As a STEM graduate myself, I am aware of the challenges out there for people trying to get the foot on the jobs ladder and the catch 22 we are all so familiar with “You need X amount of years industry experience for this role”, but it can be very difficult to get this experience in the first place and can be a quiet disheartening for new graduates. Is there a way, as a graduate, to make you more employable without industry experience? The simple answer to this is yes, however you do need to be determined and not give up after some rejections. Here are 4 simple tips I hope you find helpful in your job search:

1. Choose a career direction

There are many different careers path you can take in STEM, such as careers in pharma, biotech, medical devices & ICT as well as many others, so first of all make sure you do your research around the different types of jobs out there and which ones you think you would enjoy. Once you have identified this, have a look at all the companies that have these roles and where they are located. Yes, we do always hear about new jobs in Dublin, however there are numerous indigenous Irish companies and multinational companies based in Ireland with 9 out of the top 10 Pharma companies based here.

2. Put the time into your CV

Your C.V is obviously hugely important as in some cases, this may be the first impression you make on someone. Make sure your C.V is well written and tailored specifically for each role. We have really useful C.V templates available on our website here .

3. Update your LinkedIn profile

It is very useful to have an up to date LinkedIn profile which should include a picture brief summary of yourself. You can use this to connect to people you know and join groups and follow companies you may be interested in working with.

4.Get out there and network

Face to face networking can one of the most effective methods of securing your first role, be sure to attend careers day etc and bring an up to date version of your C.V with you.

Although the above tips are extremely useful and the transferable skills we gain while studying for our degree, such as time management, organisational skills and communication skills to name just a few are imperative, I think our educational system should also step in and assist in making students more employable after years of study. Yes, there are courses out there that offer placements in industry but not everyone has the option to go to these colleges so in my opinion I think our educational system does need provide a more industry focused aspect in all courses to allow students to easily make the move into industry if they so wish.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and thank you so much for reading.

Sinéad

The way I see it, there are two types of people;

1. Ravicti: $794,000 per year – Ravicti is used to treat urea cycle disorders (UCD), genetic diseases that prevent the body from getting rid of ammonia.

Horizon Pharma – Horizon have an office in Dublin city centre which focuses on CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organisation) Management and other centralised services.

2. Spinraza: $750,000 per year – this drug is used for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) drug Spinraza

Biogen – the only company on this list without a direct presence in Ireland. Come on, Biogen, we don’t bite!

3. Brineura: $700,000per year. Brineura has just recently been approved by the FDA and is the first ever drug approved for a form of Barren disease (genetic disorder that attacks the nervous system)

BioMarin – BioMarin have a superb manufacturing facility in Ringaskiddy, Cork as well as shared service office in Dublin (Finance, Supply Chain, CMO Management etc).

4. Lumizyme: $626,000 per year – Lumizyme replaces a missing or deficient enzyme in people with Pompe disease

Sanofi – Manufacturing facilities in Waterford (Ex Genzyme) and a commercial office in Dublin.

5. Carbaglu: $585,000 per year – Carbaglu is used to treat patients with urea cycle disorders (UCDs).

Recordati have an Irish base in Cork

6. Actimmune: $572,000 per year – Actimmune, treats two rare genetic diseases: chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and severe, malignant osteopetrosis (SMO).

Horizon Pharma | Dublin (as above)

7. Soliris: $543,000 per year – This drug serves a treatment for paroxysmal nocturnal  hemoglobinuria (PNH), and as a treatment for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

Alexion Pharmaceuticals – have 2 sites in Dublin (Packaging as well as bulk biologics manufacturing) as well as a biologics manufacturing facility in Athlone.

8. Naglazyme: $485,747 per year – Naglazyme is an enzyme replacement therapy designed to treat a disease known as mucopolysaccharidosis type VI

Bio Marin | Cork, Ireland

9. Vimizim: $380,000 per year – Vimizim is an enzyme replacement therapy that’s given as a weekly infusion to treat Morquio A syndrome

Bio Marin | Cork, Ireland

10. Elaprase: $375,000 per year (Based on 2010 figure) – Elaprase is an enzyme replacement therapy designed to treat patients with mucopolysaccharidosis II, or Hunter syndrome.

Shire have recently announced the opening of a large office on Bagot St, Dublin 2. Here they manage a large amount of Shire EU Operations including CMO management, Finance, Supply Chain, Medical Affairs and many many more!

Karen Shiel

When I first started out in recruitment 10 years ago, I had just successfully completed a PhD in Molecular Biology and had spent a year in Australia working in a commercial sales role. I found it difficult decide on which career path to take in Ireland with a PhD in Biology, as the logical step at the time was to stay in academia and undertake a post-doc or move into Quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The majority of biology graduates I knew went into GP sales, QA, QC or clinical data coordinator roles within the pharma sector or, alternatively, into Production/QA Coordinator/NPD Technician roles within the food sectors. 

Scientific recruitment offered me a great opportunity to marry my people skills whilst remaining up-to-date with scientific advancements. Having completed a PhD, one learns to take the ups with the downs and to understand that things will not always work out as planned. It also teaches you to never give up; a very important trait in a Recruiter as it can often take some time to find the right person for a role or indeed the right role for a job seeker.

One of the truly enjoyable parts of recruitment is meeting with job seekers to get a better understanding of what they wish for from both a career and cultural perspective in terms of fit within our clients’ organizations. Having all the knowledge of a Scientist gives us the extra edge; for example, understanding the complexity of a scientific paper in terms of preparing our job seekers for presentations.

There is a major shift within the pharmaceutical sector from large commercial sales teams to more medical based education as we are seeing the Medical Affairs teams grow from strength to strength. Clinical research is also a strong area in Ireland and many of the open vacancies in this sector require a strong Scientific background. Ireland is very well placed to fill these openings as we now have a very highly educated workforce. The food and beverage organisations in Ireland are also seeking highly qualified Scientists (MSc & PhD in Chemistry & Biology). There are many more opportunities for our graduates now as they can get a place on very well organized graduate programs within food and beverage R & D.

With Ireland’s strong biopharma presence there are many opportunities for highly qualified MSc & PhD graduates to get excellent training, and develop great career paths within the highly competitive Oncology / Cardiovascular / Dermatology / Immunotherapy therapeutic areas; to name but a few. The pharma and biopharmas also provide some excellent graduate programs.

Scientists here in Ireland are now in a position to be part of the big picture whilst making a huge impact on patients who are greatly in need of these amazing discoveries and treatments. The more that our Scientists, Consultants (key opinion leaders), Regulatory Bodies, Government, Health System and Patient Groups partner together, the better the outcomes for patients in the long term.

This is a highly interesting sector to work and it’s fair to say that not one day is ever the same!

A Leading Cause of Cancer Could Be the Very Air We Breathe

Courtesy of wikipedia

Air pollution is one of the leading causes of cancer, according to data released by the The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) this week. “Our conclusion is that this is a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths,” Dr. Christopher Wild, director of IARC, told the news briefing in Geneva. The IARC has already classified many chemicals and mixtures that can be components of air pollution, including diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals and dusts. No real surprises there then!

Thorium Has Been Backed as a Much Safer Fuel Than Uranium

Courtesy of hight3ch.

There has been a lot of buzz lately about the potential use of thorium as a fuel for nuclear reactors. Just this week, UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has called for serious consideration to be given to Thorium as a nuclear fuel. The advantages of Thorium over Uranium are many. Firstly, it is much safer. Thorium would not contribute to disasters like those that occurred at Fukushima or Chernobyl due to uncontrolled meltdowns. When Thorium is unstimulated, the reaction stops. Thorium is also three times more plentiful than Uranium according to current estimates. Lastly, and I’m guessing the reason closest to Mr Blix’s heart, Thorium cannot be used for nuclear weapons.

Greater Emphasis on Engineering and Computing required in Irish Universities, according to Forfás.

Courtesy of RTE

Ireland’s governmental advisory board on science, technology and innovation (Forfás) has said that a greater emphasis on computing and engineering is required at third level if the workforce is to meet the demand of future challenges. The body has predicted that 44,000 jobs in this sector could potentially arise in the next decade to add to the 68,000 current Information and Communications Technology (ICT) jobs. Forfás chief executive Martin Shanahan says that more women need to be encouraged to consider careers in the ICT sector as there is currently a significant male majority.

Sleep ‘Flushes’ the Brain out

Courtesy of crmc.com

We all know sleeping is awesome and that it recharges our batteries but scientists have discovered a new and crucial reason why we slumber. Its not just to ‘recharge our batteries’ – the unconscious brain consumes around the same amount of energy as an alert one – but to clear our brains of toxins. Scientists noticed a difference in activity between sleeping brains and waking brains when they added a fluorescent dye to the cerebrospinal fluid of mice. During sleep, greater movement of the dye was recorded leading experts to believe that the brain was being ‘flushed’ through a network they dubbed the glymphatic system. For instance, beta-amyloid proteins – the ones which clog the brain in patients with Alzheimers – cleared out of the brain twice as fast in rodents that were awake. For those who study Alzheimer’s this is pivotal research. The condition has long been associated with an over production of the protein whereas suggestions are now pointing at the body’s lack of ability to clear it.

The Japanese Have Invented a Really Awesome Way to Harvest Solar Power

Courtesy of bubblews

Researchers in Japan are pioneering a whole new way of harnessing the sun to create electricity. The technique involves a two-step process of which bears some resemblance to photosynthesis but  provides an energy transfer that is far greater than current technologies (and photosynthesis itself which has about a 3% efficiency rate due to a) it only utilising certain parts of the light spectrum and b) diffusion for metabolic processes FYI) Nevertheless, photosynthesis in terms of converting photons to electrons is actually incredibly efficient due in part to this 2-step (photsystem 1/photosystem 2) process. About 99.99% efficient. In other words scientists are dead right to be emulating these systems. Photosystem 1 collects the photon and converts them to electrons, photosystem 2 shuttles the electrons to where they are needed. Scientists, in emulating  this can potentially create ‘leaves’ of hundred of collectors which harvest electrons individually and then shuttle each electron directly to a reaction centre. Bare in mind, plants are only as efficient as they need to be. If science were to truly harness this techniques, 99% efficiency is possible in theory.

Argentinosaurus, the Biggest Dinosaur That Ever Lived, Could Not Run or Walk Up Hills

A team at the University of Manchester has digitally reconstructed the largest dinosaur currently on record. Working with scientists from Argentina they lazer scanned the 40-metre long Argentinasaurus skeleton. Then using an advanced computer modeling technique involving the equivalent of 30,000 desktop computers they recreated its walking and running movements and tested its locomotion ability for the very first time. What the researchers were up against were previous claims that the dinosaur was in fact too overgrown to move around. Using this massive computing power, they combined everything they could possibly predict about the animal and fed it into software designed by Dr. Bill Sellers of  the University of Manchester. The results were that the dinosaur could not have moved faster than 2 meters per second and almost certainly could not have climbed any more than the most shallow of inclines. You can watch a video of the computer model simulating the colossal dino’s gait below.

Exercise Not Only Treats But Can Prevent Depression.

Courtesy of io9

It may not be the right treatment for a depressed person to tell them to just go to the gym and forget it all, but there is increasing scientific data to suggest that exercise can play a massive part in the prevention of and recuperation from depression. Nonetheless, anyone who exercises regularly can attest to the immediate benefits to mood. Also, because of Depression’s increasing prevalence and impact on society more research is needed in identifying factors that may prevent depression. A recent review in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine  examined whether physical activity is protective against the onset of depression. The results concluded that that post gym feeling is not just a fleeting rush of endorphins, but can in fact play a significant part in improving mental health overall.

Bees Underwent a Massive Extinction Around the Same Time As The Dinosaurs

All credit for this section goes to reddit user Old_Story (I had a piece written but this is way too awesome) For me personally this has shed a lot of light on the last days of the ‘terrible lizards.’

“This is tempting to read as a narrative about bees dying off and the dinosaurs following, but the more we understand about the meteor impact that ‘killed the dinosaurs’, so to speak, the more likely it seems that they were affected by that same event.

When I was young, paleontologists were positing the idea that the meteor impact threw huge amounts of dust in the atmosphere, and cooled the climate, leading to slow deaths from starvation and exposure as the ecosystem collapsed.

Courtesy of wmconolley.org.uk

Newer models of the impact and its effects, however, suggest that it was an almost unbelievably catastrophic event. The meteor impacted to the east of modern mexico with a force equivalent to a billion of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in WW2. In the area immediately under the impact, the superficial 3km(1.8 miles) of crust are simply vaporized upon impact. The impact site is temporarily hotter than the surface of the sun. All of the crust in a circular area 100km(62 miles) around the impact site, to a depth of 11km (7miles) was jettisoned outside of the atmosphere, though still within earth’s gravity. This would have dimmed the lights, sure, but the real damage occurs when that material comes back down.

As the ejecta re-entered the atmosphere, it ‘burned up’ on the way down, much the way small meteorites do. Ballistic models based on the calculated mass of ejecta re-entering the atmosphere suggest that an enormous amount of heat would be generated by this process, working out to about 10kW of energy per square meter. The sky glows red with heat, nearly the entirety of the earth’s surface cooks at 315oC (600oF), the vast majority of the planet’s forests spontaneously burst into flames. Every species of large surface animal roasts to death. Likely all the dinosaurs on the planet were dead in a matter of hours.

Extinction patterns mirror this pretty closely. The survivors were small mammals that could burrow beneath the ground to escape the heat, toads, snakes, crocodilians that could seek shelter in deep waters. A single class of birds survives: A waterbird that nested in holes in the banks of lakes. Oceanic extinctions follow as huge amounts of ash flow into the oceans and acidify them, the dust still in the atmosphere chills the planet for a millenium afterwards. On the bright side, this cleared the slate and allowed for colonization of the surface for our furry, rodent-like ancestors.

Bees dying shouldn’t really surprise us.”

Couldn’t really have said it better myself.

About the author: Conor Hughes works as a Marketing Executive at Life Science Recruitment

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570kg ‘Space Rock’ May be The Largest Meteor Fragment Ever Discovered.

Courtesy of io9.com

The Chelabinsk meteor event from February of this year was one the most televised events of its kind ever. Partially thanks to Russia’s ubiquitous ‘dash cam’ culture, hundreds of videos of the rock which blazed across the crisp winter sky and of the aftermath of the subsequent explosion – which injured hundred of people and broke thousands of window panes – are available to view online. One mystery which remained was the 6 meter hole in the local Chebarkul lake, which locals and scientists alike agreed signified that a large chuck of the space rock could be found below the surface.

Yesterday, a rock was indeed pulled out of the lake and its largely agreed to be part of the meteor. its pretty heavy, maxing the weighing scales out at 570kg before breaking it. the rock itself then proceeded to break into 3 pieces thanks to some ham-fisted removal techniques!

The rock certainly fits the description of a meteorite with its black glassy exterior hinting at the colossal heat of re-entry. If this is the case then it could well be the largest fragment ever found.

Secrets of ‘Magnetic’ Bacteria Explained.

Courtesy of cea.fr

As amazing as it sounds, some bacteria are magnetic. They synthesize a magnetic compound called magnetite which they use to align themselves with Earths magnetic field, in order to find the position in the water column that is most favorable to their survival. Just how bacteria create this magnetic compound is still not fully understood but a recent study has made significant headway in explaining the process. The implications that this nanomagnets could have on human technology are impressive. Two such suggestions include use as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging and decontaminating water supplies. The magnetic bacteria could be used to break down a contaminant, then removed using a magnet.

Apes comfort each other ‘like humans’

Courtesy of bbc.co.uk

Aw. Bonobos have been seen to embrace each other as a means of comforting those who are feeling distressed or down. Already known as the ’empathic ape,’ researchers saw that apes who have already had to respond to emotional stress and have come through that experience multiple times developed ’emotional competence.’ The study focused on a group that included both orphan bonobos and youngsters who were raised by their mothers. What interested scientists is how quickly the mother-reared young were to comfort their orphan kin – this emulating of maternal empathic behavior is identical to what we see in human children.

Peanut Butter Sniff Test Confirms Alzheimer’s

Courtesy of futurity.org

A loss of the sense of smell is one of the first signs of cognitive decline. The scent of peanut butter is being pioneered as a means of measuring this decline as peanut butter is an example of a pure odorant – its smell is detected only by the olfactory nerve in the brain, the most basic part used to smell. Using a ruler and a tablespoon of PB, scientists are marking patients ability to smell. Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease had a dramatic difference in detecting odor between the left and right nostril—the left nostril was impaired and did not detect the smell until it was an average of 10 centimeters closer to the nose than the right nostril had made the detection in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

First Ever Evidence of a Comet Striking Earth.

Courtesy of wits.ac

Evidence of a comet that crashed to earth, obliterating everything in its path has been discovered. Comets consist mainly of dust and ice, so they wouldn’t leave much of a trace if they did crash to earth. The comet in question here entered the earths atmosphere about 28 million years ago in the north Sahara desert and exploded, heating up the sand beneath it to a temperature of about 2 000 degrees Celsius, resulting in the formation of a huge amount of yellow silica glass which scattered over a 6 000 square kilometer area. A piece of the silica glass was in fact included as a gem stone which formed the scarab on Tutankhamens Brooch (right). The ‘gem stone’ of this new discovery is a mysterious black pebble which scientists believe is the nucleus of a comet.

Sydney Entrepreneurs Want to Deliver Your Parcels by Drone.

Courtesy of shm.au

Drones have gotten a lot of bad press lately what with the whole bombing people in the Middle East and that. The fact is, though, that drone technology is extremely sophisticated and does have potential to benefit society. The video below is a pitch by a pair of Sydney guys who want to change the face of delivery as we know it with their product, Flirtey. I’m not sure about how reliable this technology is in terms of battery life and even the safety of the good/receivers/innocent bystanders, but the automation of delivery services is definitely a sure thing in the not-to-distant future. Flirtey may not spearhead a delivery service revolution but it is a really forward-thinking and innovative idea. I cant award them any kudos for either the brand name or the font they used, though.

Flirtey Zookal flight from The PR Group on Vimeo.

Roche to Expand Manufacturing to Meet Demand for Sophisticated Biologic Drugs

Courtesy of affgroup.com

Swiss biotech giant Roche has pledged an investment of 800 million Swiss Francs (880 million Euro) globally. Manufacturing capacity will increase in their facilities at Germany Switzerland and the USA. This expansion contrasts strongly with the cost cutting which has hit big pharma recently. Generic manufacturers have been swooping in to capitalize on expired patents, slowing the growth of previous competitors. Roche,  have managed to stay ahead of the curve with with a wealth of cutting edge biotech, including many drugs which could revolutionise the fight against cancer.

Elephants ‘Know What You Mean.’

Courtesy of oneearth.org

There is no end to how awesome Elephants are. Researchers often conduct a test with animals called the object-choice task. This is where a food reward is hidden under a container andthe experimenter signals which one by pointing to it. Understanding this gesture is remarkably rare in nature, even among smarter animals. Domesticated animals fare better than wild ones, but even chimps and other primates are quite bad. Elephants, on the other hand, seem to understand pointing pretty well. Where other animals who partake in the object-choice test become conditioned to human pointing over time – the reward is food after all – elephants perform as well during the first tests as they do later suggesting that they literally ‘get the point.’ Majestic.

About the author: Conor Hughes works as a Marketing Executive at Life Science Recruitment

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Acoustic levitation is achieved by exerting pressure on a body using sound waves. If the wave is of the correct frequency, its enough force to counteract gravity and the body hovers in space. this technology has the potential to transport hazardous materials safely or to simulate microgravity experiments at a much lower cost than taking the trip into orbit.

This cool little device is called a homopolar Motor. The name homopolar means that the polarity of the conductor and the magnetic fields dont change. The homopolar motor was the first kind of electrical motor, first demonstrated my Michael Faraday in 1821.

This guy is getting his teeth cleaned by two cleaner wrasses.

OK this isn’t science its actually magic. Which apparently is what occurs when you put some grenadine in a mixing tin, add a layer of crushed ice, add 30mls of pineapple juice, using a spoon to cushion the flow, more ice, 30mls of malibu, blue curacao and quickly pour into 9 shot glasses! Yum.

These tiles, used to prevent the space shuttle from burning up during re-entry, were in the furnace at 2200 degrees for over an hour. So that explains why they’re white hot. The reason they can be held with bare hands is down to their ridiculous insulating abilities. The material, known as Li-900 is 94% air by volume and 99.9% silica glass by composition. That makes it  a really bad thermal conductor but a really good means of keeping astronauts alive.

About the author: Conor Hughes works as a Marketing Executive at Life Science Recruitment

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It’s well worth checking out this guys youtube page. I’m guessing his cover of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep should go down well too.

About the author: Conor Hughes is Marketing Executive at Life Science Recruitment

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French Progress in the reversal of Dwarfism

Courtesy of thelocal.fr

A French research paper published last week has shown major progress in reversing the effects of dwarfism. Mice affected by the condition known as achondoroplasia, the genetic mutation responsible for the vast majority of human cases of dwarfism, were injected with a protein over the course of three weeks which caused therm to grow fully and also prevented some of the uncomfortable side effects of this condition.

Termite Poop May be Essential to the Discovery of new Antibiotics!

Termites use their own poop as building material and as disgusting as that sounds (well, they are insects) this has actually proven to be one of the keys to their success as a species.  The feces has a natural antibiotic property which suppresses pathogens which enter the nest. This is one of the reasons why termites have proven difficult to suppress by biological means,. but also could herald the discovery of new antibiotics for us above ground-dwellers.

We have a whole range of scientific opportunities here at Life Science. Check out whats hot right now.

Sleep is Shown to help Overcome Our Fears

Courtesy of sharperimage.com

Scientists at Northwestern University have published the results of a study which touts the power of sleep as a potential conqueror of our fears. The scientists first induced fear in the test subjects by shocking them with electricity while showing them a picture of a face. They then released an odour which conditioned the patients to associate the smell with the fear. This smell was then released while the patient slept to trigger fear memories which the patients could process without a conscious confrontation of the fear.

The Rational Choices of Drug Addicts

Professor of psychology at Columbia University, Carl Hart, conducted an experiment where drug addicts were offered a choice between drugs and cash or vouchers. The results showed that when given this choice, users almost always chose the money and vouchers when the amount of drugs on offer was small. It was only when a large amount of drugs were on offer that they were taken. These findings are important for challenging the stereotype of addicts as ‘helpless.’ The perception of drugs addictiveness is being challenged too, with Hart stating that Eighty to 90 percent of people who use crack and methamphetamine don’t get addicted […] and the small number who do become addicted are nothing like the popular caricatures.” The full article is well worth checking out as is the accompanying video.

Newly-Discovered Structure Blows Particle Physics Wide Open

Courtesy of simonsfoundation.org

A structure has been discovered which has blown open a whole new perspective on the world of particle interactions, and challenges the notion that space and time are fundamental components of reality. The jewel-like framework, known as an amplituhedron, can be used to calculate interactions that used to take hundreds of pages – and were impossible on early computers – in just one single term.

Are Nano Diamond Encrusted Teeth the Future of Dental Implants?

Courtesy of ucla.com

Diamonds 4-5 nanometers small could revolutionise the use of dental implants, promoting bone growth and improving durability. A collaborative effort between UCLA school of dentistry and the Japanese research outfit The NanoCarbon Research Institute may have found a way to use nano diamonds to improve bone growth and combat osteonecrosis, a degeneration of bone caused by bad blood flow.

New Transitional Phase of Water Discovered

Research conducted at the University of Arkansas has shown that water when cooled to an extremely low temperature enters a liquid-liquid phase at 207 Kelvin or about -66 Celsius. this liquid-liquid transition is important for understanding basic processes during cryoprotection or the preservation of organic tissues during cryogenic freezing so they can be thawed out again safely.

We have a whole range of scientific opportunities here at Life Science. Check out whats hot right now.

Rapid Blood Test Can Tell the Difference Between Viral and Bacterial Infections

Courtesy of putneymead.org

A blood test has been developed which can rapidly tell whether a patients condition is bacterial or viral. One of the biggest implications here is in the curtailing of misuse of antibiotics, which are ineffective at combating viruses, but are often prescribed all the same. This has led to emerging bacterial strains that are resistant to all known drugs.

Overwhelming Evidence for Water on Mars

NASA’s Curiosity rover has sent back the most compelling evidence for water on Mars yet. These findings were announced at the European Planetary Science Congress which was held Sept. 8 to Sept. 13 in London. Evidence found in sedimentary rock hints at water that was both neutral and benign, and both flowing and standing in places. This is significant because standing water is an ideal place for microbes to survive and reproduce.

‘Black Holes’ Discovered at Sea

Courtesy of phys.org

Scientists have found a mathematical equivalent to black holes in the Earth’s oceans. These large circular currents, known as eddies, are encircled by a large ring of water which forms a closed barrier around it. This is almost identical to the phenomenon -predicted by Einstein’s theory of relativity – known a light sphere. This is where a light beam no longer spirals into the black hole. Rather, it dramatically bends and comes back to its original position, forming a circular orbit.

In case you liked what you read here but missed the last round up of fantastic news, you can check it here.

(Title image by t3.com)

About the author: Conor Hughes is Marketing Executive at Life Science Recruitment

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Booze is a remedy for methanol poisoning.

You’ve probably heard of the term ‘blind drunk.’ This comes from people literally losing their eyesight due to drinking too much. This is a risk particularly if you have been drinking methanol, something we never recommend you do. Ever. Ingesting as little as 10ml causes the methanol to break down into formic acid which destroys the optic nerve.

Help is at hand, however in the shape of good old trusty booze. Ethanol is a competitive inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase activity on methanol. What that means ultimately is that the methanol is excreted by the kidneys instead of breaking down into poisonous stuff. Another reason to drink alcohol. Great.

Read more at WiseGeek

An exception to the United States Flag Code was made for the U.S. flags left on the moon by the Apollo astronauts.

The US has a whole litany of code of conduct pertaining to the start and stripes, believe it or not. These pertain to displaying the flag indoors and outdoors, parading and saluting the flag, how it should look during ceremonies of mourning and during the recitation of the pledge of allegiance. One of the codes of respect is that the flag should always be allowed to fall freely, but the was and exception to this made for the flags placed on the moon during the Apolla landings. You know, because of the no atmosphere thing. While we’re on the topic on American flags in the moon, incidentally they have all been bleached white due to the suns radiation.

Read more on Wikipedia

You may be able to heal wounds with sugar.

I was a bit wary of this one the first time I read it because on was connected to Britains finest rag, The Daily Mail. However, I have done some further reading and there may be some veracity to the claim. The story goes that a senior lecturer at  University of Wolverhampton’s School of Health, Moses Murandu who grew up in Zimbabwe used sugar to expediate the healing of an amputees leg. This novel treatment has gone on to be tested in other areas such as bed sores and lesions. As commenter Mirosan states:

“When sugar is applied to a wound it will normally dissolve within four hours, creating a highly concentrated environment on the wound surface. Body fluids are attracted to the wound surface to equalise the high concentration gradient (osmosis), increasing the volume of exudate produced. This appears to cleanse/irrigate the wound and to liquefy devitalised dead tissue. The dead tissue is removed each time the wound is re-dressed, promoting the generation of new tissue.”

Thats the claim anyway. And he said it better than I ever could.

Read more at Medical News Today

Hydraulic Fracking is Making Ice-Cream More Expensive!

Hydraulic Fracturing or ‘hydrofracking’ has been in the news quite a lot lately. Its the process of using high-pressure water to fracture beds of shale under the ground, thereby releasing the vast quantities of gas contained within. It has mostly been in the news for the detrimental effect it has on local groundwater and even for causing earthquakes. However, it may have gone just one step too far – It’s been steadily hiking up the prices of ice-cream and its all thanks to the use of guar gum.
You may have seen “guar gum” as an additive on the list of ingredients of a various foods both sweet and savoury. Powder from the guar bean has been used as a thickening agent in confectionery for years – its what makes ice-cream extra creamy. Frackers have been using this self-same ingredient to increase the viscosity of the water the pump under ground – highly viscous water fractures the stone more effectively. The gum also carries the grains of sand included as ‘proppants’further into the fractures, preventing them from closing when pressure is released.

Fracking was bad enough when it was just poisoning the water…

Read more at Geology.com

You can go the rest of your life without breathing.

Think about it…

We have a whole range of scientific opportunities for you here at Life Science. Check out whats hot right now.

About the author: Conor Hughes works as a Marketing Executive at Life Science Recruitment

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