Have you ever thought of changing yourself for the better — genetically-speaking? Lately, CRISPR company has been selling a CRISPR DIY, i.e. a gene-therapy kit purchasable online. Thus, you could biohack and strike genes at your convenience, practically whenever and wherever — even right at the comfort of your home. CRISPR – a scientific breakthrough..
Article Category: Research
Hallucination – Are we the only ones “seeing” things or animals hallucinate, too?
Hallucination is defined as perceiving something that seems real but in fact, it is not. Some references take it as a synonym for delusion. Both hallucinations and delusions are perceptions or beliefs that something seems real. However, the individual that experiences hallucination senses a vision, sound, or other perceptions, later on, denies it to be..
RASER proteins selectively “hack” and “shut down” cancer cells
According to World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The record showed that it caused about 9.6 million deaths last year (2018). Accordingly, one in every six deaths is attributed to cancer.[1] Cancer defined Cancer refers to the disease that arises from the faulty uncontrolled proliferation of cell, usually at..
Scientists brought dead pig brain partly back to life
Death is inevitable to any entity that has life. When there is a beginning there ought to be an end. However, the recent findings of a team of researchers seemed to paint a gray line between what’s supposedly dead and what’s alive. Accordingly, they were able to restore certain functions on pig brains that had..
FAAH-OUT mutation for a life of no pain – No FAAH, no pain
A Scottish woman claims that she has not experienced pain over some supposedly painful conditions, like a severe joint degeneration or a post-operation she underwent for her hand due to osteoarthritis. Accordingly, she never needed painkillers and her case astounded doctors. A baffling case Doctors were baffled when the 71-year old Scottish woman, Jo Cameron,..
Regeneration in humans – Finding the gene switch
Regeneration in humans is much more limited compared in other animals. Say for instance when one lost a limb, much as well say goodbye to it for the rest of one’s life. Perhaps, it would be nice if we have a higher capacity to regenerate many of our indispensable body parts, like head, limbs, and..
On Mate Selection Evolution: Are intelligent males more attractive?
A study published in Science on January 11 seems to be the first to lay empirical evidence that concur with Charles Darwin’s hypothesis: … that mate selection might have contributed to the evolution of intelligence or cognitive abilities. Scientists from China and the Netherlands collaborated in a study on budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus. Based on what..
Mitochondrial DNA not just from moms but also from dads?
If one wants to trace down lineage, that person could turn to the cell’s powerhouse, the mitochondrion. This organelle contains its own special set of DNA believed as inherited solely from mothers across generations. Thus, looking at the mitochondrial DNA (by mtDNA genealogical DNA testing) could help track down lineage, and for this reason, help..
Pathobiology of allergy and its most severe form, anaphylaxis
When allergy season looms, some people with serious hypersensitivity to allergens tend to be apprehensive of what may come. Some would rather stay indoors than risking the odds of sucking up triggers that could instigate severe allergic reactions. Apart from triggers from the environment, other common factors for allergy include food, medication, certain toxins, venom..
First time! Human blood cell turned into a young sex cell
In essence, our body consists of two major types of cells – one group involved directly in reproducing sexually (called sex cells) and another group that are not (called somatic cells). In particular, the female sex cell is referred to as the ovum (also called egg cell) whereas the male sex cell, the sperm cell…
“Mutualism factor” could explain why body does not attack normal flora
When sadness reeks in and you feel as if you are all by yourself, think again. That is because you are never alone. As a matter of fact, millions of microorganisms reside in our body day in and out. They are the normal flora. Our body is a world of microscopic living entities that inhabit..
Wild dolphins learn to “tail-walk” on the water, yet it’s just a fad
Dolphins performing acrobatic tricks have, time and again, fascinated and mesmerized people. As early as 1860s, capturers took dolphins and other cetaceans (e.g. whales and porpoises) out of their aquatic habitats and held them in captivity in various parts of Europe and North America. At first, they kept them in a dolphinarium mainly as an..
Mitochondrial DNA – hallmark of psychological stress
We often hear that stress can be unsettling as it could make us ill when it becomes chronic and overwhelming. However, is there really a biological ratification behind it? Is it scientifically founded? Apparently, independent studies hinted a biological connection indicating how stress can cause biological damage, and eventually lead to certain ailments. And, the..
Plant sets off “SOS” for plant defense when it gets hurt
When herbivore, such as an insect, nibbles a plant leaf, the plant sets off an “SOS” or distress signal as one of the various plant defense strategies. This was based on what a team of researchers headed by Masatsugu Toyota observed. Accordingly, the injured leaf makes the distant undamaged leaves aware that it is being eaten…
The biology of how the brain forgets
Our brain tends to forget things that we wish we would always remember. And yet, it cannot forget certain things we wish never occurred and existed. How does your brain forget? And, can your brain forget on purpose? By nature, the human brain forgets. Inopportunely, the biological mechanism underlying this brain process is poorly understood…
Newly identified human brain neuron may have unique genetic signature
Dubbed as “rosehip neuron“, a new brain neuron recently discovered is unique based on its morphology and the set of genes it activates. Neuroscientists recently uncovered this new type of neuron from postmortem human brain samples. They presumed that this rosehip neuron occurs in the brain of humans but not in rodents. Rosehip neuron found..
Cells know when to separate at mitosis
How do cells know when to separate during mitosis? A molecule called BubR1 was found to regulate the timing of the division of a parent cell into two progeny cells. Researchers who identified the role of BubR1 were optimistic that their discovery could lead to a potential cancer treatment by inducing cancer cells to undergo..