Scientists reveal source of human heartbeat in 3-D
Reading Time: 2 minutesA PIONEERING new study is set to help surgeons repair hearts without damaging precious tissue. A team of scientists from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), The University of Manchester, Aarhus University and Newcastle University, have developed a way of producing 3D data to show the cardiac conduction system – the special cells that enable our […]
Kenya approves trials for biotech corn, cotton
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE National Biosafety Authority of Kenya approved the applications for National Performance Trials (NPTs) of biotech corn and cotton, which will commence in October 2017. This was announced by NBA managing director, Willy Tonui, after a meeting with stakeholders, including Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organisation (KALRO) and African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) who previously […]
What is the world’s oldest vertebrate?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIT kicks off the bowhead whale as the oldest vertebrate animas. Meet the Greenland shark. Using a new technique examining the shark’s eye nucleus, scientists at Copenhagen and Oxford universities said one shark they studied lived for 392 years. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ]At 400 years, the oldest of this species was born when Pope […]
USM, NAIST collaborate to develop degradable, eco-friendly plastic
Reading Time: 2 minutesIN a collaboration with researchers from Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) in Japan, a significant milestone has been achieved by Universiti Sains Malaysia in the research to develop an eco-friendly and sustainable plastic called PHA. Plastic has long been identified as a material which has serious consequences on nature. Discarded plastic can remain […]
Minister hands over UPM’s “E-Cutter” to FELDA settlers
Reading Time: 2 minutesHULU SELANGOR: Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh handed over E-Cutter machines to Felda Hulu Selangor settlers at the E-cutter: Translational Research Programme of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in collaboration with the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), Hulu Selangor zone. At the event, he distributed ten units of the machine as part of […]
Why does the moon sometimes appear orange or red?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE orange and red tints that the Sun and Moon sometimes take on are caused by particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] When light (or more specifically, packets of light called photons) from an astronomical object passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, it scatters off particles in the atmosphere. It turns out […]
Students get valuable insight on career opportunities in bioindustry
Reading Time: 3 minutesNewly minted BioTalent kicks off its first event to groom and prepare undergraduates for the working world BY FARAH NADZRI & FATIN ANAHAR BIOTALENT MALAYSIA (BTM) hosted its first event – a talk on biobusiness for students of the Monash University Malaysia. The newly minted social enterprise aims to connect graduating students with potential employers […]
The tragic story of Soviet genetics shows the folly of political meddling in science
Reading Time: 4 minutesA FEW years ago, one of us (Ian) was lucky enough to be invited to visit the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry in St Petersburg, Russia. Every plant breeder or geneticist knows of Nikolai Vavilov and his ceaseless energy in collecting important food crop varieties from all over the globe, and his application of […]
How dirty is your kitchen sponge?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteKITCHEN SPONGE is something that we use every day to clean our dishes, cutleries, and kitchen counters. If you’re someone who repeatedly use the same sponge for more than a month or a year, a new study published in Scientific Reports may make you want to change your cleaning habits ASAP. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ […]
How does fibre improve our digestion?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFIBRE is important to our digestive system. Women under 50 years need about 25 grams a day while men under 50 years need about 38 grams. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] Fibre helps to bulk up our stools and keeps waste moving through our intestines, preventing constipation. Some fibre also has prebiotics, which is food […]