When Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, it started a new era in medicine: the era of antibiotics. Once penicillin could be efficiently purified in bulk in the 1940’s, it gave doctors access to an incredibly powerful tool to cure previously deadly...
Depression, or major depressive disorder (MDD) as it is known clinically, is one of the most common debilitative disorders on the planet. In 2015, it’s estimated that 216 million people (about 3% of the world population) suffered from depression. In the United States,...
Dengue fever is one of the most pressing threats to global health. The World Health Organization considers it the most critical mosquito-borne virus. The symptoms include sudden-onset fever, headache (usually located behind the eyes), muscle and joint pains (thus the...
Ever since the development of vapor-compression refrigeration in the early 20th century, chemists have constantly been tinkering to find more efficient and cost-effective refrigerants. Until the late 1980’s, the most common refrigerants were chlorofluorocarbons, or...
Photosynthesis, the driver for all plant life on earth, requires three things: water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. Carbon dioxide and sunlight are in plentiful supply across the earth, but water can be much more difficult to come by in certain areas. Of course, a...
DNA is fundamental for carrying genetic instructions for the growth and development of all known living organisms. However, DNA is not the sole tool for implementing genetic instructions. Epigenetic marks are cellular features that are made up of various amino acid...
