In the News: Virus Swarms and a (New) Paelo Diet

Fig.1. Child receiving polio vaccine (Credit: USAID Bangladesh)

"Mutant viral swarms," heirloom culture collections, and stone tools from 32,000 years ago are all in the science news this week. Read more to learn how emerging viral diseases and food security are studied using novel approaches to scientific collections:

• Climate change and dependence on a few crops make preserving genetic diversity more important than ever: “Banks For Bean Counters,” The Economist (12 September 2015)

• Scientists believe that knowing how viruses act in a group could predict the next outbreak of diseases like Chikungunya or influenza: “How Mutant Viral Swarms Spread Disease,” Scientific American (14 September 2015)

• Personnel departures, freezer malfunctions, natural disasters, and more can all put valuable culture collections in danger: “Preserving ‘Heirloom’ Collections - Microbial, That Is,” USDA Blog (15 September 2015)

• A recent archaeological find, dating 32,000 years ago, is evidence for a new paleolithic diet: “Paleo People Were Making Flour 32,000 Years Ago,” NPR (14 September 2015)

• A network of state and federal labs equipped to sequence foodborne pathogens is the new way the FDA fights outbreaks: “FDA Wants Food Makers To Hand Over Their Contaminated Samples,” Scientific American (27 August 2015)