Yfke Prins As you are all well aware by now, it is almost Christmas. The time of the year where it is allowed, even encouraged, to watch Christmas movies while wearing atrocious-but-yet-funny Christmas sweaters. It is the time of warm socks, blankets and cheerful Christmas decorations. However, above all, it is a time of compassion and kindness towards one another. Speaking of kindness - have you ever noticed that an act of kindness made you feel happy? I certainly have, and … [Lees meer...]
The treacherous effect of the lymph: how its fluid can advance cancer cells
Mèlanie Reijnaers Cancer, being the second leading cause of death worldwide, is a major public health problem [1]. Every day, thousands of researchers are trying to make a difference; to help the patients fight the devastating effects the disease brings. This research is not only focussed on trying to create new treatments, but also on figuring out the behaviour of the disease. Recently, in august 2020, Ubellacker et al. revealed the advantage that melanoma cells receive when they migrate … [Lees meer...]
More than a quirk of the human mind – the fascinating concept of synesthesia
Natalie Ludwig Let us perform an experiment. What do you perceive when I say the following numbers: five, eight and twenty-three? You might think that sounds silly and be inclined to put this piece away to do something more fun. You might, however, also be one of the lucky few to experience a phenomenon called “synesthesia”. Synesthesia describes a condition where one sensory stimulation elicits another unstimulated sensory output, in addition to the output corresponding to the … [Lees meer...]
Controlling your dreams: friend or foe?
Elisah Geertman For reasons not understood, we are typically unaware that we are dreaming. But have you ever suddenly realised that you were in a dream, or even managed to gain control over your dream narrative? If the answer is ‘yes’, you have experienced a phenomenon referred to as lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is a state of awareness that one is dreaming without leaving the sleep state. It is associated with increased activity in brain areas related to higher cognitive function, such as … [Lees meer...]
A new Sibling for CRISPR-Cas9: Cas13
Femke van Hout The last decade marks the exciting revolution of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. While the revolution still continues with further development and refinement of the Cas9 systems, the first patients are already receiving Cas9-based treatments. The Cas9 enzyme is a so-called “RNA-guided DNA nuclease”. This means that Cas9 is directed by RNA, the guide RNA, to find and cut the complementary target DNA. As this cutting mechanism is very precise and programmable, Cas9 can in theory be … [Lees meer...]
Treatment of COVID-19: where are we at the moment?
Quentin Marsman 2020 is the year of COVID-19. The disease caused by the new coronavirus has been a major health concern in the first months of this year and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March [1]. The disease has led to lockdowns in multiple countries as a means to limit the spread of the virus. To touch upon the severity of the disease: on the 26th of May there were over 5.406.282 confirmed cases and 343.562 confirmed deaths [2]. In this brief message, … [Lees meer...]
Male contraception: a new alternative for couples?
Jelmer Raaijmakers We think it is self-evident that women make sure that they do not get pregnant, but is that a rational way of thinking? We might have been conditioned to think in that manner. It could be because women get pregnant, women give birth, and women use contraceptives. However, is it not weird and illogical to think of it that way? Might men be able to play a role in this? Women carry the burden of carrying the (unborn) child; there is nothing we can do to change that. … [Lees meer...]
