Mice Used to Detect Toxics
Eeeek! Mice may soon help scientists detect dangerous levels of antibiotics in meat and poultry.
When drugs are given to livestock to protect them from worms or parasites, chemical residues can end up in the meat and poultry we eat. Although small amounts of these residues are not harmful, high levels can cause a host of problems such as headaches and nausea, according to Dr. David Brandon, a research scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service in Albany, Calif.
Government researchers can now make use of genetic material from mice to create a specialized monoclonal antibody, a protein designed to bind to antibiotics. When this antibody is mixed with tissue from uncontaminated meat or poultry, the sample turns bright green.
If the sample turns a dull green, the antibiotic level is too high. The meat is then retested and, if the results are confirmed, discarded.
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