Prion discovery gives clue to control of mass gene expression (PhysOrg) The discovery in common brewer's yeast of a new, infectious, misfolded protein -- or prion -- by University of Illinois at Chicago molecular biologists raises new questions about the roles played by these curious molecules, often associated with degenerative brain diseases like "mad cow" and its human counterpart, Creutzfeldt-Jakob. [News Source]

Latha Jishnu: Unwholesome regulations on food (Business Standard India) Importing the US system of food regulation to India could prove injurious to health. For several years now, a beef producer in the US has been trying its best to test its cattle for mad cow disease. The brain-wasting disease is rare, but deadly, since it can kill people who eat infected meat. [News Source]

Tag, we’re it. At first glance, the plan by the federal Department of Agriculture to battle disease among farm animals is a technological marvel. Farmers would tag every head of livestock in the country with ID chips. But the plan is actually rewarding factory farms. [News Source]

Health dept: ‘Mad cow’ unlikely in Roane patient. The Tennessee Department of Health is investigating a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, and saying in the meantime it is extremely unlikely that it is a human case of the disease known as 'mad cow.' [News Source]