Catch-up Sleep

Maybe…it is time to …. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Doctors recommend at least seven hours of sleep a night. What if you get less?  Xiaoyu Li and team from Tsinghua University tracked eighty-five thousand adults for a week. They grouped the participants based

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Voting Booth Health

Vote your conscience, or vote your… amygdala!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Voting can give people a sense of purpose and strengthen community ties. But what about better health? Enter Femida Handy and Sara Konrath from University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University.  They examined

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Protein to DNA

Where can I get some new DNA around here? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Usually, cells make new DNA by copying existing DNA. Or so we thought?! Enter Pujuan Deng and team from Stanford University. They’ve turned this idea on its head, studying a

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Sweetening the Bitter

When life gives you grapefruit… BLECH! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bitter fruits can be hard to enjoy. Citrus grown in colder climates is extra bitter! If only there was a way to turn bitter into sweet…  Well, Elena Plesser and team at the

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The Gut Fix

Peanut allergies drive me NUTS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Severe peanut allergies can trigger anaphylaxis, a fast, life-threatening reaction. Luckily, the Epipen can calm reactions. But what if our bodies could fight these allergies… naturally? Enter Elisa Sanchez-Martinez and team from the Autonomous University

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A Second Wind for T cells

Tired of being a T-cell? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Killer T-cells are immune cells that defend against tumors and viruses. But! One type of T-cell kills tumors, while another… becomes exhausted and just gives up. The problem? Telling them apart! H. Kay Chung

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Matcha Boost

Did Popeye eat spinach… OR MATCHA! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Green tea is known for its benefits to muscle and metabolic health. Matcha, a powdered form of green tea, packs even more nutrients than traditional loose-leaf green tea.  Could that give your workout

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Old Plastic, New Life

A new life for plastic. Imagine that… This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. PET is a common plastic in water bottles. Recycling it is costly and energy intensive! How can we make better use of it? Enter Pavel Kulyabin and team from the University of

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Buzzing for Good Vibes

“BEE don’t kill my vibe! BEE don’t kill my vibe!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A good mood is contagious, right? Is that what makes us human? Or is that what makes us… bees?! Enter Jose Romero-Gonzalez and team at Southern Medical University. They

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