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NIH Launches Human Microbiome Project The human body contains trillions of microorganisms, living together with human cells, usually in harmony. Because of their small size, however, microorganisms make up only about one to two percent of the body's mass. Many microbes maintain our health, while others cause illness. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the role this astounding assortment of bacteria, fungi and other microbes play in human health and disease. To better understand these interactions, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the official launch of the Human Microbiome Project. The human microbiome is the collective genomes of all microorganisms present in or on the human body. NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. states, "It is essential that we understand how microorganisms interact with the human body to affect health and disease. This project has the potential to transform the ways we understand human health and prevent, diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions." Researchers will then use new, comprehensive laboratory technologies to characterize the microbial communities present in samples taken from healthy human volunteers, even for microbes that cannot be grown in the laboratory. The samples will be collected from five body regions known to be inhabited by microbial communities: the digestive tract, the mouth, the skin, the nose, and the female urogenital tract. Demonstration projects will subsequently be funded to sample the microbiomes from volunteers with specific diseases. This will allow researchers to correlate the relationship between changes in a microbiome present at a particular body site to a specific illness. "Our goal is to discover what microbial communities exist in different parts of the human body and to explore how these communities change in the presence of health or disease," said National Human Genome Research Institute Director, Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., co-chair of the Human Microbiome Project Implementation Group. "In addition, we will likely identify novel genes and functional elements in microbial genomes that will reshape the way we think about and approach human biology." Additional information about the Human Microbiome Project is available at nihroadmap.nih.gov/hmp/. (NIH News, Dec 27, 2007) Girl Born With 8 Limbs Has Them Removed In Bangalore, India A two-year old girl who was born with four arms and four legs had her "extra" limbs removed in December, 2007. A 30-doctor team performed the complex surgery. The little girl was named Lakshmi, was born joined at the pelvis to a "parasitic twin" that stopped developing in utero. Lakshmi then absorbed the limbs, kidneys, and other body parts. During this 24-hour surgery, Lakshmi's kidney was transplanted and her pelvis was reconstructed. After making very successful progress right after the surgery, her parents took her back home to their rural village in eastern Bihar where she had been revered by some as an incarnation of the four-armed Hindu goddess after whom she was named. Fur Coat Council Of Canada Claims Wearing Fur Is Green The Fur Council of Canada is urging people to consider that wearing fur is indeed a "green" action. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, and all natural. Its manufacturing is energy efficient. In actuality, it may be the ultimate in eco-clothing. The furs that are processed into clothing are abundant and never from endangered species. Fur farms use left-overs from the human food supply, and the harvest of wild fur is crucial to maintaining ecological equilibrium. The alternative - synthetic fur - is made from non-biodegradable petrochemicals. However, Bruce Cox, Executive Director of Greenpeace Canada, states, "It's a bit of a stretch to say that wearing fur is going to help the environment." In fact, the fur coats that we often see models wearing are probably from fur farms where the animals were electrocuted. Visit www.furisgreen.com and see what you think. Doomsday Vault Starts Cooling Process A doomsday vault has been dug into a mountainside in the Arctic to protect the world's seeds in the event of a global catastrophe. Norway blasted the Svalbad Global Seed Vault deep into the permafrost of a remote Arctic archipelago to protect as many as 4.5 million seeds from climate change, plant epidemics, natural disasters, or war. Beginning in early 2008, for two months, powerful cooling units will bring the temperature of the vault down to approximately zero degrees. At this temperature, seeds for important crops like wheat, barley, and peas can last for up to 1,000 years. There are already 1,400 or so seed banks, most run by countries for their own seeds, but these could be affected by economic problems such as wars, political unrest, or natural disasters. The seed bank of the Philippines was already wiped out by a typoon. The Svalbard vault is intended as a final backup for all other seed banks. Biodegradable Coffin The Natural Burial Company, which just opened in January, 2008, sells a variety of eco-friendly burial products. One of the most interesting is the kayak-shaped coffin made from recycles newspapers. These coffins are part of the strong trend toward more "natural" burials - back to the earth. There is no embalming, cement vaults, chemical lawn treatments, or laminated caskets. Advocates say this method is far less damaging to the environment, even less than cremation which utilizes fossil fuels. While eco-friendly cemeteries have been popular in Britain for a while now, they are making appearances in California, Florida, New York, South Carolina, and Texas. The market is potentially huge, as U.S. funeral homes generate an estimated $11 billion in annual revenue, with figures sure to increase as baby boomers age. Biodegradable containers cost anywhere from $100 to somewhere around $3,000. Cars and Effect - Automakers Unveil Greener Vehicles at Detroit Auto Show In advance of the 2008 North American International Auto Show that opened in Detroit, automakers announced plans to roll out greener vehicles as well as other greenish initiatives. On the hybrid front, market leader Toyota has said it will offer a plug-in hybrid to government and corporate customers by 2010; the plug-in will run on lithium-ion batteries instead of the nickel-metal hydride ones that help power its popular Prius model. Toyota hasn't yet announced when it expects the plug-ins to be available to the general public, but the news has plug-in enthusiasts salivating. Meanwhile, General Motors has announced it has invested in a start-up company aiming to produce ethanol from non-corn sources such as wood chips, plastic waste, and trash. The company is also showcasing a Saturn Vue two-mode hybrid at the show. (The New York Times, The New York Times, Associated Press) Making Change - World's Largest Banks Ranked on Their Climate Commitment The world's banks are starting to recognize the threat of climate change, but could certainly do more, says a new report from Ceres, a coalition of investors and green groups pushing corporate sustainability. The group ranked 40 of the world's largest publicly traded banks on their green (the climate kind, not the money kind). Some results were encouraging - 28 banks have calculated their greenhouse-gas emissions, 24 have set goals to reduce said emissions, and 29 are supporting alternative energy projects. But there is, of course, room for improvement. The median score on Ceres' ranking out of 100 was 42, with more than half of the banks scoring under 50. Topping the list with a score of 70 out of 100 was London-based HSBC, which has spent $90 million to improve its energy efficiency, employs a chief environmental officer, and has an environmental oversight committee on its board. The top U.S. banks were Citigroup, sixth with 59 points, and Bank of America, seventh with 56 out of 100. (The Christian Science Monitor, Reuters) |