Free Republic

Toothpaste made from your own hair may offer a sustainable and clinically effective way to protect and repair damaged teeth. In a new study, scientists discovered that keratin, a protein found in hair, skin and wool, can repair tooth enamel and stop early stages of decay. The scientists discovered that keratin produces a protective coating that mimics the structure and function of natural enamel when it comes into contact with minerals in saliva. Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy said, "Unlike bones and hair, enamel does not regenerate. Once it is lost, it's gone forever." Acidic foods and drinks, poor oral hygiene, and...

Scientists have unlocked a surprising clean energy breakthrough using an unlikely source from the poultry industry. In a potential breakthrough for green energy technology, scientists at ETH Zurich and Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU) have developed a membrane for hydrogen fuel cells made from discarded chicken feathers—an abundant waste product in the global poultry industry. The new membranes are made from keratin, a structural protein that makes up the bulk of feathers. Extracted and processed into amyloid fibrils, the keratin forms a thin, proton-conductive layer at the heart of a hydrogen fuel cell. According to the research team, the material...

White-bellied tree pangolins are being hunted illegally in large numbers in West Africa. Photo courtesy of Justin Miller/Pangolin Conservation ========================================================== ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Researchers from Florida and Illinois are leading a global effort to understand and protect the world's most trafficked mammal -- the little-known pangolin. Also called a scaly anteater, the cat-size pangolin is hunted and killed for its scales and meat in Africa and Southeast Asia. New research includes the so-called "Pango-Cam" attached to their backs to provide crucial information about the pangolin diet and territory. Without quick efforts to understand how to breed the...