University of Florida News

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Scientists analyzing the genomics of a marine snail have gotten an unprecedented look at brain mechanisms, discovering that the neural processes in even a simple sea creature are far from sluggish.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Just as physical exercise is good for the body, mental training can keep older minds functioning better, with results lasting for years.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As the world’s first explorers branched away from humanity’s birthplace in east Africa some 65,000 years ago, distinct mutations accumulated in the DNA of each population, essentially providing a genetic trail for modern researchers to follow.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The unemployment rate among people with epilepsy is considerably higher than the national average — not necessarily because they have frequent seizures or can’t find jobs but because many continue to fear workplace discrimination, a new University of Florida study reveals.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Infections from drug-resistant forms of Staphylococcus bacteria are skyrocketing and have even recently made headlines by debilitating some of the NFL’s toughest players. Tools to fight these bugs are few, but now University of Florida researchers have used cutting-edge genetic analysis to find a new weak spot in this “superbug’s” armor.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Move over Tickle Me Elmo. The recently released Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 video game systems are rivaling the giggling red monster as the gifts children beg their parents for most this holiday season.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The German cockroach — one of the most common and hated household pests — is winning the war against some of the newest insecticides and baits, according to University of Florida researchers.
“Whatever you throw at them, they have an amazing ability to quickly adapt and overcome adversity,” said Phil Koehler, an [...]

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For nearly 3 million Americans, the most dangerous aspect to air travel is the complimentary in-flight snack. Every year, about 150 people are killed by a common ingredient of a first-grader’s brown bag lunch.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Neonatal intensive care units designed with single-family rooms not only increase patient privacy but also boost staff satisfaction and reduce stress, according to a University of Florida study.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — An experimental gene therapy to combat alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a common hereditary disorder that causes lung and liver disease, has caused no harmful effects in patients and shows signs of being effective, University of Florida researchers say.