Cells are tiny, but what they can reveal about our health is profound. A misshapen nucleus is bad news. For any given cell, the nucleus — the home of most of a cell’s genetic material — generally takes a fairly consistent shape. But when things go wrong and disease takes hold, the nucleus can become … Read more
Following your gut takes on a whole new meaning as scientists find relationships between the brain and gut bacteria. The next frontier of medicine isn’t in the depths of an Amazon jungle or in an air-conditioned lab; it’s in the rich and mysterious bacterial swamp of your gut. Long viewed as an enemy within, bacteria … Read more
A UCSF-led study found that a child’s risk for developing allergies and asthma is reduced when they are exposed in early infancy to a dog in the household. It has to do with the type of dust indoor/outdoor dogs carry in. The results were obtained in studies of mice challenged with allergens after earlier exposure to dust … Read more
Researchers at UC Berkeley have managed to use an electric field to herd a flock of cells. At the moment, It’s still a very blunt tool, but the scientists hope it can be refined and used to help wounds heal. This is an exciting step in the direction of “smart bandages” — using an electrical … Read more
Being happy isn’t always easy. Humans are complicated creatures and although our brains might be capable of performing wildly complex tasks, they can also sabotage our well-being. “Not everyone is going to be naturally happy all the time,” Sonja Lyubomirsky suggests. As a professor of psychology at UC Riverside, she has devoted her career to … Read more
The Mediterranean diet has become a darling of medical researchers. It’s known for its veggies and grains, limited amounts of meat, and a good helping of olive oil. Researchers believe that olive oil is the key to the superior health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. “The health benefits of olive oil are 99% related to … Read more