A recent study, published on Nature Neuroscience, lays groundwork for potential development of first neurobiologically-based therapy for patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This research from the O’Donnell Brain Institute in the U.S. explored a specific area within the right cerebellum, called CrusI. Whilst cerebellar abnormalities in ASD patients were known for some time, the…
Tuberculosis is currently the most deadly infectious disease worldwide, killing an estimated 1.7 million people in 2016. The only licensed vaccine currently available is BCG, which is only 70% effective. While most vaccines work by inducing antibodies, mycobacterium tuberculosis (or Mtb for short) hides inside cells, preventing antibodies from reaching it. T cells, which help…
A year ago, I found an advert sent out by the University’s volunteering hub to work on an innovative new app called “Self-Heal”. Having won funding from the Oxford IT innovation challenge, a group of students had recently developed the app, with input from clinicians, as a toolkit for students to manage self-injury. It covers…
I love bacon so much. And burgers, and chicken nuggets. So as you can imagine, becoming a vegetarian wasn’t something that I’d previously considered. But I’ve now been veggie for 3 weeks and counting, because it felt like something I should do. Globally, the livestock industry churns out more greenhouse gases than transport1, and as…
People live messy lives: they make complex choices about what to eat, who to start a family with, and generally how to live their lives. Mice on the other hand are much simpler. They can live in a lab where their diet, mating and behaviour can be carefully monitored and controlled. This makes it far…
Oxytocin’s role in human bonding is well-known – so well-known that the first hormone ever to be sequenced is now the go-to science jewellery gift for geeks everywhere. Its role in childbirth and mother-child bonding was first elucidated at the dawn of the 20th century, and since then its profile in popular culture has grown…
“How you feelin, babe? Log it in Eve and watch the magic happen”. This is the notification I receive every morning. At 9am, as another day of lectures awaits me, I’m offended by this cheerful tone. I also don’t enjoy being called “babe”, not by a significant other, and definitely not by an app. But…
They’re strong, flexible and tough – mussels have proved they’ve got muscle. Recently they’ve inspired researchers to create a new plastic which could potentially heal itself. Plastics are made of polymers – long, repetitive chains of atoms which can stretch and then relax back to their original shape. Designing a polymer is a trade-off between…
To most people going gluten-free is a health fad, like acai berries and kale smoothies – but for some it is a necessity. 1 in every 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition that affects the gut. The body’s immune system identifies gluten as a threat and attacks, damaging the small…
Blog 4: Writing the POSTnote The aim of a POSTnote is to inform Parliamentarians (MPs and Peers) about an important science topic that is relevant to current or upcoming policy decisions. It is also must be concise (only 4 pages!) as MPs and Peers have to a huge amount of different topics to get through….
