April 2024

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Microbiology: Rapid diagnostics, warts and all

David Westrip, Deputy Chair of the British Society for Microbial Technology, outlines some of the key themes from the upcoming BSMT 39th Annual Microbiology Conference.

TECHNICAL ASSESSOR_CREDIT_istock-1635838020 Science

Why become a UKAS Technical Assessor?

UKAS Healthcare Accreditation Specialist Alyson Bryant gives an insight into what being a Technical Assessor involves.

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A history of alcohol consumption

Stephen Mortlock casts an eye back over the history of alcohol, from drunken monkeys to eating dried bull penis as a hangover cure.

Image Credit | The Red Dress Science

Voyage through the colon: The rise of non-invasive diagnostics

Non-invasive testing has come a long way over recent decades. Here we look at a pioneering colon capsule endoscopy project that is underway and cast an eye over the history of this growing field.

Clinical Chemistry
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The big question: make the most of social media

This month we ask “In an ever-changing social media landscape, how should you make the most of platforms to promote STEM, your laboratory or your professional profile?”

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Cancer and stress breakthrough

Stress hormones can trigger the formation of structures that make body tissues more susceptible to metastasis, research has found.

Immunology
Medical Science Laboratory with Diverse Multi-Ethnic Team of Microbiology Scientists Have Meeting on Developing Drugs, Medicine, Doing Biotechnology Research-CREDIT_istock-1293772951 Science

Equity, diversity and inclusion for all

Jemma Shead, a Senior Biomedical Scientist at Synnovis and IBMS EDI Working Group member, on how and why you should get involved with EDI.

Microbiology & Virology
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Reversible, non-hormonal male birth control

Scientists have found a new method of interrupting sperm production, which is both non-hormonal and reversible.

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Examining the medical mystery of child hepatitis outbreak

A study has shed light on an unexpected wave of severe acute hepatitis cases in 2022, amid the backdrop of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.

Microbiology & Virology
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“TB vaccine shrinks mice cancer tumours”

A new study found that a single dose of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), reduced liver tumour burden and extended the survival of mice with liver cancer.

Immunology
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Faecal microbiota transplant for C. diff

In the first comprehensive US evidence-based guideline on the use of faecal microbiota-based therapies for gastrointestinal disease, the American Gastroenterological Association recommends faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) for most patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection.

Microbiology & Virology
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