Crystals And Catalysts

I was planning on posting a new blog post on new CRISPR results, then I realised 2 keywords in the title: this has been successful in mice . Almost every piece of research that I have posted on this blog has been either tested in mice  or its been successful in mice . Image [1] This got me thinking, why do we still use mice to test everything on? So many new drugs and other therapies have proven to be successful in mice, but when applied to humans, they weren't successful at all.  If you type into Google Scholar in mice, app 3,960,000 results come up. So clearly mice are incredibly important for scientific research if so much has been published on them. The well-known reasons ... Small size Easy to house and look after Adapt to new surroundings easily Have a short lifespan (2-3 years), therefore we can study generations of mice in a short period of time Inexpensive and can be bought in large quantities Can be bred specifically for research (medical trials requ

This post is different because I wont be discussing someone else's research, I am discussing my own research. My final year project at university.  What was my project about? The Synthesis of a derivative of Montiporyne E. The aim of the project was to find a simple, fast and effective method of reactions to produce a derivative of Montiporyne E potential anti-cancer drug. Cancer is caused when cells  replicate abnormally  and rapidly to form tumours.  This is because the cell does not undergo apoptosis (the normal programmed cell death) and therefore these affected cells continue to multiply uncontrollably.  Montiporyne E is d erived from a hard coral , named Montipora Sp .  Hard corals have been found to produ ce cytotoxic, acetylenic compounds.  — It is used in the treatments of solid tumour cells.  The extraction from hard coral is expensive, laborious and also hard coral is on the verge of extinction, therefore a more effective method of production was requ

I don’t know how many people in this world have thought of unboiling an egg or if it was even possible. However it is actually possible and the genius people who thought of it have a great idea and cause behind it besides the title.

Hepatitis-C is a worldwide virus that infects people if they come into contact with the blood of an infected person. The potent virus damages the liver by causing liver cirrhosis, usually after several years of infection, which can lead to liver cancer in cases of chronic Hepatitis-C. Even though there are many successful anti-viral treatments they can be very expensive especially in the areas that it is prevalent in: North Africa, the Middle East and Central and East Asia. Symptoms of Hepatitis-C §   Flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and loss of appetite §   Feeling tired all the time §   Depression Hepatitis-C is spread by: §   Shared needles for vaccinations or medical treatment §   Shared needles during illegal drug injection §   Needle- stick injury via contaminated needles, in nurses and doctors who deal with Hepatitis-C carrying patients