Tasmanian devil milk.....may do a body good.

Since the discovery of penicillin, highly purified antibiotics have been extensively used in modern medicine. Antibiotics stop bacterial infections and save lives, but this isn't without consequence. The bacteria fight back. Since their life-cycles are relatively very short, they can quickly evolve mechanisms to counteract the use of antibiotics and become resistant. Once this happens, we must use different kinds of antibiotics to combat resistant infections. Despite how creative we think we are, most new antibiotics are derived from molecules that other organisms produce. Recently a team of researchers have discovered components of Tasmanian devil milk that display antimicrobial properties.  Read the press release here.

Nosey knees.

Your body is composed of a spectacular diversity of cell types. These cells were all derived from a single cell that was made when sperm joined with an egg. Interestingly, despite their diversity, cells that serve similar functions in different parts of the body can be "re-purposed" by physicians and scientists to repair damage. In this press release (link below), cells that create cartilage in the nose have been harvested and successfully used to build up cartilage in the knee.



Read the press release here.

Neurotoxin, Aisle 4!

There is a interesting looking fruit that temps people in the produce section everyday. The star fruit. Scientists have recently identified the neurotoxin that can cause big problems for those with kidney disease. Following those dietary restriction guidelines that the doctor gives you seems a little easier now, doesn't it....

Read the full article here: Sweet poison: Star fruit neurotoxin identified