Scientists are turning to genomics to better understand the epidemiology of malaria and to inform control and elimination interventions and strategies. In the Lake Victoria region of Kenya, malaria burden remains very high despite more than a decade of intense control activities. A team of researchers generated whole Plasmodium falciparum genome sequences from the lake…

Garden soil houses a variety of bacteria and their natural byproducts — including one that may help halt tumor growth. Lankacidins are molecules that can be isolated from Strepomyces rochei, a common bacterium in soil. In addition to antimicrobial properties, a type of lankacidins, called lankacidin C, can inhibit tumor activity in various cancer cell…

Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses have all been recorded in Mexico; however, recent diagnostic advances have improved the accuracy of serological testing. A new study suggests that current estimates of the incidence of arboviruses in Mexico may have been previously underestimated. Chikungunya and Zika virus were first detected in Mexico in 2014 and 2015, respectively.…

Scientists recently published findings indicating the baboon could prove to be a relevant model to test therapeutics and interventions for neurodegenerative diseases, such as early stage Alzheimer’s and related dementias. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and one in three seniors die from the disease or related…

A new study shows that schistosome transmission can actually be highest when freshwater snail populations are low. This study demonstrates how the size of a freshwater snail population relates to its parasitic infection rate. A new study led by Emory University, however, shows that schistosome transmission can actually be highest when freshwater snail populations are…

Red yeast rice supplement has the potential to cause liver damage, warn doctors after a 64-year-old woman developed acute liver injury after six weeks of taking the supplement. Red yeast rice is a supplement made by fermenting steamed rice with food fungus, and is often used to lower high cholesterol as an alternative to statin…

The discovery of a gene that regulates the angle of root growth in corn is a new tool to enable the breeding of deeper-rooting crops with enhanced ability to take up nitrogen, according to an international team of researchers. The gene, called ZmCIPK15 — a moniker indicating where it is located in the genome and…

International guidelines developed to help doctors diagnose cow’s milk allergy may lead to over-diagnosis, according to new research. The study found that three-quarters of infants have two or more symptoms at some point in the first year of life which guidelines say may be caused by cow’s milk allergy, yet the condition only affects one…

Dried snack foods such as apple chips are a convenient alternative to fresh fruit, providing longer shelf life and easier storage. Consumers increasingly demand product variety, so companies coat such snack foods with fruit and vegetable powders to enhance taste and sensory appeal. A new study explores the drying process of coated and uncoated apple…

A study indicates that early sexual maturation and high aerobic performance in salmon have a genetic link that is already evident in juvenile salmon. Salmon are born in rivers, migrate to the sea to reach maturity and return to spawn in their native river. While the salmon that reach their maturity at an early age…