David Niesel

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Articles

Quick and accurate identification of pathogens is key to treatment

1 month ago | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

Quickly and accurately identifying which microbe is causing a patient’s disease is key to developing the proper treatment. This is particularly true for infections of the central nervous system (CNS) such as meningitis, encephalitis and myelitis, which can cause severe and life-threatening disease. Scientists at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) clinical microbiology laboratory have been testing a new method for the diagnosis of CNS infections.
Chickungunya, a mouthful that is spreading

Jan 16, 2024 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

Chikungunya or CHIKV is a disease that is surging in South America, and even Texas and Florida. This is just one example of an infectious disease that is spreading and increasing in incidence as a result of global warming. Yes, global warming is real and human activity is a major contributor. CHIKV is a disease caused by the Chikungunya virus.
A gene therapy for DMD

Jan 9, 2024 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

It is devastating for parents of a newborn to learn that their child has a genetic disorder. At least the parents of one such child, Gideon Griffiths, a 5-year-old from Bellefontaine, Ohio, now have hope. If all goes well, he might be spared the worst of Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and perhaps live a longer life thanks to a new gene therapy. DMD is a neuromuscular genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the Dystrophin gene.
AI and new antibiotics

Dec 19, 2023 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

If you ever doubted how valuable AI could be in developing new drugs, listen to this story. It is a game-changer! Since antibiotics were developed in the 1940s, they have saved countless lives. The problem with these drugs is that bacteria can become resistant to them. To make matters worse, some bacteria become resistant to multiple antibiotics. These have been termed “super bugs” and they are difficult to impossible to effectively treat.
Finally, a new tuberculosis vaccine

Dec 12, 2023 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

Tuberculosis (TB) has plagued humans for millennia and it remains a leading cause of illness and death throughout the world. Although a TB vaccine has been available for about 100 years, it does not work to prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults, which is the most common form of TB. Now thanks to the combined funding of the Wellcome and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a late-phase clinical trial of a new TB vaccine candidate may finally provide a tool to control this disease.
The Watson-Crick and Wilkins Nobel - didn’t we leave someone out?

Dec 5, 2023 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

Seventy years ago, the most significant work in modern biology was published: the structure of DNA. At that time, we were beginning to understand the nature of genes and most scientists believed that DNA was the genetic material, but the structure was unknown. In April 1953, three articles on the structure of DNA were published in the journal Nature.
Re-growing limbs and organs on the horizon?

Nov 28, 2023 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

Amphibians are animals that we rarely see or hear about. They are distinctive in that they spend time living both in the water and on land. They aren’t usually newsworthy- no salamanders threatening to take over a city or gobble up campers! Children often find them near creeks and streams and enjoy watching them. If you caught one and the tail broke off, an adult would remind you that the tail would grow back.
Climate change drives new sustainable manufacturing of drugs

Nov 21, 2023 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

Climate change is undoubtedly high on every list of controversial subjects. Despite extensive evidence to support it, climate change has become a major political issue with deniers and advocates each jockeying for the public’s opinion.
I hope to hear you now

Nov 14, 2023 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

Have you ever considered how many people experience hearing loss? In the United States alone, nearly 15 percent of the adult population, almost 50 million people, are affected by hearing loss. Worldwide, more than 1.5 billion people have this problem. We live in a noisy world, and we don’t take care of our hearing like we should! I know my hearing loss is likely from failing to protect myself from loud noises and not taking care with the garden and power tools. Ever wonder how we detect sound?
Space hibernation for real

Oct 31, 2023 | galvnews.com | Norbert Herzog |David Niesel

“Open the pod bay door, HAL” and “I’m sorry Dave, I can’t do that” are famous lines from one of my favorite sci-fi films from my youth, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film follows a mission in search of alien monoliths found on the moon, which may have guided the evolution of humans on Earth. On the spaceship Discovery One, five astronauts are making the voyage to Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. Estimates are that it would take 5-7 years one way for humans to reach Jupiter.