Another quick rundown of the scientific news and breakthroughs of the last couple of days, from the carcinogenic miasma we inhale every single day to the biggest reptile of all time. Also, find out what happened the bees during the last days of the dinosaurs and why Thorium is creeping its way to prominence in the world of nuclear fission.

Literally flat out here in the office; been a month of immense change and growth in the both the Life Science industry here in Ireland and indeed the science world in general. I managed to peel myself away from my newly-shouldered duties in my new office space to round up a nice mix of science, tech, industry and of course cute animal news. Please hit the titles if you want to read more from the source material or find links to any published sources.

Well its been almost 3 weeks since I’ve updated thanks to holidays and a pesky illness but as per usual it has been an incredibly busy and promising time across the science world. From termite poop to diamond-encrusted teeth to ‘black holes’ at sea, there has been no shortage of scientific progress announced recently. As usual, all source material is cited, just follow the links provided in each title. Most have additional videos and graphics. I’d recommend checking out Carl Harts story ‘The Rational Choices of Drug Addicts’ for a drastically different perspective on the world of addiction to the one the media often portrays.

I’ve spent the last week compiling what I think are some of the most compelling breakthroughs in the science world. I had a fair bit of fun doing it, so I’ll probably make this a weekly thing. Let me know what you think in the comments below or on Google+/Facebook. Sources are cited beneath each segment. Links to published results can be found in each source I have cited.

Over the past number of years there has been an undeniable change within the pharmaceutical sector due to the much debated and discussed “patent cliff”.  For some big Pharma brands, the lack of a significant R&D pipeline has been compounded by a lack of a lean manufacturing mind-set, which has resulted in expensive and uncompetitive manufacturing costs. But now it seems that the tide is turning.

Scientists at Heptares Therapeutics claim to have discovered the cause of depression. Using one of the world’s most powerful X-ray machines, they identified that protein receptor, CRF-1 is responsible for releasing hormones associated with anxiety and depression.

A compound found in a marine based microbe has been demonstrated to kill both Anthrax and MRSA, according to scientists at university of California, San Diego. This is the first new antibiotic compound to be discovered in almost 20 years and comes at a time when fears over dwindling antibiotic efficacy is at an all time high. Scientists collected the marine microbe named Streptomyces sp in silty deposits off the coast of California.