Author: isci

Despite the significant scientific advancements devised to decrease death, reduce discomfort, and improve quality of life for cancer patients, there remains a distinct deficiency in the competencies of cancer-based therapeutic technologies. The burden of cancer has continually progressed; by 2040, cancer-related death will have increased by 42% from 2018, making it a leading cause of…

The expression FOMO, fear of missing out, was added to the Oxford dictionary in 2013, and since then it has recieved over 3,000,000 hits on google (Hayran, Anik and Gürhan-Canli, 2020). #FOMO has been used over 200 times on Facebook and Instagram, which reaches approximately 100,000 people in a single day, highlighting how fast these…

For over three centuries, humans have been using medicinal drugs to treat symptoms of various conditions. One such condition is morning sickness in pregnant women. In the 1950s, many women were prescribed a sedative drug named thalidomide. What transpired was the most deadly man-made medical tragedy. Figure 1: S and R enantiomers of Thalidomide (adapted…

Volcanoes are commonly known for their majestic, yet frightening and dangerous, features. However, recent research has shown that there may be another use for volcanoes, one that could change the world. The ability to directly harness energy from magma inside volcanoes is currently the subject of much study in various locations worldwide and shows great…

Our historical perspective on photosynthesis has evolved greatly since the 18th century. With the advent of innovative scientific technology, we are capable of perceiving the near-perfect efficiency many photosynthetic life forms possess when converting light to electrical energy (Caffarri, et al., 2014). Researchers posit that by applying our current understanding of quantum mechanics to its…

Scraped knees, leukemia, sore throats, and lymphomas have more in common than you would think. All of them are biological wounds that manipulate the body’s intrinsic wound healing pathways. There are many parallels between tumours and aberrant wound healing processes, to such an extent that a new hypothesis for cancer proliferation has been postulated (Meng…

It is highly likely that at some point during a human’s life they will experience the rush of adrenaline coursing through their body. This process is especially common among athletes prior to and during competitions. Adrenaline’s effect on an individual’s physical performance has been positively correlated to various physiological and metabolic changes (Krahenbuhl, 1975). The…

In light of national diabetic awareness month, we should all take this month to acknowledge and be inspired by those who have been affected by diabetes. Managing diabetes can be tricky at times as it plays a huge factor in one’s weight, diet, and overall lifestyle. Today, traditional diabetic pharmacotherapies are negatively contributing to a…

Known by many names, such as Humble Plant, Shy Plant, and even Shameplant (Royal Horticultural Society, 2020), the Mimosa pudica is truly unique. As shown in Figure 1, below, M. pudica displays a bright pink flower and many smaller leaves. At first glance, it may seem like any other plant you might come across in the…