Celiachia, il pane di grano geneticamente modificato senza glutine
Pane di grano quasi completamente senza glutine, ottimo anche per i celiaci? Potrebbe in futuro diventare realtà grazie ad un esperimento internazionale che ha modificato geneticamente il grano, andando a selezionare e rimuovere quasi tutti i componenti che fanno male ai celiaci. La ricerca, guidata dal team dell’Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible a Cordoba, in Spagna, è stata pubblicata su Plant Biotechnology Journal. Il risultato, ancora da perfezionare, potrebbe in futuro aprire nuove strade alimentari per ben un individuo su cento, ovvero tutte le persone che soffrono di celiachia.
Continua a leggere l’articolo di Viola Rita su Wired
The Netherlands Is Paving the Way in Toilet Paper Infrastructure
Maintaining cycling infrastructure is a matter of course in the Netherlands, a country boasting 35,000 kilometers of bicycle paths. Still, the Dutch province of Friesland managed to make waves when it re-paved a bicycle highway last fall.
A 1-kilometer stretch of the bike roadway connecting the Frisian capital of Leeuwarden to the town of Stiens has the distinction of being the world’s first bicycle lane paved with toilet paper. Recycled toilet paper, that is
Continua a leggere l’articolo di Tiffany R. Jansen su CityLab
Searching for Lost Memories Under Thousands of Microscopes
On a cool September evening, Judy Johanson curled up on her living room sofa with her iPad, carefully examining mouse brains. Her husband, Steve, slept just a few feet away. It was granular work, especially for a woman who for 24 years ran a daycare center. Judy scrolled through hundreds of slides, searching them, one by one, for tiny black spots. The task might have appeared deeply tedious—but Judy was in the zone. While Steve dreamed, she was joining thousands of amateur scientists in the search for a cure for his disease.
When Steve was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease six years ago, at age 58, he told Judy: “We can choose to be sad or we can choose to be happy.” So they chased happiness: The Johansons worked with the Alzheimer’s Association and began lobbying local and federal politicians for more research funding. Until last November, Steve was part of a promising 18-month clinical trial for a drug intended to slow his cognitive decline. Judy felt certain that the drug was working, but earlier this year researchers concluded it was ineffective.
Continua a leggere l’articolo di Miranda Katz su WIRED
