Scientist from the Scripps Research Institute have performed an experiment on mice where they have inputted harnessed neurons in the mice brains. They were initially looking to find "How does the activity of the the brain represent the world" but neurologist Mark Mayford led a brand new study to use this experiment to "understand what goes wrong in situations where you have inappropriate perceptions. They started off by inserting two genes that manipulate memories in the mice which they tied to a natural gene that turns on and off in specific memories.
I found this particular article interesting because just the brain itself is a very interesting topic to research. In addition, the way it works and everything just blows my mind. Its quite astonishing how the brain controls every aspect of your body and all the tiny components. Another reason I found this article interesting was because how it talked about memory and the active and inactive genes.
Scientists in the University of Illinois have found a new prebiotic formula for infants that help boost immunity. Adding the prebiotic ingredients are put into infant formula and fed to them. "The beneficial bacteria that live in a baby's intestine are all-important to an infant's health, growth, and ability to fight off infections," said Kelly Tappenden, a gastrointestinal professor at the University of Illinois. Collecting and testing fecal matter from both infants exposed to the prebiotics and those without show significantly. Probiotics are live bacteria that help when living in our intestines. They are carbohydrates that resist digestion which simulate growth and beneficial activity in the gastrointestinal tracts.
This is interesting because usually bacteria are pinned with a negative connotation. Bacteria are germs and must be killed. Sanitizing is a main priority to many, especially after the Swine flu epidemic of 2009. But this article and research shows that some strains of bacteria are actually very helpful to humans. The infants fed with the prebiotic ingredients showed remarkably better immune systems compared to the ones not given the formula. Maybe the cure to several fatal diseases such as cancer has a bacteria that can eliminate it. Only further research will prove this.
