific techniques used to identify dead royalty Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Perspective: The Psychology of Discrimination Alex O’Bryan Tear discusses the psychology behind racism Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Feature: Health-boosting Greens? Ricardo Milho examines the evidence behind the ‘superfood’ claims of cruciferous vegetables Friday, 16 May 2014

Feature: On the Origin of (a Virus) Species Michael Nicoll investigates the recent outbreak of a new virus in the Middle East Thursday, 15 May 2014

Feature: Blood Groups and Infection Sarah Caddy discusses how your blood type can alter your susceptibility to infectious diseases Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Gene responsible for weight gain identified A multinational researcher team discovered the gene Nnmt as being required for body fat accumulation. Inactivation of Nnmt, which encodes the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), protected mice from diet-induced obesity. Monday, 28 April 2014

Review: Building Bridges in Medical Sciences Symposium 2014 Stimulating; diverse, top-notch and passionate speakers; inspirational – these were some of the reflections of participants of the 6th edition... Sunday, 13 April 2014

Slow-growing bacteria resist antibiotic treatment A team of Swiss and British scientists have provided new insights into the underlying mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are important to treat bacterial infections. However, today’s widespread antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat to human health. Friday, 11 April 2014

A face-specific mechanism for recognising people in the brain? Humans are amazingly skilled at recognising faces. A recent study suggests that the brain has a unique mechanism specialized for... Monday, 31 March 2014

Neanderthal lineages excavated from modern human genomes Research has shown that a substantial fraction of the Neanderthal genome exists in modern human populations. Resent research analysing whole... Thursday, 27 February 2014

Science and Policy: Designer Babies Maria Mascerenhas discusses the issues surrounding Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis Monday, 3 February 2014

Feature: In Search of a Cure for Black Bone Disease WingYing Chow explains how we might find possible treatments for a rare disease Monday, 3 February 2014

Feature: Genomes from Beyond the Grave Charlotte Houldcroft discusses the search for ancient pathogen genomes Monday, 3 February 2014

POSTS FROM 2013

Mice can transmit fear to their offspring through sperm A study has shown that mice can transfer fear to specific odours through their sperm to their offspring and grand... Wednesday, 18 December 2013

Muscle protein keeps blood stem cells alive A protein known to allow muscle contraction is now also thought to maintain our blood stem cells. Dennis Discher’s lab... Monday, 2 December 2013

Feature: A Trip to the Psychiatrist Camilla d’Angelo argues the case for more research into street drugs Monday, 25 November 2013

Feature: No Pain, No Gain Christopher Tsantoulas explains why a world without pain is not as good as it sounds Monday, 25 November 2013

Feature: Tracing Cholera Celebrating his birth bicentenary, Laura Pearce looks back at the detective work of John Snow Monday, 25 November 2013

Feature: Bug Off! Joy Thompson investigates how bacteria within insect cells are harnessed to combat dengue fever Monday, 25 November 2013

Scientists uncover a novel way to tackle Flu The influenza virus continues to pose a serious risk to human health; it is estimated that influenza is responsible for... Friday, 1 November 2013

Major breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment research As the number of patients with dementia increases dramatically, research focused on new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is at its peak. Friday, 25 October 2013

Drinking impairs healing of broken bones A study performed in Loyola University Medical Center has shown that alcohol abuse impairs the healing of broken bones. Alcohol-related... Monday, 21 October 2013

Relatively well connected What makes a genius? This is the question Professor Dean Falk is attempting to answer through her studies on the... Friday, 11 October 2013

Social networks shape monkey ‘culture’ too In our over-connected digital lives, we all think of social networks as a synonym for Facebook and Twitter, but actually... Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Can imagination change what our senses perceive? Apparently, yes! According to experiments published in Current Biology by Christopher Berger and Henrik Ehrsson; what you hear can change what... Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Key B cell lymphoma gene identified The first step to finding a new treatment for cancer is to identify pivotal factors, such as genes, that the disease cannot survive without. For the majority of B cell lymphomas, Dr Melnick and colleagues in New York have discovered one such gene: EZH2. Friday, 7 June 2013

Cell body clocks are altered in depression Our biological rhythms are tuned to the day-night cycles, light-dark cycles in which we live because the cells of our... Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Behind the Science: The Notoriety of Oliver Sacks Robin Lamboll looks at the controversial career of a neurologist who works with music Wednesday, 15 May 2013

History: The War Against Infection Nathan Smith explains how the pre-antibiotic era could come back to help us Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Away from the Bench: Altitude Science Two weeks before he treks out, Elly Smith talks to Dr Andrew Murray about science on Everest Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Focus: A World of Music BlueSci explores the phenomenon of music—what it is, where it comes from and why we do it Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Feature: Commemorating a Commission Felicity Davies celebrates the centenary of the Medical Research Council Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Feature: The Myriad Genes Chin-Chin Chen discusses the implications of a Supreme Court ruling on BRCA cancer gene patents Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Genetic flags identify cancer causing genes More than 1000 scientists have been involved in a recent study that has discovered over 80 genetic markers associated with... Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Feature: Food for Thought? Brianne Kent investigates the links between appetite and brain development. Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Game on: why video games help you to read “Stop playing those video games, they rot your brain!” - A phrase likely to become a thing of the past. Wednesday, 6 March 2013

The scars of human evolution and standing on our own two feet The transition from walking on four legs to walking on two legs has resulted in some unwelcome side effects, new research shows. Tuesday, 26 February 2013

A sea of possibilities for new antibiotics The collaborative project PharmaSea aims to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance by looking for new drugs in our ocean trenches. Friday, 15 February 2013

Generating new ear cells- yes you heard right! Mammalian ear hair cells are not regenerated, and so deafness due to their loss is an irreversible condition, or so... Friday, 8 February 2013

Perspective: Babies with Three Parents? Nicola Love looks into the science and ethics of Mitochondrial Replacement Friday, 25 January 2013

Feature: One to Another Alessandro Bertero looks at our increasing ability to change the fate of our cells Friday, 25 January 2013

Feature: Living in Fear Sarah Smith examines biological terrorism and its effect on science Friday, 25 January 2013

Feature: Senses in Symphony Shi Khoo and Vanda Ho take a look at the cognitive perspective of synaesthesia Friday, 25 January 2013

One step closer to HIV immunity Researchers at Stanford University have developed a form of gene therapy that stops human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from latching onto... Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Stem cells cure mice from blindness Published on: Jan 17, 2013 @ 15:08 Thursday, 17 January 2013

Need a use for your old Christmas tree? Give it a second life in biomedicine! You’ve lost and won countless games of Monopoly, consumed your body weight in turkey sandwiches and selection boxes, and sung... Friday, 11 January 2013

How excess holiday eating disturbs your 'food clock' New research from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) shows how your body's 'food clock' can become disturbed when... Monday, 7 January 2013

POSTS FROM 2012

Obese but happy? All too often, we find ourselves feeling pity toward clinically obese individuals, trying to navigate their way about normal life.... Friday, 14 December 2012

Genetic engineers flying high - A novel Drosophila model sheds light upon human Epilepsy Scientists at Brown University and the University of California-Irvine made use of elegant genetic techniques to introduce a single key mutation into a Drosophila gene and thus create a fly model for human epilepsy. Monday, 5 November 2012

Feature: Balm or Burden? Isaac Elliot finds out how sleep deprivation influences our mood. Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Feature: Through the Looking Glass Jonathan Lawson reflects on the two faces of handedness. Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Feature: Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On Leila Haghighat finds out what we really know about our dreams. Wednesday, 3 October 2012

The reptilian wiring in our hearts New research by scientists from Aarhus University and the University of Amsterdam has begun to illuminate the evolutionary origin of... Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Exercise for body and mind Scientists have now confirmed that regular exercise is good for the mind as well as the body. Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Concussions cause brain ageing? The first sign that concussion can prematurely age the brain by breaking down its signalling pathways has been found by... Friday, 17 August 2012

The power of suggestion Suggestions exert a powerful influence on how we think, feel, and act but it appears that the effects play a much larger role in shaping our lives than most people realise. Wednesday, 1 August 2012

Mickey Mouse fights the flab – Oh boy! June 2012 marked The Walt Disney Company’s announcement of a junk food commercial ban from 2015. Roughly a third of... Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Alzheimer’s early detection ‘timeline’ developed Researchers can now detect signs of Alzheimer’s 25 years before the expected onset of the disease. Saturday, 14 July 2012

Drinking coffee may protect against heart failure Contrary to American Heart Association guidelines discouraging habitual coffee drinking, new research from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) indicates that moderate coffee consumption may be an effective preventative of heart failure. Friday, 6 July 2012

Scientists identify protein required to re-grow injured nerves Nerve cells in the brain are notorious for their inability to heal. But the situation is different for nerve cells... Friday, 29 June 2012

Feature: Your Love is my Drug Brianne Kent explores the similarities between love and drug addiction. Sunday, 17 June 2012

Genes can determine your ability to quit smoking Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, have found that the same gene variants that make it... Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Gates Foundation and Big Pharma unite to combat neglected tropical diseases The largest yet collaborative effort towards the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) was unveiled in London earlier this year.... Friday, 8 June 2012

Facebook could be addictive You could be addicted to Facebook, suggests a new study lead by a team of researchers in Norway. Monday, 28 May 2012

Using photoacoustics to screen for breast cancer 50,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK annually – on average someone every 10 minutes, and although... Sunday, 20 May 2012

Feature: Coming of AGE - how molecular strategies may soon improve quality of life Rhian Grainger explains how small drug-like molecules may soon help us tackle the biological impacts of ageing. Sunday, 13 May 2012

Tiny hitchhikers target cancer cells Scientists at Northwestern University, Illinois have been the first to develop a nanoparticle that can deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to... Friday, 11 May 2012

History: From Herbs to Hormones Vicki Moignard explores how approaches to contraception have evolved over time. Friday, 27 April 2012

Focus: Higher, Faster, Stronger BlueSci explores the role of science in pushing the boundaries of human physical ability. Friday, 27 April 2012

Feature: Turbocharged Thinking Camilla d’Angelo asks whether society will become dependent on brain‑enhancing drugs to function. Friday, 27 April 2012

Feature: Staying Alive Beth Richardson looks at new recommendations for performing CPR. Friday, 27 April 2012

New compounds trigger dramatic weight loss Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida have developed two synthetic compounds that could potentially treat obesity, plus many... Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Genes shape our response to flu Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, have uncovered the genetic basis behind individual variation in response to influenza infection. Saturday, 14 April 2012

New blood When asked their blood group, many people would probably be able to reply “A”, “B”, “AB” or “O”, with some... Monday, 26 March 2012

Do you hear what I hear? It may one day be possible to listen to the “imagined speech” of patients who have been left unable to communicate following strokes or paralysis, thanks to the work of researchers at the University of Berkeley. Sunday, 11 March 2012

When the heart skips a beat Despite the claims of Olly Murs, the heart is in fact most likely ‘to skip a beat’ during the morning in accordance with the internal body clock, a recent study in Nature has revealed. Thursday, 8 March 2012

Review: Wednesday is Indigo Blue - Discovering the Brain of Synaesthesia As you listen to the voice of a weather forecaster describing the highs and lows of tomorrow’s temperature, a kaleidoscope... Thursday, 1 March 2012

Towards a universal flu vaccine New research suggests that vaccines targeting key influenza proteins could provide immunity against multiple strains of flu. Wednesday, 29 February 2012

New insights into malaria mechanisms A recent study in Cell reveals the way deadly malaria parasites transport proteins in infected red blood cells. Targeting this transport pathway may offer new opportunities for malaria treatment. Sunday, 19 February 2012

New cancer drug target discovered Scientists at the University of Leicester have identified a new molecule that could serve as a target for an entire family of future cancer drugs. Thursday, 9 February 2012

Using antibodies to help prevent HIV infection Researchers in California have developed a novel form of gene therapy for preventing HIV infection. In a recent Nature paper,... Sunday, 22 January 2012

Weird and Wonderful A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Feature: Aspects of Ageing Andrew Szopa-Comley explores possible explanations for why humans age at the molecular level Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Feature: Warning - Contains Peanuts Mrinalini Dey investigates our attempts to alleviate the anxiety of allergy sufferers Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Feature: Neglecting Vets Peter Moore explores the importance of Veterinary Medicine for mankind Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Reviews The God Species - Mark Lynas Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Dopamine-deficient worms join the fight against Parkinson's Scientists at the University of Texas, Austin, have found a way to use dopamine-deficient worms to identify new drugs for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Sunday, 8 January 2012

POSTS FROM 2011

Paracetamol no longer a mystery The common painkiller’s mechanism of action has finally been identified Wednesday, 28 December 2011

Pythons with big hearts can help protect ours Fatty acids that appear in the bloodstream of pythons after eating have been found to promote healthy heart growth. Friday, 9 December 2011

Biosensors help to detect neurodegenerative diseases Shalini Prasad and colleagues at the University of Texas, Dallas, have developed a biosensor that can differentiate between Alzheimer's disease... Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Making a CASE for PhDs In an exciting new development for interdisciplinary research and development, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has today announced the recipient of the first ever GSK Oncology collaborative awards in science and engineering (CASE) PhD scholarship. Monday, 5 December 2011

New vaccine reduces risk of malaria A new vaccine tested on African infants may reduce the risk of malaria by half, according to a recent publication... Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Being bilingual may help delay Alzheimer's disease Speaking more than one language may help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease according to a new study published in “Cortex”. Friday, 25 November 2011

Review: Parasite Rex (Carl Zimmer) Sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis and hundreds of other parasitic diseases plague millions of people across the world. We have no clear... Monday, 14 November 2011

Polymer plug "LeGoo" approved in US for use during surgery Blood vessels are traditionally blocked during surgery using clamps to pinch the vessel and stop blood flow. This can lead to damage and trauma of the artery. However, a new product called 'LeGoo' may make clamps a thing of the past. Sunday, 6 November 2011

Review: The Future - A Mini-retreat Where does the Future lie for PostDocs and Graduate Students? This was the focus of the 2011 Biochemistry Mini-Retreat organised... Thursday, 3 November 2011

Raising the alarm against viruses Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have identified the precise mechanism by which the detection of foreign agents in cells can lead to a rapid immune response. Thursday, 3 November 2011

The personal touch: crizotinib and lung cancer Study shows that the drug crizotinib produces good results in certain non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients Sunday, 23 October 2011

Nobel Prize awarded for insights into the immune system Major breakthroughs in understanding the way in which our immune system is activated have seen Bruce A. Beutler, Jules A. Hoffmann and Ralph M. Steinman awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Monday, 17 October 2011

Weird and Wonderful A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science Monday, 3 October 2011

History: Science in Print Helen Gaffney explores the rise of popular science magazines Monday, 3 October 2011

Feature: A Clean Slate Yinchu Wang looks back to a life unknowingly dedicated to science Monday, 3 October 2011

Reviews Cool It - Bjorn Lomborg Monday, 3 October 2011

iGEM 2011: Squid to E. coli - Bactiridescence Squids and octopi (cephalopods) are renowned for their stunning ability to change their skin colour, as a means of camouflage... Monday, 19 September 2011

Fighting malaria with microwaves Researchers at Penn State University have been awarded a grant by the Gates Foundation to develop their idea of treating malaria with microwaves. Friday, 26 August 2011

DRACOnian measures for disease-causing microbes Scientists from the Lincoln Laboratory at MIT have unveiled DRACO, a new drug designed to kill all viruses. Thursday, 18 August 2011

Ageing of the brain differs between chimpanzees and humans A recent study of the brain size of humans and their closest living relatives has found important differences relating to aging. Saturday, 6 August 2011

A universal flu vaccine? Scientists have used the 2009 swine flu outbreak to bring us closer to a universal vaccine. Thursday, 4 August 2011

Eye test could be used to detect Alzheimer's disease A simple eye test could help detect Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages, Australian scientists report. Friday, 15 July 2011

Study reveals neurobiological mechanism that links smoking with food intake A receptor in neurons of the brain that links nicotine with reduced food intake has been identified and offers a new target for weight loss drugs. Monday, 13 June 2011

Reprogrammed cells are rejected in mice Stem cells can trigger an immune reaction in the same strain of mice from which they were derived, according to a recent report. Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Health risks associated with ‘new ecstasy’ revealed The serious side effects of a drug termed the ‘new ecstasy’ have been revealed through studies at Anglia Ruskin University. Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Feature: What is going on in schizophrenic brains? Daniel Martins-de-Souza investigates the role of protein expression in cases of Schizophrenia. Monday, 9 May 2011

Weird and Wonderful A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science Saturday, 7 May 2011

Away from the Bench: Medical Writing Andy Shepherd talks to Richard Thompson about working at Caudex Medical Saturday, 7 May 2011

History: Immortal Hearts and Henrietta Nicola Stead looks back at the beginnings of cell culture Saturday, 7 May 2011

Behind the Science: Women Who Led the Way Jessica Robinson uncovers some of the pioneering female scientists Saturday, 7 May 2011

Feature: The Challenge of Chocolate Rachel Berkowitz looks at the science that will allow us to make chocolate better: healthier, cheaper and as tasty as before Saturday, 7 May 2011

Feature: Between You and Me Louisa Lyon examines how distinct genomes can co-exist in an individual Saturday, 7 May 2011

The Human Brain Atlas The Human Brain Atlas is the first computational map of the brain, developed over four years by the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle and costing $55 million ((http://www.brain-map.org/)). Saturday, 30 April 2011

Overprescription of pain-relief drugs Increasing prescription rates of pain-relieving drugs suggest a worrying trend of drug abuse in the United States. Friday, 8 April 2011

New look at a bacterial weapon The needle complex that makes Salmonella and related bacteria such infectious pathogens has been modelled at the subnanometre scale. Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Neurotransmitter key to motor learning behaviour? Researchers from the University of Oxford have investigated the cellular basis of learning and have helped to explain why some people are quicker to learn piano pieces or perfect dance routines. Friday, 18 March 2011

Filming inside living cells A new design of microscope has been developed which produces amazingly detailed 3-dimensional movies of live cells, and could potentially open up whole new areas of research. Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Epileptic self-defence Researchers from Brown University have found that after an epileptic event the brain has the capacity to protect itself from further seizures. If this finding can be confirmed in human cases, it may provide a new approach to treat epilepsy. Monday, 14 March 2011

Brain matter makes the mind A multi-institutional group of researchers from the University of Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre have uncovered a possible basis for differences in mental abilities by identifying links between genetic makeup and the efficiency of brain function. Tuesday, 8 March 2011

Avoiding stereotypes Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed a method that uses novel organic catalysts to produce pure chiral products... Monday, 7 March 2011

Sitting is not so pretty A long-term study on the associations between sedentary behaviour and mortality has suggested that the amount of time people spend sitting down has an effect on their lifespan that is independent of the amount of physical exercise they take. Friday, 4 March 2011

New strategy to engineer universal vascular grafts The need for donor organs and tissues for transplants is a well known and so far unsolved problem. Patients suffering from... Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Can meditation change your brain? Meditation has been used for thousands of years in religious rituals and as an aid to relaxation and thought. A... Friday, 11 February 2011

New hope for the hard of hearing The problem of progressive hearing loss affects a large proportion of the population, young and old, but findings released recently from... Thursday, 3 February 2011

Weird and Wonderful A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science Saturday, 29 January 2011

Arts & Reviews: This is Your Brain on Mozart Lindsey Nield discovers the hidden power of music Saturday, 29 January 2011

Perspective: Test Tube Babies Sara Lejon gives her perspective on Nobel prize winning in vitro fertilisation technology Saturday, 29 January 2011

Feature: Eradicating Rinderpest Paul Simpson looks at the history of a quietly devastating disease Saturday, 29 January 2011

Feature: The Science of Significance Annabelle Painter shows how the amygdala may be key to culture, spirituality and identity Saturday, 29 January 2011

BlueSciFilm: Insights into human motor control Our very own BlueSciFilm interview Daniel Wolpert, Professor of Engineering at Cambridge University, about humans, robots and motor control. Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Neural mechanisms link sleep, general anaesthesia and coma General anaesthetics are widely administered to patients before surgery. While anaesthesia is often referred to as “sleep”, the process is... Sunday, 9 January 2011

Blue light to combat cancer A team of researchers, led by the University of Warwick, have developed a new light-activated, platinum-cased, anti-cancer drug. The drug... Wednesday, 5 January 2011

POSTS FROM 2010

Right or left handling at birth: does it matter? <img class="size-medium wp-image-703" title="From: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baby%27s_hand.JPG" src="http://www.bluesci.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/babys-hand-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Wednesday, 22 December 2010

New paradigm for cancer therapies Cancer treatments could undergo a complete transformation in the way they are designed in an attempt to significantly improve their... Thursday, 16 December 2010

Haitian outbreak of cholera likely originated from South Asian source Following the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, thousands of families were displaced from their homes and were forced to... Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Networks that make up the mind We spend much of our lives making decisions, most of which occur in a fraction of a second. This involves... Friday, 10 December 2010

Weird and Wonderful A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science Tuesday, 9 November 2010

History: Boosting Your Defence Stephanie Glaser travels back through the history of vaccinations Monday, 8 November 2010

Focus: Gene Therapy BlueSci explores the development of gene therapy, the remaining challenges and the recent triumphs Sunday, 7 November 2010

Feature: Out of Body Experiences Celia St John-Green discusses the science behind out of body experiences Sunday, 7 November 2010

Feature: Forgotten Knowledge Andrew Holding looks at the discovery and loss of a cure for scurvy Sunday, 7 November 2010

News: Issue 19 The first non-human, non-verbal dictionary has been created at the University of St Andrews. Erica Cartmill and Richard Byrne spent nine months observing orangutans and trying to discern a lexicon of gestures and signals. Sunday, 7 November 2010

Lower suicide rates not necessarily linked to antidepressant switch Neither a rapid increase in the total use of antidepressants nor a decline in potentially toxic ones are related to a simultaneous drop in suicide rates, according to a study analysing drug sales and causes-of-death registers in Nordic countries over the past 30 years. Saturday, 9 October 2010

Early nutrition affects male maturity and differences between sexes Recent research from Northwestern University (Philippines) finds that early infant nutrition strongly shapes the sexual and biological fitness of adult males. Wednesday, 6 October 2010

Control your emotion or it will control you Although the Chinese adage does not allude to voluntarily controlling local brain activity, researchers have found that this is the key to tempering feelings. Tuesday, 5 October 2010

Human cytomegalovirus genome cloned By reconstructing a complete viral genome, British-based scientists have greatly improved the clinical relevance of fundamental research on a leading cause of congenital disability. Tuesday, 5 October 2010

A break-down in communications Climate change. Nuclear power. GM crops. Vaccines. Why is it that the general public is so often divided on issues that scientific experts largely agree on? Tuesday, 28 September 2010

Leaner, meaner, faster, stronger Wouldn't it be great if we can have denser, stronger bones, but also be leaner and weigh less? While it may sound like a gym advertisement, a group of researchers in Maine have found a protein that achieves this in mice. Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Links between iron deficiency and Chronic Heart Failure syndrome established Low iron in red blood cells causes anaemia and may be linked to heart failure Wednesday, 8 September 2010

New infrared technique could help to understand cancer Chemists have developed a new technique using infrared light to study the behaviour of lysosomes more clearly and extensively than ever before, potentially taking the fight against cancer and many other diseases to another level. Sunday, 5 September 2010

Culture: Shaping the brain Psychological scientists have reported growing evidence that different cultures can have a marked effect on fundamental brain function and structure. Monday, 9 August 2010

Continuing education can compensate for dementia symptoms Researchers have found that increased education is connected to reduced chance of showing dementia symptoms, suggesting increased schooling to have a compensatory effect on the brain. Tuesday, 27 July 2010

Pigeons carry harmful pathogens Feral pigeons could be asymptomatic or subclinical carriers of the pathogens Chlamydophila psittaci and Campylobacter jejuni, responsible for acute diarrhea in humans. Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Brain's Expectations A damaged prefrontal cortex leads to impaired preparation and reaction speeds in response to a stimulus. Monday, 21 June 2010

Disease resistance; not always a bonus. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Developmental Biology in Germany have explained an evolutionary dilemma in Nature ((Marco Todesco... Thursday, 3 June 2010

Important enzyme for TB found Researchers from the USA and Singapore have demonstrated that the enzyme PEPCK (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase), plays a pivotal role in the... Monday, 24 May 2010

Smallpox vaccine provides protection against HIV A research study published in Biomed Central (BMC) Immunology by scientists from George Mason University, George Washington University and the... Monday, 24 May 2010

Stop ageing. Run a marathon! Researchers in Italy have found that running a marathon stops the cellular processes which lead to cell death ((Gabriella Marfe... Monday, 17 May 2010

Bio-Gels for Drug Delivery Scientists at Ajou University in South Korea have designed a material that forms a gel in vivo and releases protein... Monday, 10 May 2010

Technology: Lighting Up Disease Lindsey Nield sheds light on the uses of biomarkers Monday, 3 May 2010

Perspective: Funding in Crisis? Gemma Thornton gives her perspective on the future of scientific funding Monday, 3 May 2010

Feature: Never-Ending Hunger Kate McAllister looks into Prader-Willi Syndrome and the insatiable desire to eat Monday, 3 May 2010

Feature: Not All in the Mind? Ryan Breslin discusses the mechanism of placebo pain relief and whether or not we should exploit it Monday, 3 May 2010

Feature: In Search of the $1000 Genome Elizabeth Batty outlines the race for cheaper genome sequencing Monday, 3 May 2010

Cover: New Neurons From Old Jessica Robinson reviews the story behind this issue’s cover image Monday, 3 May 2010

Haemophiliac mice lead the way to safer cures by eating their greens Researchers from Florida have developed a new way of delivering protein replacements for treating diseases such as haemophilia, without triggering... Friday, 30 April 2010

Letters Your questions answered by Dr I M Derisive Monday, 4 January 2010

Book Reviews Why We Disagree About Climate Change Monday, 4 January 2010

History: The Nature of the Beast Lindsey Nield traces the contributions and controversies in the history of animal research Monday, 4 January 2010

Focus: The End of Ageing? BlueSci looks at the biology of ageing, how research is helping us to understand and overcome it and the impact on society if we could live longer. Monday, 4 January 2010

Feature: Have We Got a Pill For You? Warren Hochfeld explores the inadequacies of prescription drugs Monday, 4 January 2010

Feature: Mind Over Matter Amy Miller considers why science and maths can be so hard to learn Monday, 4 January 2010

News: Issue 17 The fall of the Nazcas Monday, 4 January 2010

POSTS FROM 2009

Initiatives: Tackling Tuberculosis Sahil Kirpekar and Ali Ansary introduce their innovative strategy for tackling the challenges of drug delivery for recovering turberculosis patients. Thursday, 1 October 2009

Feature: The Protecting Virus Chih-Chin (Kevin) Chen discusses the latest hope in the fight against the flu virus. Thursday, 1 October 2009

News: Issue 16 Cambridge designed solar car unveiled Thursday, 1 October 2009

POSTS FROM 2007

New Insight on Bone Structure Cambridge researchers have edged tantalisingly closer to understanding the complex causes of some debilitating bone diseases. Saturday, 27 October 2007

Cambridge scientists win 'Research Team of the Year' The 2007 award was presented at the House of Lords for outstanding contribution to research of breast cancer Friday, 26 October 2007

POSTS FROM 2006

Alcohol Factbox 1. Britain’s binge drinking culture is costing the country £20 billion a year Thursday, 1 June 2006

POSTS FROM 2000

Tetrachromat female found Tetrachromat female found Tuesday, 5 December 2000