The Biochemist Blog

‘Introduction to DNA’ for primary pupils

By Sharon Williams, Coventry University, UK

On the 7th and 8th of July, six staff and ambassadors from Coventry University ran a fun and interactive DNA activity for children age 7-11 and their families. The activity took place at the Coventry FabLab in the city centre. The idea behind the DNA workshop is to give the community an opportunity to have free family science activities. The event has allowed 7-11 years old to do hands-on activities related to Molecular Biosciences, with the support of their families.

August 14, 2017 Research

Unseen waste in our waterways: a hidden environmental problem

By Brittany Maule, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, USA

Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world. Americans in the U.S. consume 400 million coffee cups per day, and about 30% of those coffee drinkers add some sort of sugar or sweetener to their drink. Where does all that caffeine and sweetener go? What about all the other stuff we use every day? The answer that is becoming more and more concrete is in our waterways.

August 11, 2017 Education & careers / Student-focused

PhD reflections: lessons and advice

By Ralitsa Madsen, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, UK

As a driven PhD student who is dedicating most of my waking hours to a very ambitious project, I often need to justify my choice to others. Wouldn’t I be set up for success with fewer hours in the lab, less scientific reading and a bit more faith in my own talent? My usual response is to ask the following question: how do elite athletes succeed?

August 9, 2017 Historical / Research / Science communication & public engagement

I wandered lonely as syphilis

By Raniel Ponteras, University of St La Salle

Have you ever consulted a phrase of poetry to mend a wound cut by romantic abandon? Perhaps a line or two from Ovid, García Lorca, or Byron can soothe a festering gash. But would you ever take counsel from a poet to succour some sores down there – from a scourge named syphilis?

August 4, 2017 Education & careers / Student-focused

A Journey Known as PhD

By Debosree Pal, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India

Why is a PhD called a Doctor of Philosophy? The term finds its origin way back in the 19th century in German faculties where it was introduced to incorporate arenas of research that were not encompassed under the regular disciplines of medicine, law or theology. As the world progressed and more areas of research in science were introduced, the term was retained.

August 3, 2017 Biochemical Society / Education & careers / Events / Journal content / Science communication & public engagement

An introduction to gene editing

By Anastasia Stefanidou, Communications Officer, Biochemical Society

Gene editing and the use of CRISPR to fix genetic disease in human embryos seem to be all over the news these days. It has just been reported that a team of American and South Korean scientists have successfully used CRISPR, a tool that cuts DNA with more precision than any other genome editing technology, to fix a genetic defect in human embryos that can cause serious heart problems.

August 2, 2017 Biochemical Society / Science communication & public engagement

SciComm Competition: Video winner

By Alex Binks, University of Glasgow

Hearing that I had come first place in the Biochemical Society Science communication competition was a wonderful feeling. Of course, this feeling was in part due to my excitement over the prospect of having an extra £300 to spend on all manner of sensible and not-so-sensible purchases. But more importantly, I had managed to prove to myself that it’s possible to make a successful science video without any money or any clue what the hell I was doing.