A running theme in the Science Market Update is that nature seems to have all the answers to our bioscience questions, if only we know how to ask them. For instance, how do we make an anesthetic strong enough to make a scorpion sting painless? And what can we do to keep antibiotics from becoming ineffective? Today’s question, posed by researchers at Michigan State University, is: how can we quickly gather precise water pollution data over entire rivers and lakes? To which nature answers: send in a fleet of water striders.
Science Market Update
Words like “toxic” and “lethal” are very subjective in the world of life science research, where one creature’s poison is another creature’s pleasure. For instance, we saw some fantastic research last year at the University of Minnesota involving bacteria that ate enough chlorine to detoxify superfund sites. Following in the tiny footsteps of these microbes, bacteria under investigation at Michigan State University enjoy consuming the toxic byproducts of biodiesel plants, indicating a greener and more sustainable future for the industry.
Around the world, the number of bees is abruptly decreasing. Known as colony collapse disorder, the phenomenon is affecting agriculture on the global scale. According to a report by the United Nations, crops reliant on honeybee pollination sum up to a net worth of $200 billion, and the decline in population is increasing the cost of beekeeping by an average of 20%. Looking into the matter are bioresearchers from Michigan State University, who are busy deriving the genes responsible for pollination.
A human’s first instinct upon seeing a scorpion is to get away from it as fast as possible. The grasshopper mouse, on the other hand, routinely feeds on bark scorpions, as seen in the video below. Despite the venomous nature of their prey, the mice suffer no side effects from their mealtime and aren’t even that bothered while they’re eating. The secret of their immunity is inspiring researchers at Michigan State University to look into the medicinal properties of this mouse’s body.
The arena of renewable energy has expanded to include a number of different methods and natural resources. At Michigan State University, a new and unlikely contender has entered the scene. Decomposing microorganisms are the key behind the university’s incredibly efficient anaerobic digester, which they put into operation this Tuesday.
Science researchers at Michigan State University recently published a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that says they have discovered a second molecular door that can be used in creating mosquito repellant. Scientists long believed that there was only one molecular gateway in targeting disease-carrying mosquitoes, but this door is coming to a close. Pyrethroid insecticides have been used for years and work so well as an insecticide that the World Health Organiation uses them with the mosquito nets they distribute around the world.
Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a groundbreaking new method of detecting Parkinson’s disease at an earlier stage, making it possible to treat the disease and control symptoms more effectively. Professor and chair of Michagan State University’s Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders Rahul Shrivastav helped in part to develop the method of detection, which involves monitoring speech patterns, movement patterns of the jaw and tongue in particular. According to the Michigan State University news page, these signs are detectable before the disease begins to affect other muscles and movement.
The summer is finally approaching, which means biotechnology news related to mosquito outbreaks is especially hot. (We had the same thought last summer; see Irvine Research Lab Produces Transgenic Mosquitoes to Combat Malaria and Rock Neurogenetics Lab in the Press for Mosquito Research, Fashion Scents.) As was the case last summer, researchers are working hard to reduce the impact of malaria, which is largely transmitted by mosquitoes. At Michigan State University, they are taking a unique approach to this old problem: instead of protecting humans from mosquitoes, just protect mosquitoes from malaria in the first place.
By this point, most Americans are familiar with the gelatinous yellow pill harked by many as a critically necessary supplement. Fish oil pills, packed with omega-3 fatty acids, are sold in many grocery stores and can be found in even more households nationwide. At Michigan State University, bioresearchers are delving deeper into the effects of fish oil on the body. What they have found may sound a little surprising at first: fish oil can increase immunity in people with certain health conditions.
Michigan State University is helping to make East Lansing a highly funded market for biotechnology vendors and lab suppliers in Michigan, according to the latest NIH and NSF research funding statistics. In 2012, the NIH awarded Michigan State University $46.1 million in research funding. The money will go towards a number of research projects across various departments at the university. We have broken down the number of projects awarded money in each science research discipline and the total amount of funding for those projects in the list below:
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