Category Archives: Disease

“Grape-like aromas” keep mosquitoes at bay

Posted on 19 October 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

The mosquito is my dad’s nemesis in the insect world. He will go to extraordinary lengths to secure his person from mosquito attack, roaming the corridors on night patrols and jamming mosquito repellent devices into every possible plug socket. Such … Continue reading →

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Posted in Disease, Science | Tagged blood, DEET, insect, mosquito, repellent, screening | Leave a comment

How to: boost resistance to tuberculosis

Posted on 5 October 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

Most kiddies receive the very effective Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis during childhood, but as they grow up, the protection afforded by this vaccine wanes. Since cases of adult TB are on the rise, receiving an immune upgrade would … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bacteria, Disease, Immunology, Medicine, Microorganisms, Science, Vaccines | Tagged immunity, mycobacterium tuberculosis, protection, TB, tuberculosis, vaccine | Leave a comment

A Marvellous Month of Infectious Science

Posted on 4 October 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

Cold weather helps to spread flu across the country A very cool new study from McMaster University researchers shows how weather patterns impact the spread of influenza A virus across Canada. Using outbreak data gathered over more than 13 years, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Bacteria, Disease, Immunology, Microorganisms, Science, Vaccines, Viruses | Tagged antibodies, bacteria, emergence, influenza, pain, rice, rotavirus, speed, T cell, vaccine | Leave a comment

A Marvellous Month of Science

Posted on 1 August 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

Taking vitamin supplements might not be as healthy as you think Antioxidant vitamins, like vitamin C and E, are thought to boost health by reducing the creation of DNA-damaging free radicals that can contribute to the ageing process. In lab … Continue reading →

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Posted in Disease, Medicine, Neuroscience, Science | Tagged antioxidant, BigBrain, blood, brain, cancer, haematopoietic, hyaluronan, lifespan, naked mole rat, short-tailed field vole, stem cell, vitamin | Leave a comment

Clouds of decoy viruses help cure genetic disease

Posted on 19 July 2013 by mmmbitesizescience

The presence of foreign objects, like viruses, in our bloodstream is usually a bad thing. Evolution has created some extremely efficient immune cells that patrol the blood, seeking out material that should not be there, and shutting it down. Sometimes, … Continue reading →