At Halloween, UF researchers find ways to make life less scary

Halloween is almost here, and at the University of Florida, scientists are seeking ways to take some of the fear and uncertainty out of some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Among them:

• Hurricanes and tornadoes: At UF’s East Campus,  the Powell Family Structures & Materials Laboratory is where scientists are testing building materials to see how they stand up to nature’s fiercest winds and develop ways to make homes and businesses safer. http://www.essie.ufl.edu/facilities/powell_family_structures_and_materials_laboratory/

• Meals can be a source of comfort, but for millions of people worldwide, a safe and secure food supply is anything but guaranteed. At UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are using a new five-year, $49 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to help feed the world and end hunger. http://news.ufl.edu/articles/2015/09/uf-receives-49-million-usaid-award-to-aid-in-global-food-security.php

• Disease is a constant source of danger around the globe, which is why researchers at UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute use detective-like skills and knowledge to keep those threats at bay. http://news.ufl.edu/articles/2015/10/study-finds-link-between-dengue-epidemics-and-high-temperatures-during-strong-el-nio-season.php

• Football players from Pop Warner to the NFL face the daily possibility that a one well-placed solid hit can lead to a potentially life-threatening concussion. At UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, scientists are working on designing a helmet that can absorb such a hit and make the gridiron a slightly less-scary place.  http://news.ufl.edu/archive/2014/01/with-playoffs-underway-uf-researchers-offer-a-safer-football-helmet.html

• Alzheimer’s disease is a terrifying diagnosis that affects millions every year, but at UF’s College of Medicine, one researcher found a way using peanut butter to detect it sooner, leading to more targeted treatment. http://news.ufl.edu/archive/2013/10/uf-researchers-find-that-peanut-butter-test-can-help-diagnose-alzheimers-disease.html