Category: Feature
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Are mRNA vaccines our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Seán Dunphy discusses recent developments in COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine development is complex and often takes 10 to 15 years of research. With this in mind the scientific response to the Covid-19 pandemic is remarkable. In a single year, 54 Covid-19 vaccines have been brought to human trials, and 13 of these are in the final…
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Celebrating disabled scientists: Dorothy Hodgkin
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (1910-1994) was the 1964 Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry, and the first and only British woman to obtain a Nobel Prize in Science. The prize was awarded “for her determinations by X-ray techniques of the structures of important biochemical substances”, including vitamin B12, insulin, penicillin, and vitamin D. This enabled them to…
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Zombie neuroscience: it’s all about the braiiiiins
Ellie Bennett uses neuroscience to explore what has gone wrong in the zombie brain to make them the lumbering, flesh-hungry creatures depicted on our screens. A lumbering gait, no recognition of loved ones, the inability to verbalise above moans and grunts, and an insatiable appetite. It’s the archetypal zombie. He’s been staggering his way through…
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Back Off Chalmers: protect those accessing abortion services
Talking to the campaign Back Off Chalmers, Katie Pickup explores the impact of anti-choice protesters at abortion clinics and discusses some of the science behind abortion. Imagine you have made a deeply personal decision and are seeking medical treatment. Now you are being heckled and shamed on the way to the medical centre, making the…
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Bacteria in space: why biological life support systems are the future of space travel
One of the greatest challenges limiting our ability to send astronauts on long-haul missions is the need for constant resupply of essential materials from Earth. Any manned spaceflight needs to carry enough food, water and oxygen to sustain a crew for the duration of the mission, but there is only so much weight a single…
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Fear: from ancestral origins to modern thrill-seekers
Fear as an emotion is universal; whether it be the fear of the dark, spiders, or heights. This intense, emotional reaction to a perceived threat infects the minds of many. It may seem more hindrance than help, however, for without fear we would all be reckless beings, putting our lives at risk. Not so great…
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Finding NEMO in the Sustainable Development Goals
In my previous article, synthetic biology emerged as an extremely powerful tool that can help tackle some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. As a member of the 2020 University of Edinburgh iGEM team, I would like to exemplify how this can be done in practice using our project. iGEM is an independent, non-profit…
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Synthetic biology meets the Sustainable Development Goals
People, the planet and prosperity are at the core of the UN’s 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The agenda is a comprehensive action plan with the aim to stir socioeconomic and environmental development back onto a sustainable path. In 2015, the UN announced the 17 sustainable development goals(SGDs) which target all dimensions of sustainable development.…
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Exploring asexuality: how research and awareness benefit each other for this minority identity
Today is the start of Ace Week, a global effort for awareness and education about asexuality. This underrepresented identity is still not as widely known, let alone understood, as it should be, in the general public or in scientific circles. Research into asexuality is, therefore, faced with an enormous task, of which we are still…