A naturally-occurring system discovered in bacteria holds promise as a way to fight pathogens – very specifically and without the risk of antibiotic resistance.

Only problem is right now the process involves using an electric shock, but scientists are working on a not so-painful method!

How Hollywood is using lights based on Nikola Tesla’s experiments to give stars that glam glow.

Researchers from Cambridge University have shown for the first time that it is possible to make human egg and sperm cells using skin from two adults of the same sex.

http://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674%2814%2901583-9

“Our lab is focused on three areas. First, we are looking at how immune-related changes in old blood contribute to impairments in neural stem cell function and associated cognitive functions.

Second, we are looking at the contribution of the innate immune system to age-related impairments in synaptic plasticity and cognitive function.

Third, we are looking at how exposure to young blood rejuvenates neural stem cell function, synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in the old brain.

Ultimately, our goal is to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms that promote brain rejuvenation as a means by which to combat age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction.”

One of the most ridiculous things I heard on Dr. Oz was his promotion of “Grounding” or “Earthing”.

The thought is that electrical imbalances harm our health (they actually allow us to move, think, among other things…) and touching the Earth helps discharge these imbalances.

His evidence? When we’re on vacation we touch the Earth more, and don’t you feel more healthy on vacation? 

I posted about a team of scientists discovering how to untangle proteins a few days ago, well one of the chemists is doing an AMA on Reddit today! 

This could lead to new treatment methods for diseases that are caused by deformed proteins, such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s.

On the beauty side of things, collagen and other connective proteins in the skin permanently denatures and deforms as it ages and is exposed to UV as well, we may one day be able to reform those collagen proteins into their “youthful” form!

She emphasizes that no one has convincingly shown that young blood lengthens lives, and there is no promise that it will. Still, she says that young blood, or factors from it, may hold promise for helping elderly people to heal after surgery, or treating diseases of ageing.

“It’s very provocative,” says Mark Mattson, chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the US National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland, who has not been involved in the parabiosis work. “It makes you think. Maybe I should bank some blood of my daughter’s son, so if I start to have any cognitive problems, I’ll have some help,” he says, only half-joking.