Scientists have devised a novel way of tackling the mounting issue of plastic pollution… by using bacteria to transform plastic waste into vanilla flavoring. Researchers have discovered that the common bacteria E. coli can be deployed as a sustainable way to convert post-consumer plastic into vanillin, a new study reveals. Vanillin Vanillin is the primary component […]
Stress can turn hair gray — and it’s reversible, researchers find
Legend has it that Marie Antoinette’s hair turned gray overnight just before her beheading in 1791. Though the legend is inaccurate — hair that has already grown out of the follicle does not change color — a new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons is the first to offer […]
Appendix removal associated with development of Parkinson’s disease
Patients who had their appendix removed were more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those whose appendix remained in place, according to the largest study to address the relationship between the two conditions. The retrospective study involving more than 62 million patient records from 26 health systems will be presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) […]
Food protein can eliminate pungency and bitterness of extra virgin olive oil
Researchers have been investigating the potential health-promoting qualities of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for decades, including its possible medicinal value for preventing cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease, as part of the well-known Mediterranean diet. However, consumers in the U.S. have been slow to embrace it as a staple in their diet. This reluctance, say […]
Cookware made with scrap metal contaminates food
Aluminum cookware made from scrap metal in countries around the world poses a serious and previously unrecognized health risk to millions of people according to a new study. The highest levels were found in cookware from Vietnam including one pot that released 2,800 times more lead than California’s Maximum Allowable Dose Level (MADL) of 0.5 […]
Populations survive despite many deleterious mutations: Evolutionary model of Muller’s ratchet explored
From protozoans to mammals, evolution has created more and more complex structures and better-adapted organisms. This is all the more astonishing as most genetic mutations are deleterious. Especially in small asexual populations that do not recombine their genes, unfavourable mutations can accumulate. This process is known as Muller’s ratchet in evolutionary biology. The ratchet, proposed […]
Honey Could Be Effective At Treating And Preventing Wound Infections
Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study published in Microbiology. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. Streptococcus pyogenes is a normal skin bacterium […]
Coconut oil could combat tooth decay
Digested coconut oil is able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It is a natural antibiotic that could be incorporated into commercial dental care products, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology’s Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick. The team from the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland […]
Undiagnosed, undertreated Chagas disease emerging as U.S. public health threat
Across a broad swath of the southern United States, residents face a tangible but mostly unrecognized risk of contracting Chagas disease — a stealthy parasitic infection that can lead to severe heart disease and death — according to new research presented today at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting. Chagas […]
Lavender oil has potent antifungal effect
Lavender oil could be used to combat the increasing incidence of antifungal-resistant infections, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. The essential oil shows a potent antifungal effect against strains of fungi responsible for common skin and nail infections. Scientists from the University of Coimbra in Portugal distilled lavender oil from the […]