In June the World Health Organization (WHO) published a new classification of antibiotics aimed at fighting drug resistance, with penicillin-type drugs recommended as the first line of defense, and others only when absolutely necessary. [1]
Until now, long-distance space travel has always been exclusively found in sci-fi books and flicks. I say “until now” because U.S. researchers have successfully reanimated cryogenically frozen life, in the form of frozen zebra fish embryos – something scientists have been trying to do for 60 years. [1]
If you want to live forever – or you just want to see if we’re finally driving flying cars in 2030 – it might be possible with cryogenic freezing.
If you try to avoid fattening foods at birthday parties, this story may have you swearing off cake forever. It might have crossed your mind that when someone leans over to blow out their birthday candles, they’re spewing spit and germs everywhere, and you’d be right about that. According to researchers, blowing out birthday candles increases the amount of bacteria on a cake by 1,400%. [1]
Who wants some ice cream?
A group of scientists in Oregon have edited the genes of human embryos for the first time in the United States, using CRISPR-Cas9, a cut-and-paste gene-editing tool. [1]
The experiments were conducted by Shoukhrat Mitalipov and colleagues at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. The single-celled embryos Mitalipov edited were discarded after the experiments to ensure they could not become too developed.
One of the largest chicken producers in the United States, Perdue Farms recently released its first-ever chicken welfare report in July 2017. The company says it has taken important steps to follow through on plans it announced a little over a year ago to change the way it raises and slaughters chickens. [1]
In a letter to the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), the NFL offered to team up to study the potential of marijuana as a pain management tool for players. Marijuana use, for any purpose, is currently prohibited by the league. [1]
The NFLPA is in the midst of conducting its own marijuana study, and reportedly has yet to respond to the NFL’s offer.
Joe Lockhart, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, said:
“We look forward to working with the Players Association on all issues involving the health and safety of our players.”
The EPA’s inspector general has launched an investigation into possible collusion between a former high-ranking EPA official and Monsanto, the maker of RoundUp. [1]
The probe was initiated in response to a request from Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, for an investigation into whether the EPA official colluded with the biotech giant to tilt research on glyphosate in favor of Monsanto’s claim that the chemical does not cause cancer in humans.
This, despite Monsanto having never conducted carcinogenicity studies on RoundUp.
More than 15 million Americans across 27 states may have drinking water contaminated with perfluorochemicals (PFCs) that are used to make non-stick cookware and other products, according to a report published in June 2017. [1]
A woman from Tucson, Arizona, says cannabidiol oil (CBD oil) treated her 12-year-old daughter of life-threatening seizures. The young girl suffers from a rare brain disorder and slipped into a coma after she vomited and had a seizure following a gymnastics competition. [1]
Annalise Lujan’s parents rejoiced after only 3 CBD oil treatments brought their daughter out of her coma and halted her crippling seizures.
Her mom, Maryann, said the speed at which their daughter’s illness forever changed her life was stunning.
Senator Chuck Schumer from New York issued a letter to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on July 30, 2017, calling on the health regulator to launch a study into the consequences of using phthalates in food packaging. [1]
Earlier in July, a study revealed that boxed macaroni and cheese contain phthalates, including Kraft Mac & Cheese. Phthalates are a group of endocrine-disrupting additives in plastics, used to make them soft and flexible.
