Washington University’s saliva test for Covid-19 faster and easier
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new saliva test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus faster and easier. The results from this diagnostic test are available in a few hours, and therefore easily communicated to people who were tested within the day. The test does not require special swabs or reagents […]
Medicinal cannabis may reduce behavioral problems in kids with intellectual disabilities
Reading Time: 2 minutesCANNABIDIOL, a type of medicinal cannabis, may reduce severe behavioural problems in children and adolescents with an intellectual disability a new study has found. The pilot study, led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, recorded a clinically significant change in participants’ irritability, aggression, self-injury, and yelling. The […]
Animal biotech offers potential in addressing food insecurity
Reading Time: 2 minutesANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY has been primed to contribute significantly towards addressing the challenge of food security, especially in the developing world. During a webinar organized by ISAAA AfriCenter, experts agreed that animal biotechnology is an inevitable part of the toolkit to address climate-related challenges. Prof Steve Kemp, an animal geneticist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), underscored the […]
Experts review potential of plant-based edible vaccines
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEDIBLE plant-based vaccines were developed to become part of the solution to address the possible hazards associated with the parenteral vaccines. Experts from India say that edible vaccines may eventually eradicate the global outbreak of infectious diseases. According to the experts, edible vaccines are made by plants with antigenic protein introduced into the plant cells. Specific genes of interest in […]
South Korea Promotes the First Genome-edited Food Crop
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSINCE the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined that the soybeans improved using CRISPR-Cas9 are not considered as genetically modified, the Seed Project using CRISPR commences. “We received a decision from the USDA that the genome-edited soybean which contains a double amount antioxidant, anti-aging oleic acid, are not GMOs,” said Ji-Hak Han, Director of the Toolgen Seed Business Division […]
Genomic analysis reveals many animal species may be vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Reading Time: 2 minutesHUMANS are not the only species facing a potential threat from SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis. An international team of scientists used genomic analysis to compare the main cellular receptor for the virus in humans — angiotensin converting enzyme-2, or ACE2 — […]