UF study first to quantify validity of DNA I.D. tool using marine snails
A trendy holiday gift within a decade may be a hand-held device that instantly identifies any species from a snippet of animal tissue, says a University of Florida researcher. That may be possible thanks to scientific advances that include the first test quantifying the effectiveness of a DNA identification tool among brightly colored shells. With an error rate as low as 4 percent, two UF...Research: Snails were overlooked contributors to marsh destruction
Buoyed by the effects of an intense drought, otherwise harmless snails likely killed off thousands of acres of salt marsh in the Southeast in recent years. Periwinkle snails, known to science as Littoraria irrorata, normally coexist happily with salt marsh. But the drought, which lasted from 1999 to 2001, weakened and killed marsh grasses such as cordgrass, or Spartina alterniflora, so ext...Like a snail through the intestinal canal
The medical device currently used for intestinal research, the colonsope, causes patients great discomfort. At TU Delft, an alternative method has been developed, inspired by the way in which snails move. On September 18, researcher Dimitra Dodou received her PhD degree from TU Delft based on this research subject. The intestines are an extremely difficult area to navigate through with a...Helix aspersa (garden snail) Lectin from Sigma-Aldrich
Description:Analysis Note: Agglutination activity is expressed in g per ml and is determined from serial dilutions in phosphate buffered saline, pH 6.8, of a 1 mg per ml solution. Preparation Note: Affinity purified by a modification of the method of Hammerst...Mouse Anti-Snail, a.a. 150-39 Antibody, Unconjugated from CHEMICON
Description:Snail, a.a. 150-39...Diabetics Need to Guard Against Nail Fungus
Many people with diabetes have nail fungus, which can have a serious impact on their health and quality of life. The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) says about a third of the estimated Americans who have diabetes develop onychomycosis, the most common type of nail fungus. Because of poor circulation in the extremities and a reduced ability to fight infection, people with...Snail venom Found To Ease Pain In Cancer Victims
Laboratory research has found evidence that the venom that the snails inject to immobilize their prey might have beneficial effects // on some heart problems, strokes, central nervous system disorders and other ills. The latest study involved the experimental drug ziconotide, a laboratory-made equivalent of a compound in the venom of the small Conus Magus cone snail, which lives in shallo...Painkiller Based on Sea Snail Venom Made Available in Britain
New painkiller, Prialt, based on the venom of a sea snail will be available in Britain from today. The drug Prialt, or ziconotide, has resulted from over// 20 years' of research by the scientist, Baldomera Olivera, a professor at the University of Utah. The advantage of Prialt is that it is 1,000 times more potent than morphine but not addictive like morphine. It is mainly aim...Venomous Cone Snails Relieve Chronic Back Pain
Dr. Baldomero Olivera said that the ruthless fish-eating snail is a cure for those suffering from chronic back pain.// He is planning to present his findings at the Philadelphia Shell Show. Venomous cone snails, with their striking patterns and elegant shapes, will be among thousands of eye-catching shells on display and for sale at the annual event, the largest shell show in the Northe...Quad 4™ Intramedullary Nail System
Description:The design philosophy of the Quad 4™ Intramedullary Nailing System was to develop a single system that could be used for the widest possible variety of femoral fractures. Primary requirements of the system were to minimize the number of implants necessary for a complete inventory, with one system that could address antegrade or retrograde femoral intramedullary nailing techniques. It was al...