Obama makes mapping the brain a governmental priority
Posted on 26. Feb, 2013 in Opinion, Science
The Obama administration reportedly has a project in the works which promises to be a tremendous impetus for the field of neuroscience. In his State of the Union address on February 12, President Obama recognized brain research as one of the opportunities for the government to “invest in the best ideas.” Although the administration is not intending to release specific details until sometime in March, what we currently know is that a huge project aimed at creating a comp… Read More
Maximizing a workout with cardio
Posted on 22. Feb, 2013 in Opinion, Science
A good, hard workout means something different for everyone. Whether it’s a morning jog, a yoga class, or weight lifting, most people have a certain routine that they follow every time they exercise. A person’s workout usually reflects what works best with his or her body. It would seem that there is no right way to workout. However, new studies show otherwise. Cardio burns the most fat and calories. Weight lifting can help build muscle but is not the best way to shed pounds… Read More
Viruses fight cancer
Posted on 22. Feb, 2013 in Opinion, Science
Viruses have a bad rap. After all, they spread from person to person, causing disease. Scientists, however, have been long using viruses for good in genetics as vectors for transfecting cells with new DNA. For the past 20 years, researchers have also been attempting to rework viruses to treat cancer instead of causing disease. Though there have been successes in small trials in which tumors shrunk dramatically when infected, cancer-fighting viruses have never had big gai… Read More
Harnessing DNA for data storage
Posted on 30. Jan, 2013 in Science
For most of the time that life has existed, DNA has served one single purpose – the storage of the information needed to create a new organism. Using only four “letters” in its alphabet, DNA encodes the blueprints for life. Now, however, we have begun harnessing the tremendous data-storing capabilities of DNA to store whatever we desire.
Scientists from the European Bioinformatics Institute in the United Kingdom have developed a method to reliably and effectively e… Read More
Healthy living under the pressure to be thin
Posted on 29. Jan, 2013 in Opinion, Science
Girls have stressed about their appearances since the beginning of time. From hair and makeup to clothes, we are expected to master each look perfectly. The latest fashion trend seems to include “size 0.” In America, the general measurements for a “size 0” is a 32” bust, a 23” waist, and 34” hips, but the term loosely refers to thin girls. Many women in the media and in television have set the trend by flaunting their skinny, runway-type bodies.
Looking skinny ha… Read More
Feces transplants benefit health
Posted on 22. Jan, 2013 in Opinion, Science
Poop is perhaps the last thing anyone would think of as a treatment for anything. After all, it is everything that our bodies did not want and decided to throw away. Yet, two studies have shown that a fecal transplant – yes, that’s right, moving poop from one person to another – has tremendous medical promises.
In the Netherlands, doctors conducted a clinical trial using fecal transplants as a treatment for recurring diarrhea. An abnormal amount of Clostridium diffici… Read More
Environment can rewrite DNA sequence
Posted on 22. Jan, 2013 in Opinion, Science
Genetics is increasingly influencing our understanding of health and the human experience as it becomes an integral part of medicine and society. A relatively new field of genetics can shed light on the “nature” component of the classic nature versus nurture argument. Researchers are finding that genes alone are not so definitive in expression. Presently, epigenetics is embracing both nature and nurture concepts of gene expression to reshape the way society views… Read More
UAB researcher patents top innovation of 2012
Posted on 15. Jan, 2013 in Opinion, Science
A UAB researcher and patent were key to a collaborative effort between Birmingham’s VIVO Biosciences, Inc. (VBI), and Virginia-based Global Cell Solutions (GCS), recognized in December as a Top 10 Innovations of 2012 winner by The Scientist magazine.
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Raj Kumar Singh, Ph.D., a research assistant professor at UAB and president and CEO of VBI, invented HuBiogel, a biogel matrix licensed from The UAB Research Foundation that is derived from discarded human amnion tissue
2012 Hottest Year in Record for US
Posted on 15. Jan, 2013 in Opinion, Science
Did this past year seem unusually warm? Remember how flowers began blooming in March? Remember the scorching heat of summer? Or, in much recent memory, remember how December was warm enough for t-shirts and shorts?
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2012 did not just seem warm. It was warm. Period. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the State of the Climate, a summary of the climate of the past year. For the lower 48 states, 2012 was the hottest year on record. Every state recor
“Omics” means less time spent sick
Posted on 14. Jan, 2013 in Opinion, Science
We all dread the idea of being sick. What if your physician could recognize and treat looming illnesses before they present as serious symptoms? Collaborative efforts by scientists and physicians are currently seeking ways to detect early deviations from health. When we get sick, our bodies undergo many changes before presenting the symptoms of an illness. The “birth of a disease” elicits changes in our bodies at a molecular level. In an effort to identify health risk… Read More