Brazil is in a state of emergency. Since October 2015 the number of infants born with microcephaly increased more than 10 times compared to previous years. Microcephaly is a rare condition when babies are born with an unusually small head and…

As I was winding down my work for 2015, an article in “The Scientist” on shortage of agar in late November caught my eye. At the time, I was busy planning experiments that involved production of bacteriophages which infect and replicate…

Recent drug discoveries promise new treatments and cures for many diseases. However, getting a drug to work, not only in experiments with cells in the lab, but also in the human body, is difficult. One challenge? Getting past the body’s line…

It’s the busiest part of the year for Santa Claus (formerly known as Saint Nicholas of Myra born AD 270). Although some scholars argue that Santa is just a legendary figure still present in modern day folklore due to its successful marketing,…