Hydrogels: from Bubble Tea to Cancer Therapy
Have you ever tried Bubble Tea? Take a sip and discover how the tiny balls you are slurping are connected with smart drug delivery systems, breast implants, cancer, and live cells.
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Carmine d’Amico
I’m a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki. I work on a technology called microneedles. It is an array of tiny needles attached to a backing, permitting bandage-like application for drug delivery. I’m from Italy, and when I’m not wearing a lab coat, I pretend to play basketball. Before deciding to become a scientist, I was one step away from becoming a music promoter.
Haemodynamic response, neurovascular coupling, and measuring brain activity indirectly
When you work out, your body supplies nutrients (such as oxygen) to your muscles by adjusting the blood flow. The haemodynamic response is the name of this biological process that quickly delivers… Read More »Haemodynamic response, neurovascular coupling, and measuring brain activity indirectly
Controlling your brain activity: how to use Jedi mind tricks on yourself
What is neurofeedback and something science fiction-y called a brain-computer interface? How can you learn to control your mind? Did you know you can indirectly measure brain…
?Viruses and serotypes
In order for the virus to enter a cell, it binds its antigens (virus proteins) to receptor proteins on the surface of a cell (in a lock and key mechanism)… Read More »?Viruses and serotypes
Ever heard of a rhinovirus causing the common cold?
The Questions will be answered:
What is a rhinovirus?
Why is it important?
Can it affect adults? If yes, how? Rhinoviruses are the leading cause of common colds – especially in children. Hence, not much is known about common colds in adults.
I’m a survivor, I’m not gonna give up… a story about African midge larvae
How do Polypedilum vanderplanki larvae survive without water, and what role alternative splicing plays in this? Who the hell is Polypedilum vanderplanki and why should I be interested…
Chronic wounds: a silent epidemic requiring urgent attention
We all know the discomfort of having a wound after a fall: the throbbing pain when our skin is first injured, the care we must take to keep it covered and disinfected, the itchiness while it heals. But wounds can form for reasons other than accidental injury and remain open for much longer than the typical couple of weeks
Why study microbes in polluted environments?
It is estimated that every 2.6 seconds, a new chemical substance is isolated or synthesized, adding to nearly 200 million identified chemical substances in the world. While many of these are essential for society and not harmful to the environment, one effect of this proliferation of chemicals in our everyday lives has been the increase of polluted environments with multiple contaminants.