How does our brain, which is capable of generating complex thoughts, actions and even self-reflection, grow out of essentially nothing? An experiment in tadpoles, in which an electronic implant was incorporated into a precursor of their brains at the earliest embryonic stage, may have edged us closer to answering this question. Past attempts to [...]
By Dr. Chinta SidharthanReviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. Discover how prime editing is redefining the future of medicine by offering highly precise, safe, and versatile DNA corrections, bringing hope for more effective treatments for genetic diseases while raising important scientific and ethical questions. Introduction What if we could rewrite the genetic code of a single cell [...]
Discover how a new epigenetic clock measures how fast you are really aging from just a drop of blood or saliva. A recent study published in the journal Nature Aging constructed an intrinsic capacity (IC) clock to predict all-cause mortality based on different factors. What is intrinsic capacity? In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced [...]
For many of us, Covid-19 feels like a chapter we’ve closed – along with the days of PCR tests, mask mandates and daily case updates. But while life may feel back to normal, the virus hasn’t completely vanished. In fact, new variants continue to quietly circulate. One of the latest to appear on the radar [...]
It was previously thought that learning behaviours only applied to animals with complex brain and nervous systems, but a new study has proven that this may also occur in individual cells. As a result, this new evidence may change how we perceive life itself... The new research published on November 19 in Current Biology has found evidence of habituation - [...]
British tourists planning trips to Spain have been warned after a deadly virus that can cause multiple organ failure has been detected in the country. The Foreign Office issued the alert on its dedicated website Travel Health Pro after a case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) was found in Salamanca. In an official statement, it said: 'On 28 [...]
A dangerous new Covid variant from China is surging in California, health officials warn. The California Department of Public Health warned this week the highly contagious NB.1.8.1 strain has been detected in the state, making it the sixth US state to be exposed. The variant has also been detected in international travelers arriving in Washington state, Virginia, Hawaii, Rhode Island and New York [...]
Scientists have documented the way a single gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, allowed it to survive hundreds of years by adjusting its virulence and the length of time it took to kill its victims, but these forms of plague ultimately died out. A study by researchers at McMaster University [...]
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for adaptable and scalable vaccine technologies. While mRNA vaccines have improved disease prevention, most are delivered by intramuscular injection, which may not effectively prevent infections that begin at mucosal surfaces, such as the nose and lungs. For respiratory pathogens, this limits protection at the initial site of infection. [...]
A new material developed at Cornell University could significantly improve the delivery and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines by replacing a commonly used ingredient that may trigger unwanted immune responses in some people. Thanks to their ability to train cells to produce virus-killing proteins, mRNA vaccines have gained popularity over the last five years for [...]
