WEIRD SCIENCE

Existing drug may help save snakebite victims

By Ben Coxworth 2020 May 07 – Echis carinatus, found mainly in India, is a member of the highly-venomous saw-scaled viper genus.  Dr. Raju Kasambe/C.C. 4.0. – When someone gets bitten by a venomous snake, it’s crucial to administer an antivenom as soon as …

 

Hoping Llamas Will Become Coronavirus Heroes

Antibodies from Winter, a 4-year-old llama with great eyelashes, have neutralized coronavirus and other infections in lab experiments. Winter, center, a llama on a farm run by Ghent University in Belgium. Credit: Tim Coppens – By Jillian Kramer 2020 May 06 – Leer …

MIT’s new microneedle patch is made just for plants

By Ben Coxworth 2020 Apr 27 – The microneedle patch (red) has been successfully trialed on plants such as tomatoes.  MIT. – When it comes to safer, less painful, slow-release alternatives to the hypodermic injection of medications, “microneedle patches” show a lot of promise. …