Monthly Archives: September 2012

Antibiotics, resistance and MRSA, oh my!

Posted on 26 September 2012 by mmmbitesizescience

The overuse of antibiotics, both in humans and other animals, has applied a selective pressure driving the development of bacterial drug resistance. But few people realise that bacteria in the environment naturally express an impressive cocktail of drug resistance genes, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Microorganisms, Science, Vaccines | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sanofi-Pasteur’s dengue vaccine shows promise, and an almost unhealthy dash of intrigue

Posted on 14 September 2012 by mmmbitesizescience

Dengue virus, which is carried by insect vectors such as mosquitoes, represents a severe public health threat in an expanding number of countries, including South America, South-East Asia, Mexico and Africa. While the majority of individuals exposed to dengue virus … Continue reading →

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Sticky Seafood: The Goose Barnacle Edition

Posted on 7 September 2012 by mmmbitesizescience

Many different sea creatures, particularly those of the seashore shelled variety, have the ability to permanently stick themselves to various structures in order to achieve a stable method of living and feeding. This also helps to prevent the less desirable … Continue reading →

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Posted in Marine, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Vaccination, an ingenious solution to drug addiction

Posted on 5 September 2012 by mmmbitesizescience

For many drug users wanting to break the cycle of dependency, the simplistic, ‘mind-over-matter’ approach doesn’t really take into account the absolute power of addiction, be it to nicotine, cocaine, cannabis, caffeine or heroin. Pharmacological treatments, such as the opioid … Continue reading →

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