Faecal microbiota transplants have the potential to offer health benefits and are already used to treat C. difficile infections, but what can poo do for you and why should you look after your gut flora? WHAT IS A FAECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANT? The humble faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has a long history, first being described 1700 years ago by a Chinese philosopher named Ge Hong, under the moniker of ‘yellow soup.’

In the past month, two new treatments for multiple sclerosis have hit the headlines. One STEM cell-based therapy is being touted as a ‘game changer’ in many reports and the other drug-based approach, published in The Lancet, looks very promising. What is multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease involving an attack on certain cells and structures within the central nervous system (CNS) by the body’s own immune system. The body mistakenly attacks myelin — a fatty coating insulating nerve cells — which affects the nerves’ ability to conduct signals. Symptoms include:

An article I wrote for the Earlham Institute about how new technology and stringent sample QC can help answer our biological questions. In genomics and NGS, having the right tools to answer your biological questions are key. Often it is the high-profile technology that makes the headlines. …

In recent times, we have seen a rise in anti-vaxxers, anti-GM sentiment and my personal favourite, a resurgence in the flat earth theory. How can this happen in such an information-rich age? This is an age where we can find out information in seconds. Equally we can find opinion-pieces masquerading as fact just as easily. Not knowing what to read may well be a factor in this, but we’ll cover that later, it’s not the whole story.