Viruses Don’t Just Make You Sick. They Affect Your Gut Bacteria, Too, Study Finds
from UF/IFAS Norovirus is a food-borne virus that causes food poisoning in millions of people each year. A new study from the University of Florida shows this virus also alters the bacteria that live in our gut, providing new clues about the human microbiome’s role in our health. “A lot of research has shown that intestinal viruses... Read More
UF Ag Engineer Develops Smart-Spray Technology to Help Reduce Fertilizer, Pesticides
UF/IFAS by Brad Buck IMMOKALEE, Fla. — Growers need to spray efficiently so they can apply pesticides and fertilizer only to crops – and minimize the chemicals that may contaminate natural resources. As they battle the economically devastating citrus greening disease, farmers must look to control costs wherever possible. With that in mind, Yiannis Ampatzidis... Read More
UF-led Team Receives Keck Grant to Study Fungal Infections Spread by Wildfire Smoke
from UF/IFAS by Samantha Murray GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As wildfire season ramps up and threatens many areas across the U.S., a team of scientists begins a multi-year study to understand how fungi spread by wildfires affect the health of people living downwind. Their research will be the first to investigate this phenomenon. Scientists sample smoke... Read More
Clinicians May Now be Able to Tell COVID-19 From Seasonal Flu With Fast Turnaround Thanks to UF Research
from UF Engineering For those who have made a trip to a doctor or clinic during the oncoming flu season, the most nagging concern is whether their symptoms are indicative of the garden-variety bug that is making the rounds in the workplace or a potential COVID-19 infection. As researchers scramble to treat this virus —... Read More
AI to improve plant breeding at Gulf Coast Research and Education Center
By Brad Buck UF/IFAS BALM, Fla. — Kevin Wang trained as an engineer and gave little thought to agriculture. But then, life took a few turns. Born in Tianjin, China, Wang was raised in an urban area and went to the China Agricultural University in Beijing. He lived in Beijing for seven years. In college,... Read More
Why We Love Wordle, According to Science
from UF News Social psychologist Matt Baldwin wakes up thinking about the yellow and green boxes of Wordle, the free, once-a-day word game that has gained millions of fans since its public launch in October. Unlike most players, though, he understands why our brains crave it. Baldwin, a University of Florida professor, points to several psychological concepts... Read More