Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are partnering with industry to develop a sensor system for biomolecules that could make a significant contribution to a variety of fields such as healthcare, veterinary diagnostics, food safety, environmental testing, and national security. NRL has developed a highly sensitive, portable biosensor system called the compact Bead Array Sensor System (cBASS®).

Most animals, like humans, have separate sexes-they are born, live out their lives and reproduce as one sex or the other. However, some animals live as one sex in part of their lifetime and then switch to the other sex, a phenomenon called sequential hermaphroditism. What remains a puzzle, according to Yale scientists, is why the phenomenon is so rare, since their analysis shows the biological "costs" of changing sexes rarely outweigh the advantages.

Infection by Eschericia.coli O157:H7 from undercooked cattle meat proves deadly to about 60 people in the U.S. each year. While testing is available to detect the presence of the bacterium in raw meat, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison would prefer to address the problem before the meat is sent to market.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been identified as the "signature injury" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. TBI is known to cause deficits in memory, attention and decision-making and often occurs in conjunction with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse. An estimated 150,000 U.S.

A cow with a name produces more milk than one without, scientists at Newcastle University have found. Drs Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson have shown that by giving a cow a name and treating her as an individual, farmers can increase their annual milk yield by almost 500 pints.

Lincoln Park Zoo has been awarded a grant by The Davee Foundation to establish a new research division, the Urban Wildlife Institute, which will focus studies on the interactions between urban dwellers and wildlife, and utilize sound science to create best practice conflict resolution. The institute aims to integrate landscape and animal ecology with epidemiology research to create a holistic approach to ecosystem health as it applies to urban settings.