/oss/taxonomy/term/1447/all en /oss/article/medical/allergic-penicillin-you-sure <hr /> <p><em>This article was originally posted in the <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-allergic-to-penicillin-you-sure">Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 07 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9467 at /oss /oss/article/history/learning-movies <p>Both groups struggled with the same problem. How to extract and purify a chemical that is part of a complex mixture? For researchers led by Dr. Frederick Banting at the University of Toronto in 1921 that chemical was insulin, while in the late 1930s at Oxford University for Drs. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain the target was penicillin. Both teams eventually solved the problem, but the paths leading to success were anything but smooth, as can be seen by anyone willing to delve into the extensive popular and scientific literature describing the discoveries.</p> Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:14:03 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9053 at /oss /oss/article/health/dyk-penicillin-used-be-recycled-urine <p>After Alexander Fleming’s 1928 discovery of a mold that inhibited <i>Staphylococci</i> bacteria growth and the first treatment of a patient with penicillin <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/the-real-story-behind-the-worlds-first-antibiotic">in 1942</a>, demand for this antibiotic grew rapidly. Unfortunately, due to the difficulties of growing molds and isolating the penicillin molecules from them, the medication was extremely difficult to produce in large scale.</p> Tue, 02 Jun 2020 21:11:37 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8265 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-drugs-health-news/antibiotics-linked-childhood-obesity <p>A newly published study in JAMA Pediatrics indicates that children who had had four or more courses of antibiotics by age two were at a 10% higher risk of being obese by age five.  Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the records of more than 64,500 children between 2011 and 2013. The children were followed until the age of five.</p> Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:14:46 +0000 Ariel Fenster PhD 2201 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health-news/moldyuuck <p>Molds can sometimes grow to an impressive size. A story has been making the rounds in Montreal about a large piece of mold being found in a sample of Oasis juice. You would think from the press coverage that such a thing has never been seen before. Another sample was found last March in a carton of Minute Maid orange juice in Britain. In that case a little girl got sick from drinking the juice. In Montreal it was just yuuuck.</p> Thu, 23 Jan 2014 03:32:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2076 at /oss /oss/article/environment-food-health-news-toxicity/listeria-outbreak-reinforces-need-care-food-production <div> <p style="text-align:justify"> </p> </div> Mon, 03 Feb 2014 03:30:51 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2087 at /oss