Good and bad bacteria are everywhere, including on and in our bodies. Dr Mark Blaskovich explains how disease-causing bacteria enter our body and how we fight them off.
One in five people worldwide suffer from chronic pain. But what is it, and how can the venom from creatures such as spiders and cone snails help us treat this debilitating condition?
Australia has an incredible diversity of native spiders, including the potentially lethal funnel-web, the ubiquitous huntsman, and the charming peacock spider.
Bites or stings from venomous animals or insects can be dangerous; they lead to numerous fatalities globally each year despite the development of antivenoms that can neutralise many of their worst effects.
Researchers are figuring out how to manipulate venom extracted from some of the deadliest species in the world, to combat the various forms of pain we experience.
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. One in five people suffers from chronic pain, which lasts beyond the normal time it takes the body to heal and has many causes.
Spider webs are made from silk. And silk is made from something scientists call “proteins”. Proteins are special chemicals made by a living thing - like an animal or a plant. You have lots of them in your body. Proteins usually have a certain job to do.
