Category Archives: Uncategorized

ExtremeTech

Genetically engineering e. coli bacteria to do cool things is the latest craze in the science world. The latest, sci-fiesque case in point: Biologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego have created a living neon sign made of e. coli bacteria that will glow based on triggered reactions, completely in unison.

Bacteria communicate by a method known as quorum sensing, which means that they actually pass molecules between them to coordinate and trigger behavior. With knowledge of how to manipulate those triggers, the bacteria can be made to react in predictable ways. In this case, some genetic engineering caused that reaction to be a fluorescent glow by adding a particular protein to the bacteria’s biological clock. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment, but quorum sensing isn’t a large or fast enough process to work quickly on millions of bacteria together, so microfluidic chips (below right) were designed to harness the localized trigger and broadcast it to the plethora of shared colonies existing on the chip

Genetically engineering e. coli bacteria to do cool things is the latest craze in the science world. The latest, sci-fiesque case in point: Biologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego have created a living neon sign made of e. coli bacteria that will glow based on triggered reactions, completely in unison.

Bacteria communicate by a method known as quorum sensing, which means that they actually pass molecules between them to coordinate and trigger behavior. With knowledge of how to manipulate those triggers, the bacteria can be made to react in predictable ways. In this case, some genetic engineering caused that reaction to be a fluorescent glow by adding a particular protein to the bacteria’s biological clock. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment, but quorum sensing isn’t a large or fast enough process to work quickly on millions of bacteria together, so microfluidic chips (below right) were designed to harness the localized trigger and broadcast it to the plethora of shared colonies existing on the chip

Genetically engineering e. coli bacteria to do cool things is the latest craze in the science world. The latest, sci-fiesque case in point: Biologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego have created a living neon sign made of e. coli bacteria that will glow based on triggered reactions, completely in unison.

Bacteria communicate by a method known as quorum sensing, which means that they actually pass molecules between them to coordinate and trigger behavior. With knowledge of how to manipulate those triggers, the bacteria can be made to react in predictable ways. In this case, some genetic engineering caused that reaction to be a fluorescent glow by adding a particular protein to the bacteria’s biological clock. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment, but quorum sensing isn’t a large or fast enough process to work quickly on millions of bacteria together, so microfluidic chips (below right) were designed to harness the localized trigger and broadcast it to the plethora of shared colonies existing on the chip

7th Space Interactive 

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (January 12) investigating a food poisoning outbreak and reminds the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.

The outbreak has affected three women, all aged 27. They developed vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and fever about 24 to 40 hours after having dinner in a food premises in Quarry Bay in the evening of January 3. The trio then sought medical attention and no hospitalisation was required.

They have remained in stable condition.

The stool specimen of one of them tested positive for norovirus upon laboratory testing by the hospital. The CHP’s initial enquiries revealed that the trio had consumed raw oysters.

“The case has been referred to the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for follow-up,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

Gant News 

Think the government is keeping a watchful eye on your food supply?

Officials say they are but critics contend an enormous amount of U.S. foods are being imported from other countries, raising all kinds of health and safety concerns.

Food imports have exploded in recent years, totalling $119 billion in 2014, according to the USDA. That’s nearly triple the value of imports from 15 years earlier.

The problem is that food safety regulations in other countries might not be as tight as those in the United States. And U.S. regulators are challenged to keep up with the massive number of producers and shipments.

Yahoo7 News 

Coles and Aldi have come under fire from social media users who are pushing for the supermarket giant to refrigerate their eggs to reduce the risk of salmonella.

Members of the public have taken to Twitter to question both supermarket chains about their storage procedures, highlighting the fact that Woolworths now keeps all of their eggs in refrigerated cabinets.

New York City Website

You can make a complaint about food safety practices in service establishments, including unsanitary conditions, pets, and insect infestations. You can also report food poisoning from anything prepared by a commercial establishment, or from eating at parties, weddings, banquets, or other gatherings. Symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.

You can file a food safety complaint against:

• Supermarkets
• Farmers markets
• Fish markets
• Beverage stores
• Bodegas
• Warehouses
• Delis
• Bakeries
• Cafeterias
• Food carts (including Green Carts), stands, or trucks
• Restaurants

If you are reporting food poisoning, you must indicate how many people became sick and the food that you think caused the illness. If possible, keep a sample of the food so it may be collected and tested.

The Department of Health will issue violations or warnings when appropriate.

CBC News 

Scientists in Nova Scotia are trying to come up with a way to prevent cattle from hosting the toxic strain of E. coli that can make humans sick if they eat meat contaminated with the bacteria.

Food safety research scientist Martin Kalmokoff, who works at the Atlantic Food and Agriculture Research Centre in Kentville, said the research is trying to figure out why certain types of E. coli multiply in the guts of cows.

The idea is eventually farmers will be able to feed to young calves a harmless type of E. coli in liquid form, either through a bottle or syringe, that will prevent the more toxic strains from flourishing.

The hope is the mixture would out-compete the toxic E. coli O157 for space in the gut.

Science Daily

Researchers monitoring the unprecedented bloom of toxic algae along the west coast of North America in 2015 found record levels of the algal toxin domoic acid in samples from a wide range of marine organisms. The toxin was also detected for the first time in the muscle tissue or filet of several commercial fish species.

Health Protection Scotland 

Science Daily 

Since prehistoric times, clays have been used by people for medicinal purposes. Whether by eating it, soaking in a mud bath, or using it to stop bleeding from wounds, clay has long been part of keeping humans healthy. Certain clays have also been found with germ-killing abilities, but how these work has remained unclear.

Food Safety News 

British Columbia health authorities are monitoring a Hepatitis A outbreak in Dawson Creek, B.C. and trying to identify the source of the viral infection. Northern Health’s chief medical officer Dr. Sandra Allison said there have been five confirmed cases.

Allison said the health teams are trying to identify where the infected people have been and eaten in the past seven weeks after exposure, as the virus has a long incubation period – from three to 70 days.

Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver spread through fecal-oral contact. The virus is ingested by mouth from fecal-contaminated food or drink or through close personal contact with an infected person. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain and jaundice. They can last for several weeks but usually not beyond two months.