Every time you get a flu shot, you should thank a horseshoe crab. Most medical interventions—vaccines, drugs, devices—have been tested on horseshoe crabs. Their blood clots immediately when it's exposed to dangerous bacteria. The biomedical industry bleeds horseshoe crabs routinely in order to make sure their products won't poison patients. But horseshoe crabs are in decline, and an NC company is trying to figure out how to raise them sustainably.
bacteria
What happens when raw sewage is dumped into water
Raw sewage causes microorganisms in the water to go into overdrive.
What happens when raw sewage is dumped into water
March 15, 2018
How Wilson Bay was saved from more sewage pollution
Pollution from an overburdened sewage plant nearly destroyed Wilson Bay. Now a restoration effort has brought it back to life.
Superbugs are on the Rise, and the Future of Antibiotics is at Stake
Ouch. I scratched myself shaving this morning.
It stung a little. Just to be safe I washed it off and then put a dab of antibiotic ointment on it. No problem.
But the question being asked more and more is: for how long will the antibiotic method continue to work?
The sad fact is we may be entering what scientists are calling the post-antibiotic era. If this is the case, that scratch I happened to get while shaving this morning could turn out to be fatal. It’s all thanks to superbugs—more formally known as drug-resistant bacteria.
Germ-Killing Robots
A study by Duke Health finds a new tool that produces a type of ultraviolet light, which could help hospitals fight drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Single-Cell Organisms: Lesson Plan
Learn about protists—single-celled organisms that carry out the basic functions of life.
Rapid Water Test: Lesson Plan
Learn about testing water quality in freshwater systems and in coastal waters. Then find out how testing is being used to determine water safety at North Carolina beaches.
Hurricane Matthew: The Science of Cleanup: Lesson Plan
The cleanup after Hurricane Matthew means a race against mold and bacteria, both of which can grow in a damp environment and can cause disease.
Hurricane Matthew: the Science of Cleanup
Hurricane Matthew's floodwaters are receding, but it's the mess, left behind, that could be dangerous. NC Science Now's Frank Graff explains the hazards of cleaning up.
Harnessing Microbials: Lesson Plan
Summarize how the abiotic factors of biomes affect the ability of organisms to grow, survive, and carry out photosynthesis, then learn more about how researchers in North Carolina are studying one abiotic factor, soil, and how the microorganisms it contains help contribute to the health of plants.