Articles
What team communication can tell us about team effectiveness
Meetings. Love them or hate them, they’re a regular feature of working life and there are countless studies on how to plan, run and make the most of them. Few studies, however, take a detailed view of the nature of the communication, interaction and collaboration that take place within meetings, especially team meetings. The research of Marcella Hoogeboom and Celeste […]
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Responses to spaceflight: The mouth as a mirror
During spaceflight astronauts experience extreme environmental conditions, such as cosmic radiation and the absence of gravity that impact their physiology. The resulting changes must be monitored. While blood is usually used to assess astronauts’ health, Professor Arthur Hand and Dr Maija Mednieks, from the University of Connecticut, suggest that saliva could be used as a non-invasive, easily collectible diagnostic fluid. […]
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Stem cells could offer hope for muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophies are genetic conditions that cause muscles to become progressively weaker. Researchers are investigating several novel approaches, including gene and stem cell therapy, to meet the challenges of these serious illnesses. Recently, Dr Yoshitsugu Aoki of the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo and colleagues have drawn on research from around the world to create a picture of […]
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What can peptide-coated nanoparticles tell us about the causes of dementia?
Kazushige Yokoyama, Professor of Chemistry at the State University of New York Geneseo College, investigates how peptides interact. Along with Akane Ichiki, an undergraduate student at the institution, his team have been investigating the peptides involved in fibrillogenesis, the process which occurs in the brain to form aggregates responsible for some of the symptoms involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s […]
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Innovation in oncology drug development: A focus on patient benefits
Innovation in oncology drug development is driving more efficient and effective development of new cancer treatments. This innovation is providing cancer patients unprecedented access to new therapies. Dr Brian Huber, Vice President of Therapeutic Areas, Drug Development and Consulting at ICON and Matthew Huber, a scientist in the emerging biotechnology sector focused on developing innovative oncology medicines, have conducted a […]
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Producing the first functioning synthetic DNA using click chemistry
Click chemistry revolutionised our ability to create custom proteins, so could it do the same for DNA? Professor Tom Brown at the University of Oxford and Professor Afaf El-Sagheer at the University of Oxford and Suez University are performing truly groundbreaking research into the application of ‘click chemistry’ bioconjugation techniques to DNA. Their technique allows the creation of DNA and […]
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Flexibility is key in treating children with type 1 diabetes
People with type 1 diabetes cannot produce their own insulin, leading to uncontrolled blood sugar levels. To survive, they must receive insulin treatment. A recently developed, long-lasting insulin called degludec offers a unique level of flexibility. This means that it is particularly suitable for treating children and young people with type 1 diabetes. Dr Nandu Thalange, an expert in childhood diabetes […]
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Homelessness and language difficulties
Dr Graham Pluck of Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, is a psychologist with an interest in cognitive research and neuroscience. His most recent research has focused on the relationship between homelessness and language in Quito, Ecuador. Here, we take a closer look at his findings, suggesting that homeless adults in Quito perform well below the levels that would be […]
Patient safety and opioid medications
Hospitalised patients often require appropriate pain relief as part of their treatment. Opioids are effective medications for pain management, but can cause excessive sedation and respiratory depression resulting in patient harm. Dr Carla Jungquist of the University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, and a panel of fellow experts reviewed evidence from the past decade to provide an important update on […]
Classic biomolecules continue to surprise with unexpected reactivity
Biological hydrides like NADH and folates were identified by early biochemists for their importance in fermentation and hydrogen transfer and are today some of the most thoroughly studied biomolecules. Dr Michael Denk, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Guelph, PhD candidate Nicholas Milutinovic and PhD candidate Katherine Marczenko have been performing research which has shown that these old biomolecules […]
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