The Scientists base their research on a principle hypothesis that complex systems can be understood by seeking out its most fundamental constituents. In other words, the complex problems are resolved by dividing them into smaller, simpler and more tractable units. Hence, physicists search for the basic particles and forces; chemists seek to understand chemical bonds; and biologists explore DNA sequences and molecular structures focusing on a particular gene or a protein in their efforts to understand organisms. This approach of “divide and conquer” is termed reductionism (Williams, 1997; Ahn et al, 2006a). The Biologists Reductionism approach is a science of…

“Home sweet home,” you say to yourself as you step into your apartment. You are pretty soaked from the walk home in the rain. Who knew it was going to be sunny in the morning, suddenly snowing at noon, and raining by the afternoon? “Damn Raincouver,” you mumble, as you take off your shoes and jacket and grab a towel to dry yourself off. You’re glad to be home, because it was just one of those laborious and stressful days in the lab when nothing seemed to work. Maybe the ELISA didn’t work; maybe the bands you were looking for…

Obesity in our world The prevalence of obesity has increased in epidemic proportions in the last 30 years (1). The World Heath Organization estimates that there are at least 1.6 billion overweight adults globally, of which 400 million are obese (2). An overweight adult is roughly defined as one who exceeds the maximum desired weight for his/her height for normal physiological functions. Obesity is when the individual weighs 20% or more above this desired weight (3). Being overweight can negatively affect an individual’s energy and mood, and more dreadfully, make the individual more prone to various diseases such as cardiovascular…

Plagiarize Let no one else’s work evade your eyes Remember why the good Lord made your eyes So don’t shade your eyes But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize Only be sure always to call it please “research” (Tom Lehrer) – – – In his song, “Lobachevky”, American songwriter, mathematician, and satirist Tom Lehrer claims that the secret to success is plagiarism. The limerick-like lyrics of the song humourously depicts several aspects of academic life: the competitive nature of research, the need to publish to remain in the game, and the large dependence of scientific advancement on prior knowledge. The notion that future…

“Blood, it’s in you to give”. So proclaims in a recruitment campaign by the Canadian Blood Services, hoping to encourage more Canadians to donate [1]. Undoubtedly, blood plays an eminent role in the normal function of all systems in the body. And in modern medicine, blood is used as a therapeutic modality in procedures such as surgeries, cancer treatments, and transplants. However, with an aging population, more of these procedures will be performed. This is why the demand for blood in Canadian hospitals increases by 8% [1]. But what is blood? What is exactly in blood that make them so…