Biologist Walter Gehring and his colleagues from the University of Basel in Switzerland have developed genetically engineered swarms of fruit flies, helping them understand how
A timeless dream: eternal youth, unblemished by illness. The search for the font of immortality has taken a late 20th century turn into what seems like fantasy science. The basis of this search is the belief that if death cannot be staved off forever, hum
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a mental disorder resulting from brain degeneration. It affects almost 1 in 10 individuals over the age of 65. The disease is characterised by confusion, personality and
Late January, the European Patent Office took a tough stand on gene patenting by upholding a patent granted to the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, Melbourne,
Parkinson's disease affects millions of old people. The symptoms include progressive tremor, rigidity of limbs and difficulty in body coordination. The cause of Parkinson's is unknown, the pathology
Coronary Heart Diseases (CHD) such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and strokes, are the leading cause of death among elderly persons. Eighty per cent of all deaths due to
A groundswell of opposition is brewing against studies claiming that a wide range of behaviour patterns like criminality, alcoholism, schizophrenia, homosexuality and manic depression are genetically
Picture this: A doctor draws out cells from a foetus to diagnose if it will develop into a normal child. A simple and quick test of the sample indicates that the child could be struck with a debilitating disease for which there is no cure in its adu