Food bacteria discovered
Tuscaloosa News –Nov. 24
…The killer is Streptomyces scopuloiridis, a strain of bacteria discovered and named by University of Alabama researchers. The bacteria stands out because it produces a toxin that kills not only other bacteria with which it competes for resources, but also bacteria it seemingly would never get near…“It’s a wide killer, so it’s great for our purposes as a food antibiotic,” said Julie Olson, a microbiologist at UA. But there is a long process ahead before people could use it in their refrigerators. “We’re still early in the game,” said Rick Swatloski, a licensing associate with the university’s office for technology transfer…UA’s tech transfer office uses undergraduate business students to perform a market analysis for research on campus. After Olson told the students what the bacteria could do, they came back with a plan to introduce it into food preservation. It could be sprayed or possibly injected into food before it’s shipped to grocery stores, and since the bacteria dies in heat, it would be eliminated by cooking. Before it dies, though, it would help protect against spoilage and possible human sickness…
More expected to travel this holiday season
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 24
…The University of Alabama’s Center for Advance Public Safety’s study of 2008 crashes involving injuries and fatalities indicated that the higher-risk days are before and after holidays. Allen Parrish, professor of computer science and director of CAPS said that Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving and Wednesday, especially late in the day, will be the busiest times on the road. “There are definitely times to be avoided, especially if bad weather is a possibility,” he said. The actual day of the holiday typically have lower serious-crash numbers because most people have reached their destinations and stay there, according to the study…
Clanton Advertiser – Nov. 23
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Nov. 23
FBI opens 3 civil rights cold cases
Birmingham News – Nov. 24
…The fact that these cases are being looked at again sends a powerful message, said Adam Lankford, a criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama.
Some say “it’s in the past, leave it alone,” Lankford said. “Others say, if justice is blind, then you need to continue the fight. “Frankly, the concerted effort to go back and revisit these cases sends the powerful message that civil rights will be protected.”
The passage of time may even help solve some of these cases, Lankford said.
”You think about the progress that has been made in the past 50 years, there may be some witnesses willing to open up and come clean,” Lankford said. “These cases really are more solvable than they were in the past.”…
Home sales rebound after long decline
Huntsville Times – Nov. 24
…”October sales represent the first positive year-over-year change … since July 2007 (27 months), which was 4.5 percent,” Grayson Glaze, executive director of the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama, said in a prepared statement. Glaze also said the October figures were a pleasant surprise.
Birmingham News – Nov. 24
School news
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 24
…Dr. Robert Witt, president of the University of Alabama, visited Tuscaloosa Academy juniors and seniors on Nov. 17. In his half-hour lunchtime lecture, he discussed ‘How to Make the Best of Your College Application Experience.’ He also introduced an admissions coordinator for UA who informed the students of requirements that the University of Alabama specifically holds. This presentation was very informative for the students and will hopefully lead to more opportunities for the students of Tuscaloosa Academy to learn from areas of the University of Alabama.