By Easha Vigneswaran Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that causes the demyelination of nerves and neurons due to the immune system mistakenly attacking the central nervous system. At present, it is not exactly clear what the direct cause of the disease is, but for 35 years, scientists have hypothesised that previous infectionContinue reading “Epstein-Virus and Multiple Sclerosis”
Category Archives: Editors’ Picks
From rainforest to reef: how loss of apex predators is deconstructing the earth’s biomes
By Evangeline Wilby ‘Flagship’ species are species that are used to gain public attention for conservation efforts because they are likeable organisms that act as ambassadors for their ecosystem.1 These flagship species are often large, notable species that are apex predators and therefore losing them is a much greater issue than loosing ecosystem aesthetic. LosingContinue reading “From rainforest to reef: how loss of apex predators is deconstructing the earth’s biomes“
Computational Approaches for Drug Repurposing
By Thomas Philpott Due to the slow pace and substantial costs of new drug discovery and development, drug repurposing has become an attractive alternative.1 Drug repurposing is a strategy for identifying new uses for existing drugs, including approved, discontinued and investigational therapeutics.2 The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an urgency for developing new drugs toContinue reading “Computational Approaches for Drug Repurposing“
Conservation efforts of Australia’s Grey Nurse Shark
By Elisa Botting With the looming anthropogenic driven sixth mass extinction, the extinction of many organisms is becoming increasingly probable. Organisms that require specialised habitats and are strongly affected by the slightest environmental changes are arguably the first victims of the extinction period. Due to its specialised habitat of subtropical to cool temperate waters andContinue reading “Conservation efforts of Australia’s Grey Nurse Shark“
Alteration of the gut microbiome by anti-diabetic drugs
By Shiyi Liang Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people around the world. In the UK, there are more than 3.5 million diagnosed diabetic patients. The capital expenditure on antidiabetic drugs in the UK have increased to a figure of up to ￡686 million in recent years.1 Type 2 diabetes comprises 90% ofContinue reading “Alteration of the gut microbiome by anti-diabetic drugs “
Why comb jellies complicate animal evolution
By Heiloi Yip Ctenophores, also known as comb jellies, are a group of jellyfish-like marine organisms found all over the world’s oceans. The complexity of a ctenophore bodyplan is somewhere between that of simple poriferans (sea sponges) and highly complex bilaterians (animals with bilateral symmetry). By intuition, one might draw a phylogenetic tree with theContinue reading “Why comb jellies complicate animal evolution“
Potato blight can hijack the plant autophagic system
By Wang Guo Plant pathogens secrete molecules not only to neutralise the immune system of the host, but also to make the host work for them. Oomycota is a group of around 500 species that date back to the Cretaceous period (144 – 66 million years ago). These are unicellular eukaryotic organisms that absorb nutrientsContinue reading “Potato blight can hijack the plant autophagic system“
Flagellar locomotion: assembly, rotation and variation
By Andres Hernandez Maduro With the ever-fluctuating conditions of our world, it is crucial for biological organisms to be able to adapt and respond to external changes in their environment. This is especially true for bacteria, which face a constant struggle to procure limited resources and compete with the many other microscopic species around them.Continue reading “Flagellar locomotion: assembly, rotation and variation“
Mum vs Dad – a battle in epigenetics.
By George Young The formation of organisms and their continued development can be attributed partly to DNA, but significant credit also lies with epigenetics. Individuals inherit epigenetic marks from their parents, and also accumulate their own epigenetic modifications in their lifetime. Study of these epigenetic marks and modifications can explore nuanced differences in traits betweenContinue reading “Mum vs Dad – a battle in epigenetics.“
Hibernating humans
By Themis Halka Humans can’t hibernate – yet. Hibernation is a mechanism that evolved in numerous species, presenting clear advantages in terms of energy conservation.1 Winter hibernation, whilst naturally occurring in various animals, is not a desirable option for humans. However, being able to artificially enter hibernation could present great opportunities, particularly for clinical applicationsContinue reading “Hibernating humans“
Imperial Bioscience Review 