Clues to Martian life found in Chilean desert
Reading Time: 2 minutesA ROBOTIC rover deployed in the most Mars-like environment on Earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile, has successfully recovered subsurface soil samples during a trial mission to find signs of life. The samples contained unusual and highly specialised microbes that were distributed in patches, which researchers linked to the limited water availability, scarce nutrients and […]
Predicting the endgame in dengue
Reading Time: 2 minutesRESEARCHERS in Malaysia have identified two markers, obtained by a simple blood test, that might help with the early detection of mortality risk from severe dengue infection. Such information can help identify those at greatest risk faster, helping clinicians prioritise limited resources. The mosquito-borne dengue infection has been a problem in Malaysia for over a […]
New Bombali ebola virus found in Kenyan bat
Reading Time: 2 minutesRESEARCHERS have identified Bombali ebola virus in an Angolan free-tailed bat captured in the Taita Hills, southeast Kenya. No ebola viruses have been previously reported from wildlife in countries along the east coast of Africa. There is no current evidence that Bombali ebola virus infects people. Until recently, five ebola virus species were known, with […]
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 […]
Is a gene-edited animal a drug?
Reading Time: 5 minutesBY DR ALISON VAN EENENNAAM WE eat mutations every day. All the vegetables, grains, fruits and meat humans consume as part of their diet is jam-packed with DNA speckled with mutations and beneficial variations. In 2017, the United States Food and Drug Administration proposed to regulate a specific subset of these variations as drugs: in […]
Why everyone has different tongue print?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe tongue which is an important internal organ is encased within the oral cavity and well protected from the environment. The tongue is made up of groups of muscles and is pretty tough. It is interesting to note that the tongue works 24 hours even while we are sleeping; especially to constantly push saliva down […]
Alzheimer’s-like symptoms reversed in mice
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA DIET containing compounds found in green tea and carrots reversed Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in mice genetically programmed to develop the disease, USC researchers say. Researchers emphasise that the study, recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, was in mice, and many mouse discoveries never translate into human treatments. Nevertheless, the findings lend credence to […]
How far does a sneeze travel?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhen we sneeze, the sound it produces is similar to an explosion. By sneezing we can scare our friends, though unknowingly. However, through sneezing we can also transfer germs to others. A team of researchers have found that sneezes can travel up to 200 feet. This is about two third of the football field length. […]
Duopharma Biotech– On a mission to provide cancer therapeutics
Reading Time: 4 minutesACCORDING to the data and findings from the Health Ministry’s Malaysian Study on Cancer Survival (MySCan), cancer is the fourth most common cause of death in Malaysia. It has approximately 37,000 cases being reported every year and this is estimated to rise to more than 55,000 newly-diagnosed cases by 2030. The big ‘C’ is reported […]
Virologist gets coveted science accolade
Reading Time: 2 minutesKUALA LUMPUR: Professor Datin Paduka Dr Khatijah Mohamad Yusoff (pix) was conferred with the Lifetime Scientific Research Achievements Women’s award for her incredible and inspiring contribution to science and the nation. Khatijah, a highly respected academician and a much acclaimed virologist who has distinguished herself through her extensive work on the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), […]