Monsanto announced last week that it licensed the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool from the Broad Institute in Boston for use in seed development. The technology will allow the agritech giant to edit crops’ DNA by “snipping” away undesirable traits – or adding in more desirable ones – of the plants’ genetic codes. Frankenfood? [1]
Source: Business Insider
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced earlier this month that the agency is launching a contest to create the best app designed to reduce the number of people who die every year from overdosing on opioid painkillers.
A rather shocking thing occurred this week when U.S.
On September 21, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a declaration aimed at slowing the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, calling it “historical” and “a turning point.”
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Dr. Keiji Fukada said:
“I think the declaration will have very strong implications. What it will convey is that there’s recognition that we have a big problem and there’s a commitment to do something about it.”
In just over a week, the herbal supplement kratom will be listed as a Schedule I as seen on the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. This is due to the fact that the capsules contain mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, 2 substances which although are naturally occurring in the plant, are now classified as harmful by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to recent reports, more people die from air pollution than malaria and HIV/AIDS. The statistics show that 3 million people die prematurely each year from the toxic air, and the number could double by 2050 if no efforts are made to stabilize it. In the realm of good news on this issue, scientists have now created an inhaler that could help protect your lungs from the deadliest effects of air pollution. [1]
Medical marijuana is legal in about half of the United States, and the DEA missed its chance to legalize it on the national level when it passed on rescheduling marijuana this past summer. But in Canada, doctors have been given the green light to prescribe heroin to severely addicted patients.
Are we living in a parallel universe or something?
In an effort to help curb some of the strains that disposable plastic puts on landfills, France is set to become the first country to ban all disposable cutlery products. By 2020, any disposable cutlery items will be required to be made from 50% biologically-sourced materials. By 2025, the cutlery will have to be made of 60% biologically sourced materials that can be composted at home. [1]
Mulberry, Florida is now home to a giant sinkhole that has caused 215 million gallons of radioactive water to leak into the state’s supply of drinking water.
A 4th case of a superbug that is resistant to antibiotics of last resort has been reported in a Connecticut toddler, and health officials are scrambling to figure out where else the superbugs might be lurking.
