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Articles
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World’s number one killer
What makes cardiovascular diseases so deadly and why is it important to take action to prevent premature cardiovascular deaths? |
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They grow up so fast
The ‘foolish seedling’ disease in rice makes the plants grow extremely fast, become sterile and unharvestable. This disease is caused by a fungal substance called gibberellin, causing plants to grow either tall or short. This shoot-to-root ratio is important in improving agricultural productivity. |
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What do snails, spiders, octopods, and the Queen of England have in common?
Are you familiar with the term blue bloods? It refers to aristocrats coming from privileged, noble families that are wealthy and powerful. But society elites aren’t the only blue bloods. There are squiggly and creepy crawly creatures living among us that literally have blue blood. Does it make them… |
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The ugly duckling: Botulinum
Something that cannot be seen or smelt but taking even a small lick could be fatal. This article, inspired by the image for May in our 2022 PDBe calendar, focuses on the neurotoxin, botulinum toxin, the most deadly neurotoxin known to mankind. Remarkably, even with its lethality this toxin is used… |
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Inhale the future, leave the past
How often do you bring your attention to your breath? For most people, it is largely a subconscious act; something so significant and yet we are hardly aware of it. But for many, every inhalation is a constant battle. Diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis can reduce people to gasping, feeling… |
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Finding new therapies to target breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer, with more cases worldwide than any other. This article, inspired by the image for February in our 2022 PDBe calendar, focuses on a protein that is one of the key drug targets for breast cancer treatment. |
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Biological molecules provide a link between the past and present
The movie Jurassic Park sparked our collective imagination about the power of biological molecules, and Jurassic World continued its legacy. In the first film in the franchise, Jurassic Park, the cartoon character Mr. DNA explains: “Just one drop of your blood contains billions of strands of DNA,… |
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Today’s good mood is sponsored by serotonin
Our well-being is a result of various types of factors combined together: biological (hormones and chemicals), psychological (personality), and environmental (everyday stress). Hormones control everything from the way our body functions to how we feel. One such hormone is serotonin. Any impairment… |
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What the cat dragged in..
At a time when we are constantly aware of our health and our relationship with the microbial world it is perhaps easy to forget that our pet companions are just as vulnerable to their own assortment of microbial pathogens. |
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Body’s Super Glue
The word “collagen” comes from the Greek word “kólla'', meaning ''glue”. It is known as glue because it is the component that produces a glue-like substance when tissues are boiled. It is also considered as the biological glue that holds cells together. |
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Breast cancer and BRCA1: an intertwining story of DNA and protein
The BRCA1 story intertwines DNA and proteins as reflected by this month’s artwork. The role of the protein encoded by the BRCA1 gene can be envisioned as the protein acting like a doctor in a battlefield hospital organizing a medical crew to mend a wounded section of DNA. This image is helpful… |
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Threat of antibiotic resistance - Health Matters
Prior to World War II, having a bacterial infection would have a significant risk of death. The accidental discovery of modern day penicillin in 1928 from a fungus, by Alexander Fleming, not only helped in combating bacterial infections in wartime, but also saved millions of lives around the world… |
