Faithful gay birds

A study carried out by Julie Elie and colleagues at the UC-Berkeley found that zebra finches form same-sex monogamous relationships and are just as attached and faithful to each other as those paired with a member of the opposite sex. 

When raised in male-only groups, more than half of the birds paired up in same-sex couplings.  The birds first displayed courtship behavior by singing and preening each other. When bonded, they perch side by side, nestled together and greet each other by "nuzzling" beaks. 

Interestingly, when females were introduced to the groups, five out of eight stuck with their gay partners and ignored the female. 

 “The findings indicate that, even in birds, the drive to find a mate is far more complicated than simply the need to reproduce. A pair-bond in socially monogamous species represents a cooperative partnership that may give advantages for survival," said Dr Elie. "Finding a social partner, whatever its sex, could be a priority."

We heart stem cells

 Recently, an article entitled "A*Star scientists closer to growing human heart from stem cells" was published in the Straits Times.

In this paper, researchers from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology  
1) Decellularized mouse heart: i.e. removed the cells from the mouse heart, leaving only the scaffold
2) Seeded the scaffold with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and heart progenitors derived from hESC
3) Implanted the heart back into the mouse

They found that the cells attached to the scaffold and developed into heart cells and blood vessel cells, both important for proper functioning of the heart.


However, this discovery is not entirely novel. In 2008, researchers from University of Minnesota already showed that the scaffold from decellularized heart supports development of heart progenitors into an adult heart.

Read the news release here. 

Novel or not, both studies deserve the spotlight as they remind us that building an organ with stem cells may not be that far-fetched an idea after all.

Satirical cartoon of China harvesting organs from Falun Gong prisoners. Source: http://nicholsoncartoons.com.au/falun-gong-organ-harvesting-china-550.html

Let there be aliens

Image from space by astronaut photographer. Source: Time Lightbox Photo Essay by Phil Bicker

An article in TIME magazine reported that meteorites contain a large variety of nucleobases, an essential building block of DNA.

According to Dr Michael Callahan, who published this finding in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "Hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and water exist throughout the cosmos. When mixed together, they could make nucleobases."

More than 50 years ago, it was found that amino acids, which link up to form proteins, are present in space.

This discovery of the presence of DNA is the most convincing piece of evidence thus far that there is life in space. Not only is there life, but life that is perhaps not too different from us.

Read more: 

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2087758,00.html#ixzz1UjRn8ZaS

Image from space by astronaut photographer. Source: Time Lightbox Photo Essay by Phil Bicker

The Scientific Process

 Source: http://electroncafe.wordpress.com/ 

A friend of mine posted this on facebook. Love it.

10 years of science scholarship

Today, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) celebrates its 10th year of giving out scholarships to young Singaporeans.

Guest of honor: Minister for Education Mr Heng Swee Keat giving his speech

I felt rather nostalgic looking at these young scholars receiving their awards.


10 years ago, I received the A*STAR National Science Scholarship, which paid for
1) My undergraduate studies in the US

Freshman year bonfire!

and

2) PhD studies in the UK

Rowing for Cambridge May Bumps

And now I am back in Singapore serving out THE BOND.


Of course, there have been times when I doubted my decision to take up the scholarship. Hey, I was only 19 when I signed my life away! But as the saying goes, "the grass is not always greener on the other side, but greener where you water it". 

This scholarship gave me the chance to study at top universities, let me spend the prime of my youth overseas, and took care of me financially. Importantly, I have an interesting job now and am optimistic about future career prospects.

For all of that, I thank A*STAR (and Singapore taxpayers' money!) for helping me get to where I am today.

So, thank you, and happy 10th anniversary.

The "heartless" man of Cambridgeshire.

There is now a man in the street without a human heart. 

Surgeons at Papworth Hospital  have given a man a plastic heart, powered by a portable driver in a backpack. AND THE MAN IS DOING WELL...


Read the BBC news report here.

It's real

When people ask me what I do, I often say, "I work on embryonic stem cells and I make them into various cell types of the body." 

Sometimes people look at me in disbelief. Sometimes people cringe or grimace. Well, it's not that scary actually. 

 

Embryonic stem cells made into neural cells (they look long and stringy). I stained with antibodies that make neural cells fluoresce red under the microscope.  

 

Beating heart cells made from embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells made into retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. RPE is a layer of pigmented cells found behind the retina. It plays very important role in the eye. It absorbs excess light, nourishes the retina etc.

These are just some of the many different cell types that have been made from embryonic stem cells!