This Rat Can Smell A Rat: #WorldTBDay
Rats can smell TB. They can identify it faster than a lab technician. And they work cheap — a bit of banana will do. USAID just gave a grant to a pioneering program.
rats
Love Giant Insects? Meet The Tree Lobster, Back From The Brink
The 8-inch insect nearly went extinct when hungry rats overran its island. But Melbourne scientists found a few in 2001 and started a thriving colony. Now the San Diego Zoo is hatching them, too.
In Cambodia, Rats Are Being Trained To Sniff Out Land Mines And Save Lives
An estimated 4 to 6 million land mines are scattered throughout Cambodia, one of the world's worst-affected places. Rats possessing an exceptional sense of smell are being trained to detect the mines.
In Massachusetts Lab, Scientists Grow An Artificial Rat Limb
The regenerated forelimb, made from living rat cells, may be the first step toward creating functional, bioartificial limbs. The scientists were thrilled to see the muscle fibers twitch.
Rats Blamed For Bubonic Plague, But Gerbils May Be The Real Villains
Rats have had a bad reputation ever since they were blamed for spreading bubonic plague. But perhaps the blame was misplaced. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the roles of rodents.
Gerbils Likely Pushed Plague To Europe in Middle Ages
Shifts in climate in the Middle Ages likely drove bubonic plague bacteria from gerbils in Asia to people in Europe, research now suggests. Rats don't deserve all the blame.
Rats! New York City's Population Might Be Seriously Overestimated
If one urban legend is to be believed, there are as many rats as people — 8 million. Statistician Jonathan Auerbach decided to test that idea.