Fire ant venom may lead to psoriasis treatment
Reading Time: 2 minutesCompounds derived from fire ant venom can reduce skin thickening and inflammation in a mouse model of psoriasis, Emory and Case Western scientists have shown. The results were published recently in Scientific Reports. The findings could lead to new treatments for psoriasis, a common autoimmune skin disease. Topical steroids are now most frequently used for […]
Gene therapy shows promise for reversing blindness
Reading Time: < 1 minuteResearchers from Oxford have shown how it might be possible to reverse blindness using gene therapy to reprogramme cells at the back of the eye to become light sensitive. Most causes of untreatable blindness occur due to loss of the millions of light sensitive photoreceptor cells that line the retina, similar to the pixels in […]
Towards developing sustainable agriculture and food production
Reading Time: 2 minutesSEMARANG, INDONESIA: The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) participated in and supported the 2nd International Symposium on Food and Agrobiodiversity (ISFA). With the theme “Developing Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production,” the symposium was held from Sept 26-27 and was organised by the Diponegoro University and the Indonesian Food […]
Gravitational waves grab Nobel for physics
Reading Time: 2 minutes The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne for their detection of gravitational waves, a development scientists believe could give vital clues to the origins of the universe. The three American physicists “made decisive contributions” to LIGO, an observatory instrument that enabled scientists […]
How durian got its pungent stench
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe smell of durian has been described by some to turpentine and onions, garnished with a sweaty gym sock. The green, spiky fruit is banned from public transportation and many hotels in south-east Asia because of its characteristic and pungent smell. But where does it get its scent from? A team of researchers in Singapore, […]
Slowing down snails extinction
Reading Time: 2 minutesKUALA LUMPUR: Scientists and Lafarge Malaysia recently embarked on a joint study to document the diversity of land snails at limestone hills in Peninsular Malaysia. Formed from reefs beneath ancient seas, limestone hills are regarded as “arks of biodiversity” because they can harbour plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. A recent study […]
Scientists unlock secrets of photosynthesis
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA team of scientists from Arizona State University (ASU) and Pennsylvania State University has taken a step closer to unlocking the secrets of photosynthesis and possibly to cleaner fuels. Their discovery was recently published online in Science and describes the structure of a reaction center (from a heliobacterium) which preserves the characteristics of the ancestral […]
Golden rice finds traction in Philippines
Reading Time: 6 minutesBY MARLO ASIS After more than a decade of rigorous scientific testing and extensive research trials amid opposition by anti-GMO groups, Golden Rice is moving closer to the marketplace in the Philippines. If an application for a biosafety permit is approved, the much-awaited vitamin A-enriched rice variety may ultimately find its way onto the dining […]
R & D – Way forward with Monash Malaysia
Reading Time: 5 minutesPURSUING EXCELLENT TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH Solid research initiatives can create powerful societal impact by addressing and finding solutions to global challenges and contribute towards the betterment of the community and the world. Since its inception in 1998, Monash University Malaysia has continued to strengthen its research capabilities to become a leading research-led education institution that nurtures, […]
Forensic scientists recover human DNA from mosquitos
Reading Time: 2 minutesA Nagoya University research team shows that human blood extracted from mosquitos remains viable for DNA analysis up to two days after feeding. Most people would agree that painful mosquito bites are an especially annoying part of summer. Except perhaps forensic scientists, who can examine human blood from a mosquito’s stomach and match the DNA to […]