For centuries, alcohol fermentation using sugar and yeast has been commonplace throughout the globe. Synthetic biologists have now gone much further. They have completed the key steps to turn yeast cells into microbial factories that can convert sugar into morphine. There is potential to produce other drugs, such as antibiotics and cancer therapies. In a recently published paper in Nature … Read More
Can Humans Get Norovirus From Their Dogs?
Human norovirus may infect our canine companions, according to research published online April 1 in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. That raises the possibility of dog-to-human transmission, said first author Sarah Caddy, VetMB, PhD, MRCVS, a veterinarian and PhD student at the University of Cambridge, and Imperial College, London, UK. Norovirus is … Read More
#PTSD Prevention
Those most at risk for developing PTSD are the survivors of trauma, of course. The next most vulnerable are the rescue workers and volunteers at disasters, untrained in psychological techniques. They are seeing and smelling and feeling vivid, unimaginable horrors and fearing for their lives working in unstable structures. Firefighters and police officers, doctors, nurses, and EMTs may have more … Read More
When to Seek Medical Care for #PTSD
Most people bounce back from traumatic events such as car crashes or assaults. Short-term, most of us would experience some of these symptoms of PTSD. But if any symptoms last more than a month and affect job performance or the ability to function in day-to-day life, consult a licensed mental health professional. Similar symptoms that begin immediately after a traumatic … Read More