Could the key to cheaper medication be… gold?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many medications, like insulin, are expensive to produce due to costly purification steps. Today’s purification techniques are also slow. How can we speed things up? Enter Caroline McCue and team from
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Thrifting and upcycling are so chic! But would you buy lightly used… medication?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Recycling gives things a second life. Cool idea! So why not recycle medicine? Enter Dominic Bennet from the University of Liverpool in England. Bennet was looking
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A spoonful of sugar helps us say, “Fake medicine, you’re GOING DOOOWN!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many of us depend on essential medications to keep us healthy. But counterfeit drugs–those marketed as name brand and genuine, but not–abound. ! How can we be
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Let’s get these blood cells into shape! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Sickle cell anemia is a genetic condition that makes round red blood cells crescent- shaped. These cells can’t carry oxygen, which causes them to die early, blocking blood vessels. Patients with sickle
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Look out, Itchy and Scratchy – we’ve got your number! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scratching, rubbing, wiggling … being itchy is not fun! It can even be a symptom of serious medical conditions like eczema. You KNOW how itchy you are, but how
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Is your brain’s battery wearing down? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some folks with Parkinson’s disease get treatment by ZAPPING THEIR BRAINS! Seriously — a surgeon plants a battery-powered wire in their brain that continuously emits electrical pulses. Problem is, batteries wear out –
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Ever tried to get inside someone’s head – literally?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scientists learn a lot about OUR brains by studying animal brains. But you can’t see individual cells without poking tiny holes in their skulls! Yoiks! Is there a better solution?
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I’m a blood cell… April Fools! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Your body has its own Secret Service — the IMMUNE SYSTEM. It’s built to keep good stuff in and bad stuff out. But sometimes security is TOO TIGHT. Even MEDICINE can get filtered
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Bacteria trained for the mission … impossible! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever seen bacteria in petri dishes? They’re like bad disco dancers – all over the place! But is there more to these troublemakers than just randomly dancing around? Enter Taras Turiv and
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Should I follow my brain or my heart? How about my gut?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science. Our guts are filled with microbiomes made of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. These microorganisms have a HUGE impact on our health. Even small changes affect immunity and
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