*********************************
There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
*********************************
Dolphins may rub on specific corals and sponges to treat their skin, researchers reported Thursday in the journal iScience. These stationary sea creatures may serve as drive-by pharmacies, dispensing a chemical cocktail that could treat bacterial or fungal infections or support skin health. The scientists said that cetaceans have not been observed self-medicating before. Some of these molecules may serve as immune boosters or sunscreens, said Julia Kubanek, professor in the School of Biological Sciences and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and vice president of Interdisciplinary Research, who wasn’t part of the work. People have known about corals’ and sponges’ medicinal properties for around 50 years, Kubanek said. “But dolphins may have known about how to use marine organisms as medicines much longer than we have,” she added.
