March 6, 2008

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A powerful plant toxin, ricin, widely feared for its bioterrorism potential, may one day be tamed using findings about how the toxin attacks cells. Rutgers biotechnology researchers discovered that ricin tricks a cell into turning off a natural defense mechanism that destroys foreign proteins. The discovery allows scientists to explore ways to disarm ricin, and may also help them combat food poisoning episodes such as those caused by bacteria-tainted produce and ground meat.Full Story

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Rutgers University

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