ADVANCE Discourse: Lab Knowing Let’s forget about money for a second. I know that can be difficult – what, with all of those pesky adult responsibilities and everything, but bare with me.  If money wasn’t an object, and your physician wanted to order a test that you knew wouldn’t be covered under your insurance, would you get ...

The introduction of new drugs that combat disease and infection at the genetic level has been a landmark breakthrough, both for laboratory science as well as for patient treatment plans. Cell-based therapeutics, on the other hand, stand to become influential in the coming years. A recent story from Newswise reported cell therapy as the next ...

I remember when the Body Worlds Exhibit came to my local museum. I couldn’t believe it -- those were real people. My dad laughed when I told him about it and said, “That’s why you really have to read the fine print when you sign up to be an organ donor.” Being an organ donor, I was horrified. As genetic research continues and breakthroughs are ...

Allow me to introduce you to the most famous cell you’ve never met. Traditionally, when we think of brain cells, we think of neurons -- up until today, I was blissfully unaware that there were even any other types of cells up there. Glial cells are similar to neurons, but they are to neurons as I am to my older sister -- overshadowed. A recent ...

For as long as there have been laboratories, researchers have been working towards the future. When it comes to fighting off disease and infection, the human body is capable of so much -- but sometimes it just needs a little help. The goal is to ensure a future where the body requires as little help as possible. I’ve discussed the prospect of ...

Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day. This is the 25th annual observance of the day originally organized under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise the awareness of HIV/AIDS and garner support for research, understanding, education and allocation of resources. We have come a long way in our understanding, treatment and ...

An observer such as myself can get pretty excited when talking to experts about genomic sequencing and the secrets it potentially may unlock to individualized expectations of health or disease risk. What was once the realm of science fiction seems to be realized in modern medicine: a real path to better vigilance, risk ...

An article I read recently at CNN.com noted basically there are two types of people in life: those who kick the grocery store cart up on the curb and drive off or those who return the cart to the store (or, I assume, to the cart corral). I'm the latter. I've always tried to play by the rules and tried to follow instructions. If someone asks me to ...

A Pennsylvania Department of Health report revealed that a patient died at a hospital after discrepant blood sugar results allegedly went unrecognized and, worse yet, unreported to doctors. This post-transplant patient allegedly died as a result of low blood sugar for an extended period of time. The sad part is we wonder whether this tragic death ...

With a rising tuition and a weak job market, many graduates wonder if the degree they just received worth the financial and time investment. There is a good reason for that when they can not find jobs in their field of study. Some attend college knowing exactly what they want to major in. Others range from clueless to slightly interested in a ...