Researchers at MIT have engineered a “superdrug” – it’s got a long official name of double-stranded RNA activated caspase oligomerizers, or DRACO, but that’s a mouthful. (It also reminds me of Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter books, who wasn’t a nice guy.) I prefer “ninja drug,” personally, because I picture this drug as more stealthy than tights-and-cape-wearing. This drug targets genetic material that’s only found in viruses. As designed, it would cause no harm to your body’s cells or processes and would only attack the virus that doesn’t belong there.

This drug, and others that may be developed using the same (or similar) technology, could be the road to a future where we have more effective drugs with no side effects. Since it’s not likely we’ll ever rid the world of infectious pathogens, we need more effective ways to combat them.

This is just one of many things in nature that parallel the everyday things in our life. It’s also a great example of how we can learn from animal species: by studying the fish and applying the same aerodynamic principles, researchers are evaluating ways to make wind farms more efficient. In their current form, the “wake” generated by the spinning of one wind turbine’s blades can actually interfere with the turbines behind it, leading to wasted/loss wind energy. If we apply nature’s drafting technology to the turbines, we waste less energy and make the process more efficient.

New research has found that UDCA might also help prevent the abnormal heart rhythms (called arrhythmias) that can occur after heart attacks.

(For you bear fans, though, don’t worry – pharmaceutical UDCA is manufactured, not harvested from bears.)

Enter Chloe the Labradoodle, whose owner surrendered her because she was just too active. After extensive training, Chloe is now able to detect when Mark’s blood sugar levels rise above or fall below acceptable levels, and she can warn him so he can take action to prevent too-low or too-high blood sugar levels.

According to the trainers, Chloe’s much more effective than the glucose monitor Mark was using. Plus, you can’t spend quality time petting a glucose monitor.

Organized crime is, unfortunately, alive and well…and it’s causing casualties you might not have expected. The demand for exotic pets and traditional “remedies” (such as rhinoceros horn and other wild animal parts believed to have medicinal qualities) has led to the creation of organized crime syndicates of poachers in Africa. They’re incredibly high-tech and efficient – and much better funded than the authorities trying to stop them. These poachers are killing animals so quickly and in such large numbers that a number of animal species are at risk of being endangered or extinct. Not only does this threaten the species being poached, but it further threatens the biodiversity of our planet and could have dramatic negative impact on our environment.

What can you do? One, don’t purchase products that contain products from exotic species. Two, you don’t need that exotic pet – wild animals are just that, and they are not pets. And three, support legislation that cracks down on poaching and increases protection of these species.