College Clips

By James Patrick Schmidt

Published Jan. 26, 2007

This year marks 72nd anniversary of canned beer

This year celebrates the arrival of the can to the adult beverage industry 72 years ago.

In 1935, Gottfried Krueger Brewing Co. partnered with the American Can Co. to produce the industry's first canned beer. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers at the time approved of the canned beer, rocketing Krueger to the top of its industry with Anheuser-Busch, Pabst Brewing Co. and Schlitz Brewing Co.

Within three months, 80 percent of distributors were handling Krueger's beer cans and others were soon to follow.

Because cans cool quicker than bottles, canned beer became a huge hit when millions of cans were shipped overseas to U.S. troops in Europe during World War II.

— The Daily Reveille (Louisiana State University)

Scientists create healthy potato chips

Certain trans fats might not be as unhealthy as once thought. University of Arkansas scientists have changed the molecular structure of soy oil to create a trans fat with health benefits.

Professor of food science Andrew Proctor and graduate student Vishal Jain produced soy oil rich in conjugated linoleic acid. Studies have shown the acid, also known as CLA, gives the immune system a boost and helps reduce the risks of cancer and diabetes, according to a UA press release. Proctor and Jain have used the converted soy oil to produce potato chips that contain high concentrations of CLA. Proctor calls them "healthier potato chips." He said he hopes his work will help make formerly unhealthy foods better for the public.

"Our goal is to develop a popular food item that offers high concentrations of CLA without increasing saturated fat intake," Proctor said. "Potato chips suit this purpose well. Subsequent studies may include development of high-CLA salad oils and dressings."

Jain said they taste like normal potato chips.

"We haven't done an official taste test but really, there's no difference," Proctor said. "The process is the same (as for frying regular potato chips)."

— Arkansas Traveler (University of Arkansas)

Diabetes pill in works at NYU

New York University researchers are working on a pill that works as a surrogate for insulin for diabetes patients. NYU professor of chemistry Young-Tae Chang and NYU professor of biology Fabio Piano conducted the research.

The researchers identified the enzyme that might be responsible for controlling the cellular reaction to the presence of insulin, which is the pancreatic hormone that maintains blood sugar levels, as well as a chemical that induces cellular intake of glucose.

"The compounds in the pill are very simple," Chang said. "Similar to those in aspirin."

The researchers tested various chemical compounds on diabetic worms. Once a particular compound caused the worms to absorb glucose, they tested various proteins to find which protein controlled the reaction to insulin.

This discovery and further research has the potential to find treatments for other human diseases, including cancer, the researchers said.

— Washington Square News (New York University)