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Almost everyone knows about the notorious story of this Korean stem cell researcher. However, that Korean research team didn’t realize they actually made the world first discovery in stem cell research. They accidentally obtained stem cells from non-fertilized human eggs—the first parthenogenesis discovery in human cell.

I’m wondering if they can do the same from sperm cells, though. Dividing eggs give rise to females only. Without Y chromosome, only females are produced.

Furthermore, men do not have eggs, so how do they get their own stem cells? I think deriving stem cells from non-reproductive cells such as skin cells is more valuable.

Dr Hwang went from national hero to national disgrace

A scientist who faked his research may have actually made a groundbreaking advance - without even realising it.

South Korean Woo Suk Hwang became famous after claiming to have extracted the world’s first stem cells from a cloned embryo.

It emerged he had lied about his work, and the source of the cells.

But analysis in the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals he may have produced stem cells from human eggs alone - potentially even more useful.

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Hwang said that he had created cloned human embryos by placing the nucleus from the cell to be cloned into a “hollowed out” human egg, then managed to extract stem cells from the resulting embryos.

Scientists are excited about the potential of stem cells because they are the body’s “master cells”, with the potential to become any cell type in the body, perhaps replacing those lost through ageing or disease.

However, it later became clear that he had used eggs from young female researchers at his laboratory to create the embryos, itself a major ethical breach - and that the resulting stem cells did not come from cloned embryos.

With his research discredited, he was dismissed from his post at the university, and charged with fraud and embezzlement.

The latest twist came from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in the US, who looked closely at his data, and found the cells were actually from a different type of embryo.

Researchers said that the distinct “genetic fingerprint” of the stem cells means they may be the first in the world to be extracted from embryos produced by the so-called “virgin birth” method, or parthenogenesis.

This happens when eggs are stimulated into becoming embryos without ever being fertilised by sperm, and has been achieved in animals.

However, before Hwang, no one had managed to produce a human embryo using parthenogenesis which lived long enough to allow the extraction of viable stem cells.

Dr George Daley, who led the analysis, told the BBC’s Science In Action programme: “Unfortunately at the time they published their work they did not know what they had done so they had mistakenly isolated these parthenogenic embryonic stem cells, and yet misrepresented them as true clones.

“In fact they had produced the world’s first patient-specific embryonic stem cell, and that is very valuable.

Read more: bbc.co.uk

No more nitpicking—new hairdryer device blows lice away.

SALT LAKE CITY - Head lice - those nasty nuisances for schoolchildren and parents - were blown away in half an hour by a new blow dryer-like device its inventors call the “LouseBuster,” university researchers report.

The device, which kills bugs and eggs by drying them out, might one day offer an alternative to the powerful delousing shampoos and literal nit-picking currently necessary for dealing with this widespread problem.

The LouseBuster results were reported in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics by University of Utah researchers who said the device eliminates infestations by preventing reproduction.

The study, involving 169 children in the Salt Lake area, showed the LouseBuster killed 80 per cent of hatched lice and 98 per cent of eggs on infested children. Enough bugs were killed to prevent remaining lice from breeding so “virtually all subjects were cured of head lice when examined one week following treatment with the LouseBuster,” the scientists wrote.

Read more: canada.com

Never had lice before, but a kewl device anyway. Certainly it’s better than hand-picking which is time consuming and pain in the butt.

I wonder where the lice go when they are blown away from the hair. I guess no one should stand in the direction of air blowing from the dryer, except for the treated patient.

Condition	Forecast
Stone is wet	Rain
Stone is dry	Not raining
Shadow on ground	Sunny
White on top	Snowing
Can’t see stone	Foggy
Swinging stone	Windy
Stone jumping up and down	Earthquake
Stone gone	Tornado

Interesting technology. I wonder how much an OLED-integrated shirt will cost.

Digital images transferred to clothing.

At MIT’s Media Lab, researchers are developing fashion accessories on which patterns and designs can change according to the wearer’s whim, and fashion prints can be shared virally via wireless communication.

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The idea is for OLED-integrated clothing to display digital images and designs, updating whenever the wearer desires. A T-shirt could be solid blue one day and striped the next, says project director Judith Donath. These digital images could then be transmitted wirelessly to clothing worn by other people, thereby creating a sort of “viral fashion.”

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While the idea of OLED-integrated clothing is not new — the military has been researching adaptive camouflage for years — the MIT approach to fashion and viral propagation is innovative.

Read more on: pcmag.com

Sugar & plaque cause decay, while saliva & fluoride strengthen teeth.

This chewing gum reduces the development of dental cavity; however, regular dental check-up every 6 months is still required. This product only targets one bacterium and does not remove plaque, so daily brushing & flossing are required.

Scientists have developed a chewing gum containing friendly bacteria which they say can help prevent tooth decay.

The good bugs in the gum prevent other harmful mouth bacteria from sticking to and attacking the teeth.

Toothpastes and mouthwashes containing Lactobacillus anti-caries are also in the pipeline, German chemical company BASF told Chemistry and Industry.

Friendly bacteria, normally found in live yoghurt, are already purported to be good for treating bowel conditions.

Probiotics

Another potential use of Lactobacillus include the prevention of body odour. BASF are looking to produce a deodorant which can stop the odour-producing bacteria in the armpit.

The bacterium responsible for dental cavities, Streptococcus mutans, persistently colonises the surface of the teeth, where it converts sugar into aggressive acids that breaks down the enamel.

Dr Gordon Watkins of the British Dental Association

L. anti-caries reduces the concentration of this harmful bacterium in the mouth making S. mutans clump together, preventing them from adhering to the teeth.

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Dr Gordon Watkins, a member of the British Dental Association’s health and science committee, cautioned: “These new products will not remove the need to brush your teeth as their action is targeted against just one bacterium.

“It’s not a substitute for brushing the teeth, because this removes the plaque that contains a whole range of bacteria that causes gum disease and bad breath.

“The best way to minimise tooth decay is to reduce consumption of sugars; strengthen the teeth through the use of fluoride; and brush teeth to remove dental plaque.”

Read more on: bbc.co.uk