Advancing research on aquaculture
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences (I-AQUAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) pioneered a collaborative research effort with the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan in the field of marine fish and prawn breeding. NCKU, which posseses high technologies in producing disease-free parent stocks of tiger prawn and also in breeding and seeding of […]
Focus on brain-eating amoeba
Reading Time: 2 minutesSUNWAY University Master in Science in Life Sciences student Shobana Gabriel Jabanathan (pix) is determined to raise awareness on the prevalence of brain-eating amoebae in Malaysian water sources. “My research aims to develop molecular methods for rapid detection and to determine the occurrence of brain-eating amoebae (Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri) in public […]
Matching wits with machines
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY MAZLAN HANAFI BASHARUDIN PENANG: The Centre for Development of Academic Excellence & Student Development (CDAE) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) today held a talk on the topic of “Outsmarting the Smartest Machines”. The talk, presented by its Director, Professor Dr Abd Karim Alias, touched on the issue of managing education in the future, in […]
What animal kills human the most?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSharks? lions? snakes? No. Mosquitoes. Many of us view mosquitoes as more of an annoyance than a threat, but the tiny insects are far and away the deadliest animals on earth. The World Health Organisation estimates that 725,000 people are killed each year by mosquito-born diseases. A staggering 200 million people are at least temporarily […]
New hope for treating diabetic wounds
Reading Time: < 1 minuteONE of the most frustrating and debilitating complications of diabetes is the development of wounds on the foot or lower leg. Once they form, they can persist for months, leading to painful and dangerous infections. New research uncovers the role of a particular protein in maintaining these wounds and suggests that reversing its effects could […]
Why does the moon have craters?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteONE reason the moon has craters because it gets hit by objects, small pieces of rocks that come from outer space. These are pieces of asteroids, comets that are flying around in the solar system. When they hit the surface, there’s an impact. The moon has no atmosphere, and so even a tiny rock will […]
Spider silk key to new bone-fixing composite
Reading Time: 2 minutesUNIVERSITY of Connecticut researchers have created a biodegradable composite made of silk fibers that can be used to repair broken load-bearing bones without the complications sometimes presented by other materials. Repairing major load-bearing bones such as those in the leg can be a long and uncomfortable process. To facilitate repair, doctors may install a metal […]
Neutrons help in the fight against antibiotic resistance
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE discovery of penicillin almost 90 years ago ushered in the age of modern antibiotics, but the growth of antibiotic resistance means bacterial infections like pneumonia and tuberculosis are becoming more difficult to treat. Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists’ enzyme research may lead to drugs that will combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. ORNL has found that antibiotics […]
A renaissance for our science agenda
Reading Time: 3 minutesA NEW age for Malaysia has dawned not only for good governance but also in the realm of science, technology and innovation (STI) under the visionary leadership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. There is jubilation in every corner of the country as if the country has been liberated from “stagnation if not digression”. Malaysia is […]
Why is air invisible?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAIR looks invisible because it sends very little color to our eyes. Most objects seem to have color because they absorb some light wavelengths, or colors, and reflect others back to us. Objects appear to be the color they reflect to our eyes.[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] Air is a mixture of gases, mainly nitrogen […]