Mozzie-born diseases to rise globally
Reading Time: 3 minutesOUTBREAKS of mosquito-borne illnesses like yellow fever, dengue, Zika and chikungunya are rising around the world. Climate change has created conditions favorable to mosquitoes’ spread, but so have human travel and migration and accelerating urbanisation, creating new mini-habitats for mosquitoes. In Nature Microbiology recently, a large group of international collaborators combined these factors into prediction […]
Researchers show how coffee growers can optimise profits sustainably
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAS is true for many agricultural products, the process for growing coffee is complex. Increased use of fertiliser and pesticides will likely lead to higher crop yields, but at significant cost to wildlife populations and human health. Using fewer agrochemicals is more environmentally friendly, but requires farmers to face increased risks of losing crops to pests and disease. A forthcoming paper led by researcher Juan Nicolás […]
Eating mushrooms may reduce the risk of cognitive decline
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA TEAM from the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Biochemistry at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that seniors who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 per cent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked […]
Scientists capture bacteria that eat and breathe electricity
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFOR the first time, scientists at Washington State University captured tiny creatures that can “eat” pollution and generate electricity in the process. The team, led Abdelrhman Mohamed trekked into the depths of Yellowstone National Park to extract these bacteria, which are adapted to living in geysers and hot springs that can reach over 90 C. They carefully left a few electrodes inserted […]
Scientists crack genome of superfood seaweed, ito-mozuku
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFOR the first time, researchers unveil the genome of ito-mozuku (Nemacystus decipiens), the popular Japanese brown seaweed, providing data that could help farmers better grow the health food. The study, published March 14, 2019 in Scientific Reports, presents the world’s first draft genome of ito-mozuku. Just three years ago, the unit released the first draft genome of another local species of edible seaweed, Cladosiphon okamuranus, called Okinawa mozuku. […]
DNA can tell what’s really in your food
Reading Time: 5 minutesBY JOSIAH LIEW & DR JU LIN TAN MALAYSIA is a food paradise. When you are famished, just drop by your local eatery and you can easily find delicious meals to satisfy your hunger. Everything is well – until it is not. Everyone who has ever eaten at hawker stalls has, at one time or another, been the victim of food poisoning. Cases of food […]
The world is running out of chocolate
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Treating hypertension with herbal remedies
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY MAZLAN HANAFI BASHARUDIN PENANG : It’s commonly known that many types of medicine nowadays have herbal sources, which have long been the practice. However, have we tried testing the medical products for their efficiency? The use of herbal medication which has undergone scientific research is essential in ensuring the quality and content would provide the desired remedial effect, apart from being safe for consumption. It is with this […]
‘Throat-lite’ enables fast and accurate diagnosis of disease
Reading Time: 2 minutesBy AZMAN ZAKARIA AN INNOVATION in throat examination, ‘Throatlite’, which combines the use of the wooden tongue depressor or spatula with mini LED lights enables a faster and more efficient examination for accurate diagnosis of diseases. Through the innovation, the use of the existing disposable wooden tongue depressors is enhanced with mini LED lights. The small, lightweight and 360-degree rotating LED light only needs to be clipped […]
Second patient free of HIV after stem-cell therapy
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA SECOND person has experienced sustained remission from HIV-1 after ceasing treatment, reports a paper led by researchers at UCL and Imperial College London. The case report, published in Nature and carried out with partners at the University of Cambridge and the niversity of Oxford, comes ten years after the first such case, known as the ‘Berlin Patient.’ Both patients were treated with stem cell transplants […]