The top six reasons only some diseases are treated in CRISPR clinical trials… for the moment
Reading Time: 6 minutes The top six reasons only some diseases are treated in CRISPR clinical trials… for the moment Damn, this CRISPR-thing escalated fast. In 2013, we could read the first reports of the genome editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 being used in human and mouse cells and just two years later it was suddenly possible to change genes in…
The gut microbiome (Part2) – what controls your microbiome?
Reading Time: 5 minutes The gut microbiome (Part2) – what controls your microbiome? Yet another Q&A, because it’s fun. In our last post we saw that microorganisms in your digestive tracts is a big part of your life. Much of the bacteria in your intestines for example live in symbiosis with you and form can affect many aspects of…
The gut microbiome (Part1): The good, the bad and the slacker
Reading Time: 4 minutes The gut microbiome (Part1): The good, the bad and the slacker This is a simple warm-up preparing you for a series of upcoming posts, dealing with the gut microbiome. You know, these microorganisms living inside you that can alter your mood, weight and overall health. Remember the germophobic times? The times when germs were…
How to recognise pseudoscience: 5 common traits
Reading Time: 9 minutes How to recognise pseudoscience: 5 common traits Let’s talk pseudoscience. Why? Because it’s so available and many times seen as a replacement for conventional medicine. And to be honest, it also scares the crap out of me. We see it on the news, advertisements and social media. Some pharmacies even have shelves dedicated to homeopathy…
Sure, you might be resistant to CRISPR/Cas9 – but there are still ways around it
Reading Time: 6 minutes Sure, you might be resistant to CRISPR/Cas9 – but there are still ways around it It looks like there could be a setback for CRISPR/Cas9 as a gene therapy option for humans. Last year ended well for CRISPR/Cas9 and we got one step closer to using the genome editing tool as a treatment for diseases.…
New Year Special: A dish that will supposedly make you healthier
Reading Time: 12 minutes New Year Special: A dish that will supposedly make you healthier The Ivory Embassy wishes all of you a happy new year! The doors to the Embassy are finally reopened, after a well needed Christmas break and we know exactly what you need right now. You need to get healthy.You need a healthy diet. A…
In wine we trust – how feeding cells with wine became a cancer cure
Reading Time: 6 minutes In wine we trust – how feeding cells with wine became a cancer cure Red wine cures cancer! That caught your attention, didn’t it? It’s just an example of titles or statements that can quickly spread in social media and cause confusion, in addition to a smile of course. An incomplete truth gets massive attention…
Electron microscopy turned cold – The Nobel Prize winners (Chemistry)
Reading Time: 6 minutes Electron microscopy turned cold – The Nobel Prize winners (Chemistry) The Nobel Prizes were awarded yesterday, December 10th. Let’s have a closer look at the prize awarded in Chemistry and how the laureates work helped us to literally look at proteins, the molecular machines so central to our lives. The electron deserves more credit It…
Your internal clock is decoded – The Nobel Prize winners (Medicine)
Reading Time: 6 minutes Your internal clock is decoded – The Nobel Prize winners (Medicine) The Nobel Prize Award ceremony is near. On December 10th, the Nobel laureates of 2017 will be presented in Stockholm, Sweden. Let’s talk Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and your internal clock. You know the feeling, those days after an intercontinental trip, where you’re…
Everybody wants EMA – the relationship drama about drugs
Reading Time: 5 minutes Everybody wants EMA – the relationship drama about drugs Last week it was settled: the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be moving from London to Amsterdam. Brexit was the classic homewrecker in this story, forcing a 12-year relationship to end. But what does this mean for the involved parties and why all the drama? And,…