Nature – Researchers are now designing culture systems for other microbes that grow only inside cells. Omsland, now at Washington State University in Pullman, has developed a cell-free culture system for Chlamydia trachomatis3, the pathogen behind one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. He has not yet coaxed Chlamydia to divide in his medium, but “I was born optimistic,” he says — and his success with C. burnetii fuels his hope.
Engineering – MATS is designed by the food engineering scientist, Juming Tang at Washington State University, with a consortium of private food packaging and equipment companies along with the US Department of Defence. Pilot scale versions of this process, called MATS-B are already in use at two packaging companies, AmeriQual of Evansville, Indiana and Wornick of Cincinnati, Ohio. These companies are allowing other firms to come in and take a look at the process.