The Science Inside is a weekly show that goes inside the science of major news events. The show is broadcast on Voice of Wits every Monday at 6pm.This week’s edition focuses on genetics. The presenters talk about Japanese researchers’ efforts to genetically engineer hens whose eggs contain drugs that can fight serious diseases including cancer.…
First published on up.ac.za Life can thrive in the most extreme climates – from the very hot to the very cold. Something that not long ago was believed to belong in science fiction has now been brought into the realm of reality by a researcher at the University of Pretoria (UP). A fan of science…
The translocation of rhinos can help conservation and build their populations, writes Nikki le Roex of Stellenbosch University in The Conversation Africa. Rhino poaching is one of the largest threats of the illegal wildlife trade. The animals are slaughtered for their horns, believed in some Asian cultures to have medicinal properties. Rhino populations across southern…
It sounds too good to be true and, according to some scientists, it is: a diet designed for your genetics. South African company DNAlysis Biotechnology is offering consumers a DNA diet, which includes a test for 13 genetic variations associated with obesity, to tailor a diet for a person’s specific genetics. But geneticists and nutritionists…
Forensics, facial recognition, psychiatry and eye health may not seem inherently connected. But they all have two things in common: they are all relevant to the public, and they are all grounded in basic science. These were the topics of discussion at Thursday’s Science Awareness Day, hosted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST),…
For Prof Brenda Wingfield of the University of Pretoria fungi are the stuff that genomics researchers’ dreams are made of. However, this tree disease expert’s fascination with genetics goes far beyond fungi. She recently set out to unravel her own genetic ancestry. She has a Scottish king as ancestor somewhere in the very distant past,…