The Lion’s Mane mushroom, culinary and curative
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY DR WONG KAH HUI EDIBLE mushrooms represent an untapped source of nutraceuticals. They are treasured as functional food that can improve our health and quality of life. Mushroom-based functional food are products from mycelia or the fruiting bodies of mushrooms and are being utilised by traditional physicians, herbalists, naturopathic practitioners, chiropractors, acupuncturists and herbal […]
UKM researchers receive RM826,500 for iG-R&R research
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBANGI: Smart and Sustainable Township Research Centre (SUTRA), Faculty of Engineer- ing at and Built Environment (FKAB), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) receives RM826, 500 research grant from Malaysia Highway Authority (LLM) to run the research about iG-R&R Transformation Sustainable Rest and Service Area. The two-year research was headed by Dr Muhammed Azry Khoiry and accompanied by 20 experienced researchers from SUTRA who have conducted various research inside and […]
Indonesia’s Bt sugarcane sees the light of day
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe Petri Dish editor-in-chief Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan hosted an email Q&A with Prof Bambang Sugiharto (BS) and Dr Agus Pakpahan (AP) who were both involved in the development of the country’s first biotech crop. Bambang is from the Center for Development of Advanced Science and Technology (CDAST) and Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and […]
Cellphone technology developed to detect HIV
Reading Time: < 1 minuteINVESTIGATORS from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have designed a portable and affordable mobile diagnostic tool, utilizing a cellphone and nanotechnology, with the ability to detect HIV viruses and monitor its management in resource-limited regions. The novel platform is described in a paper published recently in Nature Communications. “Early detection of HIV is critical to prevent […]
Genes that can ‘beef up’ cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutesBEEF cattle improvement programmes have focused for decades on promoting the rapid growth of calves. Now, the goal is to improve other traits, such as meat tenderness or ribeye muscle area. Researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil who are studying the genome of the Gir breed of Zebu cattle have identified 35 […]
Astronomers discover the giant that shaped the early days of Milky Way
Reading Time: 2 minutesSOME ten billion years ago, the Milky Way merged with a large galaxy. The stars from this partner, named Gaia-Enceladus, make up most of the Milky Way’s halo and also shaped its thick disk, giving it its inflated form. A description of this mega-merger, discovered by an international team led by University of Groningen astronomer […]
UM food scientist takes ‘Women in Science’ award
Reading Time: 2 minutesKUALA LUMPUR: University of Malaya (UM) researcher Dr Chai Lay (pix) Ching was awarded the L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science National Fellowship for her research in developing a real-time method to detect dangerous bacteria causing food-borne diseases in raw chicken. Chai, a food microbiologist from Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, has been named as […]
Indonesia’s first GM crop to hit the market
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE government of Indonesia has approved the first locally developed genetically modified crop which will soon be commercialised in the country. The biotech sugarcane event NXI-4T which contains the betaine gene was developed by the state-owned sugar company, PT Perkebunan Nusantara XI (PTPN XI). The gene expressed osmoprotectant compound which was introduced using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated […]
Fresh insights help unlock mysteries of the first stages of life
Reading Time: < 1 minuteKEY insights into how sperm and egg cells are formed have been discovered by scientists, shedding light on the earliest stages of their development. The research shows for the first time how molecules influence the fate of the cells that define the DNA profile of future generations, experts say. The findings focus on the development […]
Research leads to a healthier bowl of rice
Reading Time: 2 minutesRESEARCHERS in Sri Lanka have discovered a simple way of cooking the grain that dramatically cuts its calories by as much as 50 per cent, and also offers some other important health benefits. And we’re never going to cook rice any other way again. According to the study, all you need to do is get […]