The recent surge of over 40,000 new COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom has led the public to begin raising several questions, ranging from vaccine efficacy to the risks associated with unlocking the nation. This rise in the UK’s infection rate has been majorly driven by Covid-19’s latest transformation, the Delta variant. What is it…
Science
Potential new treatment for sickle cell disease under development
Sickle cell disease (SCD) refers to a group of hereditary red blood cell disorders. The disease is caused by a mutation in the DNA sequence coding for the oxygen-carrying protein, haemoglobin. This leads to haemoglobin in red blood cells becoming misshapen, resulting in the “sickle” appearance of red blood cells in SCD patients. Symptoms of…
Science
Gut microbiome disruption links to certain Parkinson’s disease symptoms
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that results in the loss of brain cells responsible for secreting the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine’s role in motor control is a key contributor to the characteristic symptoms of Parkinson’s, including tremors, reduced mobility and muscle stiffness. Diagnosis is often centred around the loss of motor control, however,…
Books
POC author’s spotlight: Audre Lorde
The late Audre Lorde was a revolutionary in the world of LGBTQ+, Black, and intersectional-feminist literature. She created within her legacy several pieces of work advocating for the civil liberties of those who, like herself, lived within the confines of society’s most marginalised groups. She holds several poems, essays, and books under her authorship, many…
Science
World’s first human trials for Covid-19 to start in UK
The first human challenge trials for Covid-19 are set to take place in the UK over the coming weeks following approval from the country’s clinical trials ethics body. According to the government’s website, the study is being carried out as a collaboration between the Vaccines Taskforce, Imperial College London, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation…
TV
A Rewatch of… Girlfriends
‘Girlfriends’ is a 2000’s American sitcom following the lives of four black women – Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross) a young successful lawyer obsessed with the notion of marriage, Toni (Jill Marie Jones) the bougie real estate agent, Maya (Golden Brooks) a working-class mother turned successful author and Lynn (Persia White) a free-spirited sexually active bohemian…
Science
Stronger for Longer
Hurricanes are giant spiralled storms formed in the Atlantic Ocean with windspeeds up to 119 kph or more and are associated with exorbitant amounts of rainfall and thunderstorms. Over the past few years the Atlantic Hurricane Season (between June and November) sees increasing tropical storm formations, followed by more destructive and record-breaking hurricanes. In 2017,…
Science
New regulations on human genome editing announced
When we think of gene editing, our thoughts tend to lean towards the stuff of comic books rather than therapies for cancer treatments or modifying crops to survive in arid conditions. Genome editing consists of various technologies and methods used by scientists to alter genes. Such technology heavily relies on genetic editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9,…
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