

What is the Second Genome and how does it affect us?
Did you know that there are fewer human cells in our body than bacterial cells? For the human body to contain anything other than our own cells has always caused controversy; however, the idea of a second genome has been around for a while. Continue reading What is the Second Genome and how does it affect us?

Opening a Can of Worms
Fad diets come and go, with magazines and celebrities jumping on the recent fashionable way to shed some pounds while convincing others to do the same. There have been liquid diets, zero-carb diets and raw food diets but perhaps one of the strangest weight loss methods was the tapeworm diet. Continue reading Opening a Can of Worms

A long-awaited return to in-person conferences – Synthetic Biology UK 2021
For some SynBio UK was their first experience of a face-to-face academic conference. For others, it was the first chance to catch up with colleagues from around the country after almost two years of separation. For everybody, it was a fantastic opportunity to hear about the exciting fundamental and applied research in Synthetic Biology happening across the UK and beyond! Continue reading A long-awaited return to in-person conferences – Synthetic Biology UK 2021

Unveiling of the Henrietta Lacks statue
On the 4th October 2021 Biochemical Society awarded a Sponsored Event Grant to Dr Caroline McKinnon at the University of Bristol for a project to recognise and celebrate the legacy of Henrietta Lacks. Continue reading Unveiling of the Henrietta Lacks statue

Designing therapeutic siRNAs
Short Interfering RNA (siRNA) has come of age to unleash its full potential as a potent therapeutic. The onset of a series of FDA approvals of the siRNA medication targeting rare, previously untreatable genetic disorders and several other promising drug candidates in clinical trials have established the RNA Interference (RNAi) technology in the therapeutic realms. Designing a highly effective siRNA is one of the critical challenges of its downstream usage as a potential drug. Continue reading Designing therapeutic siRNAs