Page 6 - Microbiology and Life Science News

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

The accuracy of your TEER assay measurement depends on several things, but membrane quality is undeniably one of the essential factors to consider. Now, there’s a sustainable and cruelty-free cell culture membrane that can be used.

As of the last quarter of 2021, approximately 44 countries from around the world have banned animal testing. Every European Union country, Australia, Colombia, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and a number of Brazilian states are among them. As more governments outlaw practices of animal testing, is there another option that could be used as alternative?

Color remediation column (CRC) technology is a novel post-extraction procedure that enables producers to substantially brighten the color of extracted oils, disproving the traditional understanding that the gold hue alone assures its superiority and origin. This process helps to eliminate odors and pollutants from various extracts. To extract and filter contaminants, several producers now utilize a "color remediation column," which is a steel cylinder filled with a filtration media similar to sand. Additionally, CRC is also utilized to remove any leftover pesticides, off-flavors, or even byproducts from certain synthetic processes. However, the technology has sparked debate over whether the industry’s quality control is being compromised.

Summary:cientists were not immune to the home baking trends that grew out of a year of self-isolation and working from home. A creative application of soda bread as scaffolding for tissue engineering produced some exciting results and highlights the value of keeping it simple.

National Hydration Day takes place on Wednesday, June 23. Let’s celebrate this year by checking in on lifestyle choices around proper hydration and learning more about freshwater resources.