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On World Environment Day, we look at what biotechnology can do to help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and move towards a bio-based economy. On World Environment Day, we look at what biotechnology can do to help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and move towards a bio-based economy. I recently attended the Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, where the keynote speaker, Jennifer Holmgren (CEO of Lanzatech) set the tone of the meeting with a proposal that we should limit our fossil-based carbon budget to the essentials, and that energy can be carbon free. Research published in Biotechnology for Biofuels shares the above aims and recent highlights in the journal include the discovery of novel fungal enzymes that help breakdown biomass for bio-refining as well as the engineering of a strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum that can produce bio-gasoline, whilst tolerating harsh industrial processing.

While a well-regulated immigration system is certainly important, recent reports suggest that the Trump administration’s efforts could lead to an unintended consequence: reducing health access and outcomes for immigrants already in the US. Given the large Hispanic immigrant population here in Texas, our research team decided to explore the relationship ourselves, investigating if and how the Trump administration’s immigration efforts have affected Hispanic immigrant health in newly published research in BMC Health Services Research. For example, one health worker noted that “when he (President Trump) became president, it was noticeable the fear was rising” and another noted that it is “immobilizing people” and that “fear has become a factor of life. The policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration have been particularly impactful for children This fear, which health workers attributed to the Trump administration’s policy efforts as well as the President’s rhetoric, is decreasing access to needed health services for Hispanics across Texas.

Set up by the United Nations, World Environment Day aims to raise international awareness of environmental issues and encourage action to protect our world and environment. The theme for this year’s day is ‘Air Pollution’ with China acting as the host country for the official celebrations. Air pollution is the cause of 7 million premature deaths each year and according to the UN, 9 out of 10 people breathe polluted air. Understanding the effects and taking relevant action are steps which will help to #BeatAirPollution.

In the latest in a series of Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines blogs highlighting the current hot topics in tropical medicine, Dr. S. Chakrabarti, Dr. S. Clarke, and Dr. A. Boggild discuss the moneypox virus and its outbreak history in humans from 1970 to present day. In the latest in a series of Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines blogs highlighting the current hot topics in tropical medicine, Dr. S. Chakrabarti, Dr. S. Clarke, and Dr. A. Boggild discuss the moneypox virus and its outbreak history in humans from 1970 to present day. It is generally transmitted from animal to human (through contact with infected bodily fluids as well as improperly cooked meats), however human-to-human transmission has been documented as well. In May 2019, a fourth exported case from Nigeria was reported by the Singapore Ministry of Health, and as of May 15th, 14 close contacts of the affected individual had received preventative smallpox vaccination.