Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Fungi seen as malaria fighter
LONDON, Jun 10, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- British researchers have found two fungi, already in use in the West to control aphids and termites, also can kill malaria-causing mosquitoes.
The fungi have been found to be harmless to humans and the environment.
The British study, along with another, appears in the journal Science, The New York Times reported Friday.
London Imperial College biologist Matt B. Thomas said with further research a "deliverable product" of the fungi could be ready in three to five years.
Malaria continues to kill tens of thousands every year because mosquitoes develop resistance to available pesticides. But Thomas said no resistance to the fatal fungi has been reported among agricultural pests, the Times said.
Dr. Kent Campbell, former head of the malaria branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said, "I'd like to see a lot more research, but this is fascinating."
The other study was done by scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the Ifakara Health Research Center in Tanzania.