Ugly animals face extinction?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20323753

An interesting article looking at animals that might not get saved from extinction as they are too ugly!

Could cells from your nose cure paralysis?

Scientists in cambridge have had an amzing break through in treating paralysis in dogs. They used cells from the nose to regrow damaged spinal cords!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20365355 and watch the video to see Jasper walk again.

Interesting appliaction of DNA Profiling!

In Topic 6 in A2 you learn about DNA profiling and how it can be used to identify a dead body or who the father is.

Scientist have used this technique to investigate mating habits in tortoises! http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20318565

Antibiotic resistance

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20354536

Experts are now saying that resistance to antibiotics is one of the biggest threats to our health. We study this in Topic 6 but you will extract your own antibacterial substances from plants in Topic 4.

Genome sequencing and MRSA

In your AS year you will go on a trip to The Sanger Centre where a large amount of the human genome was sequenced.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22501-mining-mrsa-genetic-code-halts-superbug-outbreak.html

Here is a link to a story showing how work at this Centre has led to the halting of an MRSA outbreak at the special baby ward at the Hospital in Cambridge. MRSA is a strain of antibiotic resistant bacteria you study in Topic 6.

Genetics, research and the future of medicine

There is a great series of videos on the Guardian newspaper website about genetics and disease. These are relevant for Topic 2.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2012/oct/13/genes-disease-video
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2012/oct/25/breast-cancer-family-genetics-medicine-video?intcmp=239
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2012/nov/09/brave-new-world-genomics-genetics-medicine-video

David Attenborough's Ark

This Friday at 9pm on BBC2 or on iplayer shortly after that David Attenborough chooses the 10 species he would like to save from extinction.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ntt8p