Apparently, microbes may be essential to ensuring food security. A new study outlines how microbes can be used to manufacture high-quality protein to not only supplement our own diets but also reduce the need to grow crops for animal feed. The proposed production facilities are more efficient and require less resources; they produce food for the microbes using captured carbon dioxide and solar energy, making them suitable for a variety of conditions, like deserts and high altitudes.
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Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
