Novel antibodies could provide a universal flu vaccine
Reading Time: 3 minutesA NATIONWIDE team of researchers has found an antibody that protects mice against a wide range of potentially lethal influenza viruses, advancing efforts to design of a universal vaccine that could either treat or protect people against all strains of the virus. The study, which Scripps Research conducted jointly with Washington University School of Medicine […]
Edging closer towards HIV vaccine
Reading Time: 2 minutesRESEARCHERS in Hong Kong and the United States have identified potential weak spots in the part of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) genome that codes for proteins that help the virus attach to human cells. The team used a machine learning approach to make the finding, which could help guide vaccine development. More than 31 […]
FAO: 14 per cent of global food wasted
Reading Time: 2 minutesAROUND 14 per cent of global food goes to waste after harvesting and before reaching the retail level, including through on-farm activities, storage, and transportation. This is according to the report on the State of Food and Agriculture released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO monitored how much, where, […]
Anti-arthritis med stops growth of TB bug
Reading Time: 2 minutesIMMUNOLOGIST Johan Van Weyenbergh (KU Leuven) and his Belgian-Brazilian colleagues have shown that a drug used to fight arthritis also stops the process that allows the tuberculosis bacillus to infect and hijack blood stem cells. Tuberculosis (TB) may affect any part of the body, but the spread [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] of the disease […]
Antibiotic resistance: bacteria can change shape inside humans to avoid antibiotics
Reading Time: 4 minutesWIDESPREAD antibiotic use is largely to blame for the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is currently one of the biggest threats to global health. Not only does antibiotic resistance already cause an estimated 700,000 deaths a year, it’s also made numerous infections, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gonorrhoea, harder to treat. Without knowing how to […]
Science diplomacy to address the haze issue
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY TAN SRI OMAR ABDUL RAHMAN, Senior Fellow, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Chair, Dialog Rakyat Organising Committee THE HAZE conundrum has now joined national unity and social harmony on the list of current issues causing major concern to Malaysians. The former however is demanding more urgent attention than the latter because of itshigh visibility (or […]
Daily exposure to blue light may accelerate aging
Reading Time: 2 minutesPROLONGED exposure to blue light, such as that which emanates from your phone, computer and household fixtures, could be affecting your longevity, even if it’s not shining in your eyes. New research at Oregon State University suggests that the blue wavelengths produced by light-emitting diodes damage cells in the brain as well as retinas. The […]
Three inspiring Malaysian women scientist awarded L’OréalUNESCO Fellowship
Reading Time: 3 minutesTHE L’ORÉAL FOUNDATION, is celebrating the achievements of three distinguished women scientists in Malaysia by awarding them its prestigious L’Oréal UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science (FWIS). In recognition of their groundbreaking research efforts, the For Women in Science also award these outstanding women with RM30,000 grant money to help fund their projects. The projects, […]
New strain causes Strep A infections
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSCIENTISTS studying scarlet fever have identified a new strain of disease-causing bacteria, which may explain a rise in more serious Strep A infections in England and Wales, according to results from cases in London and across England and Wales from 2014-16 published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. In this study, the authors provide an […]
Commonly used antibiotics may lead to heart problems
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSCIENTISTS have shown for the first time a link between two types of heart problems and one of the most commonly prescribed classes of antibiotics. In a study published recently in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority’s […]