by Melissa Lau | Nov 17, 2014 | BioGPS, GeneOfTheWeek
No one ever celebrates mucus. Doesn’t matter if it’s clear and watery (or goopy and green), most people blow their noses and throw out the tissue without a second thought. But let’s take a closer look… Sure, mucus can be gross (after all, it’s filled...
by Kerin Higa | Nov 10, 2014 | BioGPS, GeneOfTheWeek
Just kidding, guys. I haven’t had a baby. And even if I had, I doubt I would have eaten the placenta. But I just couldn’t resist stealing the title of this NY Times blog post that happens to be the third result when I googled “placenta.” Why...
by Melissa Lau | Nov 3, 2014 | BioGPS, GeneOfTheWeek
Like most Chinese kids, I vividly remember my first bite of bitter melon. Instantly (and overwhelmingly) bitter, its eye-watering and tongue-curdling taste is certainly an acquired one. I enjoy eating it now, but there’s a reason that it’s the only edible in my mom’s...
by Kerin Higa | Oct 27, 2014 | BioGPS, GeneOfTheWeek
The transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1, or TRPV1, is most commonly known as the capsaicin receptor.1 Capsaicin is the compound that makes chili peppers “hot,” and the TRPV1 receptor encoded by TRPV1 is what makes us sense the...
by Melissa Lau | Oct 20, 2014 | BioGPS, GeneOfTheWeek
The Hulk had gamma radiation, Peter Parker had a radioactive spider, and the Spartans had the official 300 Workout (and CGI). What “double-muscled” mice have is a mutation in myostatin… Expressed primarily in skeletal muscle, myostatin is a secreted protein that...
by Kerin Higa | Oct 13, 2014 | BioGPS, GeneOfTheWeek
I know what you’re thinking. This blog is degenerating. Last week, we talked about semen, and this week, we’re talking about finding the one. Right? “What’s your type?” sounds like the perfect BuzzFeed quiz for your Monday lunch break!...
