- Dalya Rosner
Or for that matter, if you eat a chilled chilli pepper, what will happen? Dalya considers these questions and investigates the biochemical causes of such strange sensations.
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- Martin Westwell
The recently discovered traces of ricin in a makeshift laboratory in a flat in London have caused a media frenzy over its potential use in a terrorist attack. What is it?
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- Catherine Zentile
Scientists have brought the world one step closer to the creation of the first artificial organism with the recent announcement of the creation of an artificial genome for the bacterium mycoplasma genitalium. The breakthrough is a major landmark in history, the switch "from reading the genetic code to writing it" but this new synthetic biology could be dangerous: is the world ready for this new technology and will it ever be?
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- Kat Arney
Cloning and genetic modification (GM) of organisms, including plants and animals, has enormous therapeutic potential. But what are embryonic stem cells, how are stem cells made (extracted) and how can stem cells be used to treat diseases ?
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- Mark Tester
Genetic modification (GM) is the heritable alteration of the genetic make-up of an organism, and is a natural process as old as genes themselves. Mark has a look at artificial and natural genetic modification.
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- Christa Favot
The last time you opened wide, did you ever imagine that you were opening the door to what is essentially home to thousands of bacteria? Christa Favot introduces you to what's really living in your mouth, including plaque bacteria and biofilms.
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- Robinson Fulweiler
Equivalent in land area to 14 Isle of Mans, or Rhode Island State twice over, the Louisiana Wetlands are one of the most important acquatic ecological sites in the world. But now they're disappearing, fast - an area the size of a tennis court slips into the sea every thirteen seconds. But what is this wilderness and what can be done to save it...?
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- Barry Gibb
Scientists studying the Conus snail have found that it harbours a cocktail of over 50 nerve toxins in its venom, some of which have powerful painkilling (a
nalgesic) properties, and are now undergoing clinical trials.
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- Dalya Rosner
Research has shown that bald males command a larger harem of females than their hairier counterparts...that is, if the bald male is a maneless Tsavo lion from Kenya.
Is this due to testosterone production, and do women find bald men more attractive?
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- Kat Arney
Dr. Kat Arney discusses the process of genetic imprinting whereby the expression of a gene, and therefore its effects, depend upon whether you inherit the gene from your mother, or your father.
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