Articles by Contributor
Epigenetic Therapies for Treatment of Mental Disorders
Mental health disorders range from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and dementia, affecting a significant number of people worldwide. Current treatments tend to be short-term and carry high risks of withdrawal symptoms, among other adverse side effects. Epigenetic therapies are relatively recent and novel treatments being studied for their use against mental disorders, targeting illnesses at the source: the genetic code. […]
The Stress Response: Friend or Foe?
Most human beings experience stress during their lifetimes; perhaps from sitting a tough exam, being involved in an accident, or after being fired from a job. There is no shortage of warnings about what stress can do to our health and well-being, and there exists a plethora of advice on how to ‘reduce’ stress levels. But is the stress response really that bad? What is its purpose? And at what point does stress become damaging to our bodies? […]
An Introductory Guide to Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
To better understand the properties of a material, it is beneficial to visualize it. High-powered microscopy techniques enable scientists to visualize samples to learn about their surface structure. Some techniques focus on capturing physical images, whereas others scan the surface of a material by measuring the interactions between a probe and the surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is one such technique, able to provide a surface map of materials at extremely high resolution. […]
Demonstration: Silver Tree And The Reactivity Series
Every element on the periodic table is as unique as the next, differing in color, toxicity, boiling points, magnetic properties, and of course, reactivity. Chemical reactivity is an important predictor of reactions, sometimes shown in a simplified form known as the reactivity series. Learn about it through a step-by-step demonstration of the famous ‘Silver Tree’ experiment that you can try at home! […]
Demonstration: Benedict’s Test for Reducing Sugars
We often hear about the exorbitant amount of sugar in food and drink these days, and the health risks that are associated with a high sugar intake. But how do scientists quantify the concentration of sugar in various substances? Before the relatively recent invention of sensitive and expensive electronic devices, well, there was beautiful and colorful chemistry! […]
