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Michael J Porter

Lecturer in Molecular Genetics, University of Central Lancashire

Dr. Michael J. Porter is a specialist in Molecular and Cellular Biology; his PhD focused on the familial breast cancer gene BRCA2. Currently his research interests include the use of multimedia to enhance the student experience, blended learning approaches and authentic teaching/assessment. His scientific research is primarily in the area of Dermatology, particularly the genetics underlying hair / skin pigmentation, and metastatic melanoma (skin cancer). Other interests include the biological/psychological impact of stress in students/general public, the role of epigenetic modification in nutrigenomics, particularly during the gestational period, the impacts of vaping, highly caffeinated soft drinks etc. and evolutionary adaptation.

He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and a fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), as well as a member of The Royal Society of Biology and The Royal Society of Chemistry.

He is also heavily engaged in encouraging the public’s understanding and engagement with Science; making appearances on Radio and Television, as well as writing for various newspapers.

Cryptic genetic variation: the hidden changes in your DNA that could produce new diseases

Aug 15, 2019 18:01 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

Rarely has our environment changed so quickly. On top of climate change, were exposing ourselves to air pollutants, microplastics and unprecedented levels of fat, salt and sugar in our food. Environmental change is one...

No safe suntan, but research suggests there may be a way to reduce 'old leathery' look

Oct 28, 2018 13:19 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Getting a tan may not depend on how much sun people get, but rather when they get it. This is the finding from a new international research project. The study, published in Molecular Cell, found that sun exposure every...

Economy

UAE Central Bank Probes Banque Misr Over Iran Links

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has launched an urgent investigation into Banque Misrs UAE branches following a U.S. move to restrict the lenders access to the dollar clearing system over alleged financial...

Canadian Dollar Slides as Fed Rate Hike Bets Boost US Dollar

The Canadian dollar weakened on Friday and was on track for its sharpest weekly decline in more than two months, as a stronger U.S. dollar overshadowed surprisingly robust Canadian economic growth. The loonie traded near...

Bessent Defends US Yen Intervention Over Treasury Market Risks

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has defended Washingtons decision to support the Japanese yen in late July, arguing that severe currency volatility could threaten global financial stability and ultimately push U.S....

US Dollar Hits Two-Week High After Hawkish Fed Speech

The U.S. dollar climbed to a near two-week high on Friday after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh delivered a hawkish message at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, strengthening expectations for a September...

Oil Prices Slip as Venezuela Supply Prospects Weigh on Market

Oil prices edged lower on Friday as traders assessed reports that the United States was nearing a deal for long-term access to Venezuelan crude reserves, potentially opening the door to billions of dollars in investment...

Politics

King Haakon VIII Honors Late Father Harald in First Address

King Haakon VIII of Norway paid an emotional tribute to his late father, King Harald, in his first address to the nation since ascending the throne, praising him as a devoted parent and a monarch who championed unity and...

Iceland Counts Votes in Close EU Membership Talks Referendum

Iceland began counting ballots late Saturday after voters took part in a closely contested referendum on whether the country should reopen European Union membership negotiations, reviving a decades-long debate over...

South Korea Leveraged Chip ETF Trading Plunges After New Rules

South Korean retail investors are rapidly retreating from leveraged exchange-traded funds linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix after regulators imposed stricter trading requirements, Bloomberg reported Sunday....

Finland’s Stubb Says Russia Unlikely to Attack NATO

Finland President Alexander Stubb has played down concerns that Russia could launch an attack against a NATO member, arguing that Moscow would have little reason to challenge the worlds most powerful military alliance....

Nepal Declines Foreign Rescue Aid After Deadly Flash Flood

Nepal has said it does not currently require foreign search-and-rescue assistance following a devastating flash flood that killed nearly 500 people and left hundreds of foreign nationals missing. The disaster struck...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Pinterest Stock Falls as CFO Julia Brau Donnelly Resigns

Pinterest Inc. (NYSE: PINS) shares fell sharply in after-hours trading on Friday after the social media company announced the resignation of Chief Financial Officer Julia Brau Donnelly, prompting investor attention on the...

PayPal Shares Sink as $50 Billion Takeover Bid Collapses

PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ: PYPL) shares plunged in extended trading after a consortium led by private equity firm Advent International and payments giant Stripe reportedly ended its pursuit of the digital payments company....

Nvidia Pauses AI Cloud Financing Deals Amid Antitrust Concerns

Nvidia has temporarily halted some deals tied to a recently introduced financing program for artificial intelligence cloud companies, amid internal concerns that the arrangement could attract greater antitrust scrutiny,...

Google Changes EU Spam Policy Amid Antitrust Scrutiny

Google has revised its spam policy in Europe after concerns from European Union regulators raised the possibility of a significant antitrust fine for Alphabet, the search giants parent company. The company said Friday that...

U.S. Probes Apex Logistics Over Nvidia AI Chip Shipments to China

The U.S. government is investigating Singapore-based Apex Logistics over allegations that the freight company helped transport Nvidia AI chips and computer systems to China despite U.S. export restrictions, Bloomberg...