Category Archives: Molecular Biology

By Jhonata Lam Extremophiles are organisms able to tolerate and survive in even the harshest environments on Earth. While such conditions can be attributed to their temperature, pH or pressure, different extremophiles’ tolerance to radiation remains a particularly great interest to the scientific community.1 Radiation itself is generated through the natural decay of radioactive elements –Continue reading “Bio-resistance of ionising radiation”

By Jhonata Lam Using common model organisms – Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster and the like – researchers have uncovered many pathways leading to sexual development. The dissection of procedures responsible for the diversity of different animal systems, however, remains challenging.1 Human physiology is partially determined by the genetic contribution of a pair of chromosomes known as the sex chromosomes.Continue reading “Sex determination systems in different organisms”

By Nishka Mahajan G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise the most extensive class of cell-surface receptors within eukaryotes, with over 820 encoded by the human genome. They are primarily responsible for mediating multiple cell-signalling pathways (physiological processes), making them ideal targets for more than one-third of pharmaceutical applications and therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, their characteristic features ofContinue reading “What makes G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) highly desirable drug targets?“

By Lisa Ding Since their establishment in 1953, the HeLa cell line has become the most commonly used human cell line in the world. Over 110,000 publications involved the use of these cells, which can divide indefinitely in culture, making them valuable for scientific research.1 The HeLa cell line, the oldest cell line, are derivedContinue reading “The story of Henrietta Lacks and her cells that changed science“

By Easha Vigneswaran Since the advent of CRISPR-Cas9 technology for gene editing, the medical world has been met with a new way of targeting many chronic genetic diseases. One of these includes sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder that results in defective haemoglobin. Whilst treatments exist to minimise the effects of the disease onContinue reading “Gene therapy advancements to treat Sickle Cell Disease”