toxic

If someone is showing symptoms that may be caused by a toxic algae bloom, it's important to know ASAP if that is indeed the culprit. A new urine test could soon help in doing so.

Back in 2015, scientists from Stanford University announced that mealworms could be used to break down Styrofoam waste – by eating it. Now, they've additionally discovered that a toxic substance in that foam is not concentrated in the worms.

A team of Stanford scientists claim to provide the first direct evidence of a link between adulterated turmeric and lead concentrations in the blood.

A new study has developed a novel method to tame one of the world’s most potent toxins, tetrodotoxin, commonly found in the pufferfish. The research demonstrates a way to control the spread of the toxin and harness it into a local anesthetic that can numb targeted regions for up to three days.

A genetically modified fungus designed to safely reduce malaria-spreading mosquito populations has been successfully tested outside of laboratory conditions in a simulated village environment. The trial decimated the mosquito population in 45 days paving the way for more trials in open environments.

​While there are already electronic devices that detect toxic gases, they can be expensive, and require training to properly use. Soon, though, there could be a cheap and simple alternative – threads woven into washable clothing, that change color when nasty gases are present.

​Although many of us may balk at the thought of drinking arsenic, the toxic chemical does occur naturally in the drinking water of some regions – and its levels definitely need to be monitored. An inexpensive new device allows people in developing countries to do so, and it works with a smartphone.

MacGyver is alive and well and living in Austin Texas, where researchers have come up with a simple and affordable chemical weapons detector, made out of an iPhone, a UV lamp, a standard 96-well test plate and … a bunch of Lego bricks. ​

Proteins are the workhorses of biology, but they’re too sensitive to be useful in the outside world. Now, a team from UC Berkeley has found a way to keep them alive and functioning in a synthetic environment, and used them to make mats that can break down toxic chemicals.

If the goose that laid the golden egg had a real-life counterpart, it would be C. metallidurans. This bacterium consumes toxic metals and excretes tiny gold nuggets, but how and why has never been fully understood. Now researchers have peered inside the microorganism and figured out that mechanism.

Aflatoxins in fungi have been linked to stunted growth in children, liver cancer, and immune suppression. Now, researchers have genetically modified corn plants to fight back, by letting them send “Trojan horse” molecules into the fungus to neutralize its ability to produce the toxins.

The new AquaDx chip will work with the hand-held MyDx portable analyzer to test for the presence of toxic chemicals or elements in water in about six minutes.​