What winds YOUR internal clock? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Roosters crow at dawn. Toddlers wake up at 4 am every day. Plants know when to turn light into energy. But… What about BACTERIA? Zheng Eelderink-Chen at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and
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Muddy Boots
You kids better not track that mud into the house! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science…remembering something my mother used to say. Or more like, yell! But science asks: Could dirt actually be GOOD for you? Marja Roslund from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and
Continue readingCuddle Buddies
Are hugs the new chicken soup? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think of your gut as a soup of friendly bacteria. Everybody’s recipe is custom made to work with our bodies properly. These good bacteria help digest food and fight disease. Scientists know that
Continue readingLet Them Eat Air
Can we make food out of thin air? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Soil is full of microbes. These tiny organisms eat and break down other organisms. They also recycle nutrients. But in desolate places on earth, or even in space, what is there
Continue readingRecycling Worms
The Earth is DROWNING in plastic! Can we find relief — at the pet store? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Almost ten percent of all plastics are polystyrene. Think: foam cups and to-go boxes. Polystyrene can take HUNDREDS of years to break down. Is
Continue readingBacteria Army
Bacteria trained for the mission … impossible! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever seen bacteria in petri dishes? They’re like bad disco dancers – all over the place! But is there more to these troublemakers than just randomly dancing around? Enter Taras Turiv and
Continue readingThe Terrible Tribbles
What IS the trouble with tribbles? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Tribbles — they multiply so fast that Captain Kirk was buried in them! But what’s worse? E. coli, responsible for food poisoning. It doubles every twenty minutes! One E. coli quickly becomes a
Continue readingPlastic Wrap
Got germs? Of course you do – they’re EVERYWHERE! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying….how about a lunchbox lifehack? Could the plastic cling wrap you use for leftovers help ward off bacteria? Meet Sarah Imani and colleagues from McMaster University in Canada. They created
Continue readingAntibiotic Venom
Smackdown! Scorpion venom versus resistant bacteria, who will win? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scorpion stings pack a painful punch! But how do they fare in the fighting ring against smaller foes: antibiotic-resistant bacteria? Enter Richard Zare and colleagues from the National Autonomous University
Continue readingApple Picking
Don’t….Don’t bite the apple! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we eat an apple, we’re also consuming about a HUNDRED MILLION bacteria! Should we be concerned? After all, not all bacteria are evil! To learn more, Gabriele Berg
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