Biotechnology, industrial biology, food production
A collection of Catalyt articles about biotechnology, industrial biology, and food production.
TB or not TB?
A Catalyst article about the problems of badgers transmitting tuberculosis to cattle, but is a cull of badgers a solution to the problem?
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2007, Volume 18, Issue 1.
Natural Born Healers
A Catalyst article providing examples of some drugs derived from natural substances. Many drugs which are commonly used today are similar to naturally occurring compounds which have been used for centuries to treat illnesses.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 19, Issue 1.
Starting a Greener Revolution
A Catalyst article looking at strategies for ensuring that there is a plentiful food supply in the future and how this can be sustained.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2010, Volume 20, Issue 4.
Biofuels from Waste
This Catalyst article examines the differences between fossil fuels and biofuels.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2010, Volume 21, Issue 1.
Antibiotics on a Plate
This Catalyst article describes how bacterial colonies produce antibiotics and explains how their growth depends on the medium they grow on. Over sixty years ago, a Russian soil scientist called Selman Waksman discovered that soil bacteria belonging to the Streptomyces genus produce some very useful compounds. He isolated a species that produced streptomycin, which became the world’s first anti-tuberculosis antibiotic.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2010, Volume 21, Issue 1.
Biophotovoltaics
A Catalyst article looking at the use of plant cells to generate electricity via photosynthesis. This branch of science is called biophotovoltaics. The Sun is the ultimate source of energy for almost all life on Earth and harnessing this energy is one of the great scientific and technological challenges.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 21, Issue 4.
The World of Parasitic Plants
Most people are all too familiar with the idea of animal parasites, including tape worms, ticks and lice. But did you know that plants can also act as parasites, exploiting resources from unwilling hosts? This Catalyst article looks at types of parasitic plants and how they derive their nutrients from the root systems of other plants.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2013, Volume 24, Issue 2.
Talkative Microbes
This Catalyst article explores how microbes communicate and how, by growing two different microbes together, it is possible to discover new substances which may be useful in medicine.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2013, Volume 24, Issue 2.
Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Agents
Since the discovery of antibiotics, many people believe that the pathogenic microorganism threat to the population has been removed, with fatal infections and infectious diseases brought under control. This has discouraged research into drugs containing natural compounds such as essential oils. This Catalyst article looks at how a school microbiology club investigated the antimicrobial effects of some essential oils.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 24, Issue 3.
A Vaccine for Malaria?
This Catalyst article examines malaria which is one of the world’s top ten diseases but an effective vaccine to combat it is yet to be discovered. Scientists in the Malaria Vaccine Group at Oxford are trying to overcome some very difficult problems using a new approach to vaccines.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2003, Volume 13, Issue 3.
DNA Fingerprinting
A Catalyst article about Dolly the sheep which was born in 1996. The scientists who created her claimed she was a ‘clone’ from a female adult sheep. To prove this claim, genetic profiling or fingerprinting was done by another, independent group of scientists. The article explores how this was done and what other uses the technique has.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2003, Volume 14, Issue 1.
Unlocking the Genetic Diversity of Rice
This Catalyst article looks at wild rice which was domesticated a long time ago, and explores how understanding its genetic diversity can help to develop new strains.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 22, Issue 2.
Making Ice Cream Without a Freezer
This Catalyst article describes how to make ice cream using a mixture of ice and salt, without the need of a freezer. Detailed instructions and an explanation of how it works is included, as well as a link to a video showing how the process can be sped up using liquid nitrogen.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2013, Volume 24, Issue 2.
From Ancient to Future Solar Fuels
This Catalyst article investigates the research into artificial photosynthetic systems.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 24, Issue 4.
Testing New Medicines *suitable for home teaching*
A Catalyst article exploring the testing of new medicines to see if they are safe for people to take. The effects on cells of a potential new drug are investigated using tissue cultures of human or animal cells.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 17, Issue 1.
Probiotics, Prebiotics
A Catalyst article about the human gut and the many microbes it hosts, mainly bacteria. Probiotics are live bacterial ingredients or supplements designed to multiply in the colon and have an impact on health. A prebiotic is a carbohydrate that is not digestible by humans. The article examines the role they play, and looks at ways to encourage 'good bacteria' through diet.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 18, Issue 4.
Seeing Into Bacteria
This Catalyst article describes how biophysics is helping in the search for novel antibiotics. Bacteria produce an array of proteins to kill off their competitors. These proteins, called bacteriocins, are very efficient at penetrating the defensive outer layers of bacteria cells by moving through specific membrane transporter proteins.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2012, Volume 23, Issue 1.
Magnificent Magnetic Bacteria
This Catalyst article explores bacteria which produces magnetic particles which may be useful for future computer memory devices.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2013, Volume 24, Issue 1.
Using Chemistry to Reduce Animal Testing
This article discusses how chemical tests can reduce the numbers of animals used in the testing of new products.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2015, Volume 25, Issue 4.
Food additives
A Catalyst article about food additives. Some additives are natural and some are manufactured by the chemical industry. Some, like vitamin C, can come from either natural or artificial sources.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 18, Issue 3.
Drug Formulation
A Catalyst article describing how a medical drug is made into a form which works well in the body. Medicines rarely contain just one pure chemical substance. The vast majority are made of a complex mixture that contains an active ingredient (the compound that has the desired effect in the body) and compounds called excipients. This mixture is known as a formulation. The article looks at what excipients are, why they are included in drugs and how the formulations are designed.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2009, Volume 20, Issue 1.
Artificial Photosynthesis
This Catalyst article explains how artificial photosynthesis could provide a useful energy supply and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2011, Volume 21, Issue 3.
Food Waste Recycling - Power from Potato Peelings
This Catalyst article describes how food waste can be treated by anaerobic digestion to produce methane and fertiliser.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 22, Issue 1.