UF Study Offers More Evidence That Deet Is a Safe Way to Ward Off Mosquitoes
Summer is back, with warmer temperatures, longer days, and… mosquitoes. When mosquitoes feast on humans, they can leave more than irritating bites behind. They can also carry Zika, West Nile virus and malaria. The insect repellent N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, or DEET, is considered one of the most effective defenses against mosquitoes and ticks. It has been used […]
Catnip’s Chemical Attractant Is New Twist on Old Family Tradition
Catnip is most famous for its ability to launch felines into a euphoric frenzy, but the origin of its cat-attracting chemical is a remarkable example of evolutionary innovation. While the compound nepetalactone drives two-thirds of cats batty, likely by mimicking sex pheromones, its real purpose is protecting catnip from pests. Nepetalactone belongs to a class […]
Guidelines for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation During COVID-19 Pandemic
In an article published in the journal Brain Stimulation experts offer strategies and guidelines for clinical and research applications of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and low intensity transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) during the COVID-19 crisis. “There is an evident, and in cases, urgent need to maintain NIBS operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, including anticipating future […]
SATLANTIS’ Optical Camera Is Already on the International Space Station
SATLANTIS‘ optical camera has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) after five days of travel. In a few days it will be manually placed by ISS astronauts on the Japanese Kibo module. “It was a complete success and an international milestone, as it is the first time that a camera of this size reaches […]
Pheronym Receives Grant to Achieve Commercialization Milestones
UF Innovate | The Hub and UF Innovate | Sid Martin Biotech alum Pheronym, an ag-biotech pest control company, received a $25,000 grant from Agstart to help reach commercialization milestones which the COVID-19 health crisis had forced to postpone or cancel. Pheronym is a pioneer in the use of nematode pheromones to control both beneficial and plant-parasitic nematodes, or […]
Is This Mushroom Safe? Expert Fields More Concerned Calls During Pandemic
For mushroom identification expert Matt Smith, spring is usually a slow time of year. “Mushrooms are less common during the spring in Florida, so this time of year I hardly have anyone contacting me about someone having eaten a mushroom that might be poisonous. But since everyone started staying home because of COVID-19, I’ve been […]
Grit Drives Display Technology Expert to Advance the Field of Nanotechnology
For one researcher in the Florida High Tech Corridor, grit has always been the difference-maker. Courage to try something new and determination to be successful are what led Alexandre “Alex” Titov into the field of nanotechnology, where he remains motivated to make a significant impact in The Corridor region and beyond. Alex was introduced to nanotechnology while […]
Could Rapid Home-Based Coronavirus Tests Become Reality?
Piyush Jain, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and a member of UF Health Cancer Center, developed an inexpensive home-based rapid testing kit that can detect the coronavirus without needing to go to the hospital. “My research group recently engineered a sensitive CRISPR-based technology, that we named CRISPR-ENHANCE, and used it to create a rapid […]
Quicker Reviews, Designated Funding Speeds COVID-19 Research Efforts at UF Health
Amid the worst public health emergency in a lifetime, UF Health leaders have taken steps to speed novel coronavirus research, recognizing the urgent need to provide answers and options to the communities they serve. There are two key components of this effort: IRB retooled its approval process for coronavirus trials, and the UF Clinical and Translational […]
UF Mobilizes Campus, Exactech Expertise to Make Vital COVID-19 Nasal Swabs
When University of Florida Health needed a massive supply of nasal swabs for expanded COVID-19 testing, the solution was right on campus and just across town. It came from Forrest J. Masters, Ph.D., P.E., a professor and the associate dean for research and facilities at UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Working with the 3D printing lab […]