BOCA RATON, Fla. – Researchers at Florida Atlantic University are learning more about the exchange of nutrients between a mother infected with malaria and her fetus.
Dr. Sarah Du with F.A.U.’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, along with the Schmidt College of Medicine and Dr. Andrew Oleinikov with the Schmidt College of Medicine collaborated on the project.
They developed a model using a piece of placenta on a chip to study ways to treat placental malaria.
“Because placental malaria causes underdevelopment of the fetus and fetal death as well because of this nutrient transport between the mother and the fetus,” Du said.
The F.A.U device could also serve as a model for other placenta-related diseases.
And the updated Moderna covid-19 vaccine booster, used in the U.S., generates significantly higher protection against the two omicron sub-variants compared to its earlier booster.
The company said that conclusion comes from a study of more than 500 people across all age ranges.
The group was vaccinated with an original series of shots, boosted with Moderna’s original vaccine, then boosted months later with the Bivalent version.
According to Moderna, all people had a 15-fold increase in omicron b-a-four and b-a-five antibody levels compared to pre-booster levels.