Biotechnology, Biology, and Management Active

04/28/2023

"Researchers say the human microbiome that lives in your gut is now endangered.

A new documentary, The Invisible Extinction, highlights how the human microbiome—also known as the bacteria and microorganisms living within the human body, most prevalent in the gut—is on the verge of extinct. And it’s all your fault.

The slow death of the human microbiome is thanks to our modern way of life. We use antibiotics to kill off bad bacteria. But antibiotics kill off plenty of the good stuff, too."

And not just for us.

04/28/2023

"Newly discovered chemicals are so deadly to fungi they are named after Keanu Reeves.

Identifying and testing three natural compounds that proved lethal to fungi, they were so impressed they’ve named the chemicals after actor Keanu Reeves, a nod to how he eliminates villains in movies such as “John Wick” and “The Matrix.

The potential treatment for fungi comes at a time when the organisms are becoming more and more resistant to known antifungals, according to study coauthor Sebastian Götze, a researcher with Germany’s Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology."

Recently identified fungus-killing compounds, "keanumycins," are so effective against fungi that harm plants and humans they have been named after Keanu Reeves, a nod to the actor being deadly in his movie roles.

04/28/2023

"Bioluminescence is an ability possessed by several species of plants and animals that allow them to produce a natural light from their bodies.

The scientists successfully engineered to***co plants that not only give off a green glow, but do so for their entire natural lifespans without any outside chemical assistance. "

A little bit of splicing, and you get Avatar plants. Bioluminescence is an ability possessed by several species of plants and animals that allow them to produce a natural light from their bodies. Examples of this would be fireflies’ butts or that glowing plankton you see in the sea at night. Recen...

03/10/2023

"A so-called “super strain” of gonorrhea—against which many types of antibiotics are less effective or not effective at all—has been identified in the U.S. for the first time, health officials said Thursday, raising further concern that a post-antibiotic era is approaching."

The case comes amid “a rising epidemic of sexually transmitted disease” in the U.S., a public health expert told Fortune.

01/11/2023

Prof. Caitlin Byrt.

How to grow plants on the moon: Not content with the challenging conditions for crop production here on Earth, Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt is lending he...

01/11/2023

"Scientists working in Greenland identified the oldest samples of DNA ever found on earth. By analyzing the two-million year old genetic material, they’ve revealed how northern Greenland was once a wildly different environment than the cold, polar region it is today."

Scientists working in Greenland identified the oldest samples of DNA ever found on earth. By analyzing the two-million year old genetic material, they’ve rev...

12/26/2022

"The Southern Ocean's vast shelves of floating ice appear to hide sprawling blooms of phytoplankton, a discovery that could significantly change our understanding of Antarctica's marine ecosystem and how it might be impacted by climate change."

The Southern Ocean's vast shelves of floating ice appear to hide sprawling blooms of phytoplankton, a discovery that could significantly change our understanding of Antarctica's marine ecosystem and how it might be impacted by climate change.

11/11/2022

11/11/2022

~ Listeria monocytogenes ~

"Deli meat and cheese has been linked to a listeria outbreak in six states that has killed one person and caused another to miscarry."

People at risk of getting sick should avoid eating any deli counter meat or cheese, unless it is reheated to "an internal temperature of 165°F" or "steaming hot," the CDC.

11/09/2022

~ Spillover (infection) ~

"Searching for the next deadly virus, before it ignites another pandemic | 60 Minutes" (22-10-31)

Bill Whitaker reports from Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest, where scientists are trying to find the next deadly virus before it finds us."60 Minutes" is the mos...

10/28/2022

~ vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus obscurus) ~

"A scientist recently captured photographs of an extremely rare bird that has never before been seen on Cape Cod."

A scientist recently captured photographs of an extremely rare bird that has never before been seen on Cape Cod.