Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While TB may seem to be a disease of the past in developed nations, it still kills 1.7 million people annually. Therefore, despite the advances in TB prevention and treatment, complete eradication of this deadly disease is still a global concern. Continue reading The Bloody History of Tuberculosis
This is the first instalment of my three-part series that investigates how the correlative link between the gut microbiota and our weight has come to be. Obesity is a worldwide epidemiological epidemic and current interventions, both medical and lifestyle, are failing to thwart its increasing prevalence. The discovery of that the gut microbial community is implicated in our expanding waistlines has spurred attempts to manipulate its composition – with novel procedures exploding onto the wellness scene. Continue reading OBESITY: MANIPULATING OUR GUT MICROBIOTA IN THE QUEST TO BE LEAN
Understanding of cell biology has greatly advanced in recent years, thanks to improved cell culture techniques. By culturing cells (i.e. growing cells outside the body) scientists are able to perform experiments on living tissue, which they couldn’t possibly perform on a human being. Continue reading How Cell Culture Changed Science
We have all had multiple viral infections in our lifetime, be it the flu or a more serious disease such as measles. Every year, new strains of virus feature in the spot light, making it a challenge to keep up with treatment options. But when did we first come across viruses? How did we differentiate them from other disease-causing pathogens? How did the first vaccinations against viruses come about? Continue reading Going Viral: A Brief History of Nearly All Things Virus-related
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