Microbiology and Life Science News
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November 10, 2022
Regardless of whether it's a high school science laboratory, a medical research laboratory or scientific research facility, laboratories are hazardous environments and certain safety measures need to be implemented to prevent accidents. The following safety tips can help avoid common hazards and accidents in a laboratory.
- Basic Safety Protocols
Try to avoid working alone in a building and never work alone in a laboratory if the work you are doing presents an element of danger. Alert others to potential dangers when working with hazardous equipment or materials, or if there are any unusual hazards or conditions present. A laboratory is not the place for joking around. Distracting or startling someone working in a laboratory environment can cause an accident.
- Know Where to Go and What to Do in an Emergency
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November 09, 2022
Bacterial and viral outbreaks in wild animal colonies can have a devastating impact on wildlife populations, and sometimes their long term conservation too. Early diagnosis can help wildlife managers understand what pathogens they are dealing with so they can implement measures to prevent the spread of disease where possible. ‘
Nobuto blood filter strips offer an efficient, inexpensive, and portable solution for taking blood samples from wild animals, providing a valuable tool for surveying and monitoring both healthy and diseased wildlife populations.They can be used to diagnose a wide range of common bacterial and viral diseases in wildlife and birds, as well as for detecting exposure to harmful environmental pollutants such as heavy metals and toxins.
Nobuto strips have been used to test for common avian viral diseases such as avian influenza, Newcastle disease, and West Nile virus in bird
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October 13, 2022
Oktoberfest is an annual beer festival held over the course of two weeks during September-October in Munich, Germany. Its origins date back to October 12, 1810, when the festival was first held to celebrate the marriage of Prince Louis of Bavaria, who later became King, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Over the years, the festival has evolved to include an amusement park and fun-fair, food and drink stalls, and several large and lively beer halls, where much of the merry-making takes place.
The Oktoberfest is a huge attraction for both locals and tourists alike. More than six million revelers attend Oktoberfest each year, consuming more than 2 million gallons of beer during the two week event.
While
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September 16, 2022
The medicinal properties of cannabis have been recognized for centuries, and it has been used informally in traditional Chinese and Indian medicines, and more recently in western cultures without medical approval, to treat a wide range of symptoms. Over the last decade, interest in the medicinal benefits of cannabis has started to garner attention, and consequently there has been an increase in research to provide evidence of these medical effects (1).
Many western countries, including the United States, Canada and Germany now allow the medical use of cannabis. In Germany, cannabinoid medications prescribed by a physician to patients with severe diseases and no alternative treatment options are covered by health insurance (2).
The principal cannabinoid compounds derived from the cannabis plant are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and
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September 16, 2022
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines air pollution as the "contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere." This International Clean Air Day, let's try to clean up our act and strive for clean air and blue skies by making a concerted effort to reduce our carbon footprint.
Common sources of air pollution include fires, motor vehicles, power plants, and other industrial activities. The pollutants that pose the greatest public health risk include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, lead, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Exposure to these pollutants can cause respiratory conditions and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. According to WHO, 99% of the world's population breathe heavily polluted air that exceeds their recommended
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September 16, 2022
What is Chemical Oxygen Demand?
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed to oxidize organic matter present in water. COD testing is conducted to determine how much organic matter is present in a water sample and how much oxidation will occur. COD testing can also be used to determine the levels of inorganic chemicals present in a sample, [1] and is used to quantify pollution levels in water. A higher COD value indicates greater pollution levels in a water sample.
What is BOD and How Does it Differ from COD?
Biochemical or Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), is the amount of dissolved oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to break down organic matter present in water biologically. While COD and BOD can both be used to determine pollution levels in a water sample, COD is an indication of how much oxygen is required break down organic pollutants
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August 15, 2022
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Schistosome flatworms and is considered one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases, which are a group of tropical diseases endemic to low-income populations of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. However, Schistosomiasis affects more than 200 million people worldwide, and the CDC has placed it second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease.
Efforts to combat this infection are ramping up dramatically. As an example, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation granted The Imperial College of London $30 million dollars in 2002 to establish the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), which initially partnered the college and the foundation with the World Health Organization and the Harvard School of Public Health. Their goal was to identify hot spots for infection, provide health education within those regions, treat victims, and monitor impact of the treatment program. Schistosomiasis
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August 13, 2022
A 2017 study(1) estimates that up to 2.41 million tons of plastic enters the ocean via rivers every year, but if one includes all land-based sources of plastic, the total amount of plastic entering the oceans each year could be higher than 12 million tons(2). One of the biggest hurdles to solving the marine plastics problem is that no matter how fast we remove it from our oceans and beaches, there is a steady flow entering the oceans every day. In order to make any headway, we need to not only tackle the plastic that is already in the ocean, we also need to eradicate plastic pollution at the source to prevent it from getting into the ocean in the first place. Scientists have now created a super-powered mutant enzyme that is designed to quickly degrade plastic into components suitable for reuse, which could be a game-changer.
A team of US engineers and scientists have developed an enzyme that can break down notoriously long-lived plastics within
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July 13, 2022
Marine plastic debris is one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Plastics are found in all corners of the world’s ocean, from the surface down to the seabed, and pollutes even the most remote beaches all across the world. Because plastic is so durable, it doesn’t simply break down in the environment, but rather slowly disintegrates into tiny bits of plastic which float on the surface or are suspended in the water column before finally sinking to the seafloor where they accumulate over time.
These plastic particles, known as microplastics, are often ingested by marine animals and seabirds who mistake them for food. As higher predators inadvertently ingest microplastics found inside all the prey they eat, this can quickly accumulate. Since the plastic is not easily digested, the digestive system can become clogged up with microplastic. This causes the animal to feel full, and so it stops feeding and slowly starves to death.
While several innovative technologies
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June 17, 2022
Eight cups, three liters, one gallon? Straight water or added vitamins and electrolytes? Everybody has an opinion on what it means to be hydrated. Drinking water every day helps regulate mood, keeps the body from overheating, and supports healthy skin and digestion. But staying hydrated without consistent access to clean drinking water can be a challenge.