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Food scientists develop rapid, reliable technique to ensure fruit and vegetable juices adhere to quality standards

Increasingly, consumer products, especially food and beverage products, are being scrutinized for better quality.

10 May 2007

Researchers map genome for mite-borne typhus

Researches at Uppsala University, in collaboration with a Korean research team, have mapped and analyzed the genome for mite-borne typhus.

10 May 2007

When is food "done" enough to prevent food poisoning?

Food scientists have found that relying only on internal color to check if food is cooked properly isn't adequate. A beef patty may be brown throughout before it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the recommended minimum safe temperature. And a safely cooked hamburger may still appear pink on the inside.

10 May 2007

How inhaled anthrax paralyzes the body's defenses

University of Florida researchers have revealed how the inhaled form of anthrax paralyzes the body's defenses and prevents immune cells from reaching the site of infection.

8 May 2007

Honey for diabetic ulcers

The sore on Catrina Hurlburt's leg simply wouldn't heal. Complications from a 2002 car accident left Hurlburt, a borderline diabetic, with recurring cellulitis and staph infections.

4 May 2007

Fecal microbes high in New Orleans sediments following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

In a new study documenting the microbial landscape of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, scientists report that sediments in interior portions of the city appear to be contaminated with fecal microbes, a chronic condition they say persisted in the area before the hurricanes, and that the resulting water quality in the city and in nearshore waters of the lake continues to be impacted by discharges from this contamination.

4 May 2007

New view of photosynthesis

During the remarkable cascade of events of photosynthesis, plants approach the pinnacle of stinginess by scavenging nearly every photon of available light energy to produce food.

4 May 2007

Gene-for-gene interactions help bacteria kill their host

Scientists have discovered that a cousin of the plague bacterium uses a single gene to out-fox insect immune defences and kill its host.

4 May 2007

MRSA treated with maggots

University of Manchester researchers are ridding diabetic patients of the superbug MRSA - by treating their foot ulcers with maggots.

From The University of Manchester 4 May 2007

Treating ticks with antibiotics inhibits their reproduction

Bacteria that may provide ticks with essential nutrients they can't get from their meals of blood could be a key to controlling ticks and the diseases they carry, a new study published in the PLoS ONE shows.

4 May 2007

Senate begins debate on prescription drug user fee act reauthorization bill

The Senate on Monday began debate on a bill (S 1082) that would reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, which will expire on Sept. 30, with senators expected to propose a number of amendments to the legislation, the AP/Dallas Morning News reports ( AP/Dallas Morning News , 4/30).

2 May 2007

Hurricanes, infectious disease and public health

In the first study ever to evaluate urban sediment after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, scientists from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science have published their findings in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pointing to the need for rapid environmental assessments.

2 May 2007

Evidence of very early onset defective bone mineralization in the lumbar spine revealed in children with cystic fibrosis

In a study of children with cystic fibrosis, French researchers found evidence of very early onset defective bone mineralization in the lumbar spine that was not caused by either nutritional status or lung disease.

2 May 2007

Methods for marking molecules to identify gene alterations and metabolic shifts

Physical alterations of DNA in chromosomes can cause serious diseases such as Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, or cancer.

2 May 2007

Protecting Americans against a smallpox outbreak

In the event of a smallpox outbreak in the United States, how long would it take for a vaccine to start protecting Americans by stimulating an immune response? A new national study led by Saint Louis University School of Medicine will attempt to answer this question.

1 May 2007

Early-life exposure to indoor fungal molecules can help build stronger immune systems

Maybe being a fussy housekeeper isn't such a good thing after all.

1 May 2007

3M and Gen-Probe collaborate to combat healthcare-associated infections

3M and Gen-Probe have announced that the companies have formed an exclusive worldwide collaboration to develop and commercialize rapid, easy-to-use nucleic acid tests to detect certain dangerous healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

1 May 2007

Scientists find last unknown enzyme in the synthesis of vitamin C in plants

Vitamin C is possibly the most important small molecule whose biosynthetic pathway remained a mystery.

30 Apr 2007

Nanotechnology shows potential for dental procedures

The mouth is a tough environment, which is why dentists do not give lifetime guarantees.

30 Apr 2007

Gold nanoparticles used as a simple "litmus test" for mercury

With gold nanoparticles, DNA and some smart chemistry as their tools, scientists at Northwestern University have developed a simple "litmus test" for mercury that eventually could be used for on-the-spot environmental monitoring of bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, lakes and oceans, to evaluate their safety as food and drinking water sources.

30 Apr 2007