Category: New Research

What’s In A Name?

New Research, Public Perceptions

I found an interesting little article (New Dehli superbug named unfairly says Lancet editor) in the BBC about naming bacteria, and whether or not it is fair to name a bacteria after a place.

Map of India. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The bacteria in question is called New Delhi metallo-beta lactamase 1 (NDM-1) and was discovered by researchers from Cardiff University in the UK. According to the BBC’s article the researchers named the bug after the city because the patient whom they first noticed it in, had been in a hospital in Delhi.

The Lancet, the journal that published the article about the bacterium has made a statement saying that the name of the bug is unfair because it stigmatizes India. The bug has since been found in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, Africa, and East Asia.

While I get why India might be pissed off (no one wants bad things named after them) I think you really have to analyze the impact that the name will have. Honestly, the bug is going to be known as NDM-1. Very few people would use the term ‘New Delhi metallo-beta lactamase 1’ in conversation. Of the people that will use and know the real name of the bug, it will not be the tourists interested in coming to India. Therefore I find the argument that the name will harm India’s tourism industry kind of overblown.

I also find it interesting that the Lancet essentially threw the Cardiff University researchers under the proverbial bus. Again, I understand that the journal has to protect itself and its reputation, but if the researchers stand by the name I don’t think its the journal’s job to denounce it. If nothing in the research is wrong factually, I don’t think the journal should issue a public statement saying that the researchers showed poor judgement. It makes me wonder who was putting pressure on the journal to make a statement.

The Plant That Took Over America

Genetics, New Research, Sequencing
Sphagnum subnitens. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

It grows, it spreads, it takes over North America… its peat moss. Now I know that peat moss isn’t exactly the most exciting of topics, but the article Single peat moss plant ‘conquered America’ stood out to me for a few reasons.

I have written a lot about genome sequencing and genetics, and this research sequenced the genome of the peat moss Sphagnum subnitens, and found that all the samples they collected were genetically identical. This means that there is a common ancestor for the peat moss that spread prolifically throughout North America. 
The research was conducted by teams from Ramapo College in New Jersey (another reason why this article caught my attention,) Binghamton University in New York, and Duke University in North Carolina.  The different types of peat moss vary in color and are found in distinct locations, which makes the 100% genetic match all the more amazing. 
The moss species reproduces sexually, but a single plant can make both the necessary sperm and eggs so its offspring are genetically identical, without being asexually reproduced clones.

Animal Tagging Ethics

New Research
King Penguins. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

New research published in the journal Nature says that the most popular way for tagging penguins for scientific analysis – putting a band around a flipper – may be detrimental to the penguins’ reproduction and survival. This brings up the ethical issue of whether or not the practice of tagging with a band should be continued.

Researchers from the University of Strasbourg and the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) wanted to clear up debate about whether or not the tags, which have been in use for over a decade, have an effect on the penguins detrimental or otherwise.

The study, in king penguins, showed that penguins tagged with the bands had 40% fewer chicks than un-banded penguins. Banded penguins also lived shorter lives. The finding is likely to be controversial because it draws into question the validity of past research done using the bands.

The research also has ties to climate change because many penguin species are already threatened due to changes in their environment. In addition to the typical ethics of whether or not its right to do something that could be harmful in any way, tagging with the bands could also be seen as unethical for stressing an already challenged populations.

Universal Flu Vaccine

New Research, Public Perceptions
H1N1 Virus. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

A new study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine reports that people who fight off the swine flu (H1N1) develop antibodies that can help them fight off other flu infections as well. This finding could be used to create a universal flu vaccine that would eliminate the need for a yearly flu shot against that year’s most likely problematic strains.

Five antibodies isolated from patients that had successfully fended off swine flu appeared different than those antibodies created to fight more typical flu strains. Those antibodies have proven able to fight off even virulent flu strains like the “spanish flu” from 1918 and bird flu (H5N1).

The important thing to remember with a breakthrough like this is that even thought the results are promising, it takes a long time to get from the basic research stage to human trails and widespread availability as a treatment. So even if this works, don’t expect a universal vaccine anytime soon. It is likely to be five years or more before doctors can even think about saying goodbye to yearly flu shots.

Food Printing

New Research, Past Articles

Whenever I think about the food of the future, I think about Star Trek (I know, I know… I’m a nerd in a sorority girl shell) and how in the show their food is created by a machine that assembles the molecular composition of whatever food you order right in front of you. Needless to say like my hover car and robot maid, such things are still far in the future, but an interesting new way to prepare food is channeling this type of future food.

Food printing is a new technology that follows a recipe all on its own to come up with different meals, all you need to input are the ingredients. The technology is being developed by a team of researchers at Cornell University’s Computations Synthesis Lab as part of the Fab@home project. The 3D food printer only requires users to put in the ingredients and program the recipe, and the machine will do the rest. It can even be adjusted for picky eaters — making food moister or crispier, depending on the tastes of the consumer.

The technology would be especially beneficial for people won’t don’t either know how to cook or who don’t have the time to prepare big meals. It could also cut down on costs by limiting production waste during food preparation.

I’m pretty amazed by the creativity that researchers have shown in utilizing printing technology for new applications. In addition to 3D food assembly, printers can also be used for 3D cell culture. I wrote and article about 3D cell printers for BioTechniques last year, and I was amazed by the machines’ capabilities.