Author: EUSci
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Drug found to have opposing effects on the minds of male & female mice
Tommy O’Regan tells the story of how, for the first time in medical history, a drug has been found to have completely opposing effects on the memories of mice depending on their sex. A team of researchers investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying fear memories at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (INc-UAB) has discovered something striking…
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HLA Genotype and its effect on the severity of COVID-19 Infections
Isabelle Ferenczi introduces the importance of Human Leukocyte Antigens and their potential role in determining a given patient’s response to COVID-19 infection. A brief introduction to HLA Human Leukocyte (white blood cell) Antigens (HLA), are proteins that have a vital role in presenting foreign peptide (short amino acid chain) antigens in the bloodstream. Antigens are…
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A jar of spices has a lot to hide and a lot to tell
Marie Poirot writes about the research at Australian National University studying the use of spices in cuisines all over the world to show the complexity of evolutionary science. You might not have heard of it, but “Darwinian gastronomy”, or the study of the evolution of cuisines, can tell us a lot about the evolution of…
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Parasite-infected ants have discovered the secret to living a longer life
Arianna Schneier writes about the longevity-altering effects of a tapeworm that infects ants. A three-year study revealed that tapeworm-infected, compared to uninfected, worker ants exhibited increased lifespans similar to that of queen ants. The study, conducted by Susanne Foitzik from Johannes Gutenberg University with various collaborators, focused on Temnothorax nylanderi found in Central Europe. The…
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A New Piece in the Puzzle of Human Evolution
Sophie Teall writes about how the discovery of an archaic human population in Israel suggests a more complex evolutionary history than previously thought. As modern humans (Homo sapiens), we are the only members of the group Homo still walking the earth. It is easy to forget that several human lineages have called this planet home.…
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Novel findings in the biology of depression: Is now the time to update the 60-year-old serotonin theory?
Serotonin is a hormone produced by nerve cells from tryptophan, an amino acid which enters our body through our diet. Foods such as nuts, cheese and red meat are rich in tryptophan and hence, consumption of these products correlates with higher serotonin levels. Serotonin systemically affects our body, from motor functions to emotions. Serotonin in…
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How brain cells repair their DNA reveals “hot spots” of aging and disease
The brain is the organ responsible for our personality, consciousness and ability to process our surrounding environment. It, quite simply, makes us who we are. Unfortunately, as we age it is not solely our body that begins to fail us, but our mind responsible for our identity also deteriorates. However, the process behind this deterioration…
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Supermassive black hole: Andromeda’s and the Milky Way’s black holes will collide
Our nearest galaxy, Andromeda or M31, lies 2.537 million light years (or 2.4 x 1019 km) away. However, scientists have agreed that it is on a collision course for our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, with an estimated speed of 116 km/s. Most studies agree that this will happen between 4 to 5 billion years…
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Concern for the Climate Endures Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVD-19 may be cutting coverage on the climate crisis, but that doesn’t mean people have stopped caring about the climate. 2020 began with wildfires raging across Australia in an unusually intense bushfire season. Driven by drought, high temperatures and lightning, this was a stark reminder of how climate change contributes to the threat of natural…
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Music was my first love…
New research illustrates the potential for music therapy for people with Alzheimer’s. We’re all aware of the power of music – be that its ability to make you move your feet, shed a few tears, or take you back to the first time you ever heard a song. This power is being harnessed by music…