In the first article in this series, we discussed whether viruses were truly living organisms. Well, bacteria truly are. They possess all eight characteristics of life but differ from other forms of life in that they lack a true nucleus. ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Ever-present but undetectable to the naked eye, micro-predators are constantly working in the soil to hunt and kill the pathogens that threaten plants. But how they do this “dirty” work is not well understood. (more…) READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Pests & Disease![in a computer-generated image, a man holds his nose while standing in fron of an opened refrigerator. [credit: adobe firefly]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/wp-content/blogs.dir/40/files/2024/08/2024_FCS_refrigeratorOdorsMan01_fireflyCROP1650x470TINY.png)
Have you ever opened your refrigerator only to be hit by an unpleasant odor? Sure, that might be the onions you forgot to cover the night before. But, it might be bacteria, mold, leaking containers or expired foods lurking somewhere in your ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Home Management, Work & Life![a digital meat thermometer reads 165.3 degrees fahrenheit while checking chicken on a barbecue grill. [credit: uf/ifas, tyle jones; edit: uf/ifas extension sarasota county]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/wp-content/blogs.dir/40/files/2024/07/2017_FCS_foodsafetyGrillingThermometer01UPDATE165F_ifasJonesTyler_CROP1650x470.jpg)
Have you ever heard of the "Temperature Danger Zone"? If you're like many, the term might be new to you. So, let's take a closer look. I have written several blogs on food safety and how to avoid a foodborne illness. But, in this blog, ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Work & Life
The human body’s inability to break down sucralose, an artificial sweetener found in many zero-calorie food and drink products, is well established by scientific research. The compound is so stable that it escapes wastewater treatment processing ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife![a man holds his aching stomach, with food on a table in the background. [credit: pxhere.com]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/wp-content/blogs.dir/40/files/2024/06/2018_FCS_blogFoodSafety01_pxhereEDIT1650x470TINY.png)
A foodborne illness can affect anyone who eats food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, or other substances. The actual number of those who succumb to food sickness is unknown, but a 2011 report by the Centers for Disease ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Work & Life
Recap of February 2024 First Friday with Florida First Detector In this month's webinar, we talked about plant pathogens. A pathogen is any organism that causes disease. Some pathogens that can impact plants include fungi, bacteria, viruses, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Cada año se consumen millones de ostras en todo el mundo, con un número significativo de estos moluscos provenientes del Golfo de México. Si bien la enfermedad transmitida por las ostras no es común, puede ser mortal. En este documento, ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS Extension
El invierno llega a Florida, y con este, migraciones de aves silvestres cargando enfermedades virales y bacterianas las cuales pueden enfermar nuestros pollos, codornices, patos, y otras especies a nuestro cuidado. ¿Cómo reducir la posibilidad ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife