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Pere Renom

“We have given you, O Adam, no visage proper to yourself, nor endowment properly your own, in order that whatever place, whatever form, whatever gifts you may, with premeditation, select, these same you may have and possess through your own judgement and decision […] We have made you a creature neither of heaven nor of earth, neither mortal nor immortal as the free and proud shaper of your own being, fashion yourself in the form you may prefer.”

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

bioquímica

Alcohol, a dangerous molecule

published on 13.11.2019

The ancient Greeks were very fond of social celebrations, and called them “symposia,” which literally means “to drink together”. The reporter Pere Renom organizes a scientific symposium with a group of friends, to drink together and analyze how alcohol affects them. We will understand what causes alcohol toxicity, why it causes addiction, what determines its […]

Nitrogen till the root

published on 9.10.2019

Nitrogen is an essential element for life, but since its availability is limited it must be recycled. The most important compartment on the planet where it accumulates is the atmosphere (N2). Hence, special bacteria introduce it into the biosphere through a process called fixation. Once there, it is transferred through the food chain from vegetables […]

Modeled by hormones

published on 22.05.2019

Everything we are is inscribed in our genes, but its main route of expression are hormones. We grow up to a certain size, we differentiate ourselves in men and women and we regulate the body’s temperature or energy through hormones. If the genes are the project, the hormones are the hands of the sculptor. The […]

What small little therapies

published on 15.11.2017

Three revolutionary medical therapies, that act on a nanometer scale, a billionth of a meter, are explained. Self-propelled and dirigible nanorobots designed to transport drugs to target cells and greatly increase pharmacological efficiency. Peptide launchers, small molecules capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and improve the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or brain […]

The pig in the heart

published on 16.05.2017

The pig is much more than meat, you get hundreds of different products, some related to health such as heart valves or heparin, an anticoagulant molecule essential in blood transfusions or open heart operations. We will know the case of Joan Fàbregas a patient with a cardiac abnormality who is implanted with a prosthesis of […]

Extraordinary centenarian

published on 27.12.2016

There is no magic formula to live 100 years, depends on a lucky combination of genetics and healthy habits. We will analyze the case of two extraordinary centenarians and we will understand that aging is rusting. The following spoke: Mireia Farré from Idescat, Reinald Pamplona from UdL-IRBLleida, Manel Esteller from IDIBELL and the centenarian Joaquim […]

Searching for life in the Univers

published on 10.02.2015

We knew that the Earth is not flat, and that is not in the center of the universe, now it has been discovered that even in the Milky Way there could be 10,000 milion planets similar to ours. We explain how planets are detected outside our solar system and what conditions would have to sustain […]

The scientific illustration

published on 18.11.2014

In the XXI century scientific illustration remains an indispensable tool in various disciplines. Enables to describe a new species of jellyfish, reconstruct the true aspect of an extinct bird called “dodo”, understand step by step operation of liver transplantation, or see the interaction between a drug and a protein.

Copper, the electric metal

published on 5.11.2013

Associated with electricity, copper has helped change the world. Besides being a good conductor some of its compounds are superconductors. In living organisms acts as a transmitter of electrons in many biochemical reactions. Also is part of several blue and green pigments of gothic painting and sometimes can acquire an electric tone.

Charging the batteries

published on 15.01.2013

What do they have in common a battery, a tubercle or body fat? They are sistems of storing energy. The energy is stored for consumption when needed and to move autonomously. A crossing of the Pyrenees is an ideal situation to understand how and why energy is stored.