A selection of health news from the University of Chicago and around the globe curated just for you.
UChicago awarded $1 million grant to study microbiome dynamics
Researchers from UChicago have received a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to study how the molecular activity of the microbiome changes in response to the environment. Eugene Chang and Tao Pan featured. (The Forefront)
Reliable point-of-care blood test can help prevent toxoplasmosis
A recent study, performed in Chicago and Morocco found that a novel finger-prick test can accurately predict infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy. Rima McLeod, whose broader work is reported in an earlier WellNews post, featured. (The Forefront)
‘Zombie gene’ protects against cancer—in elephants
With such enormous bodies, elephants should be particularly prone to tumors. But an ancient gene in their DNA, somehow resurrected, seems to shield the animals. Vincent Lynch featured. (New York Times)
Hospital bacteria are starting to tolerate hand sanitizer
Strains of bacteria have developed increased tolerance to the alcohols in hand sanitizers, which requires hospitals to rethink how they protect patients from drug-resistant bacteria. (Futurity)
Oxalo Therapeutics among recipients of scholarships from drug accelerator
Cydan II Inc., an orphan drug accelerator dedicated to creating therapies that impact the lives of people living with rare genetic diseases, announced it has selected four start-up organizations and companies, including Oxalo, to receive $5,000 scholarships to support innovations that impact the lives of people with rare conditions. (BusinessWire)
