Genetic mutations in bird flu viruses could be monitored by a simple and
inexpensive method using natto, or fermented soybeans, a Japanese research team
announced on Tuesday.
Takashi Suzuki, a professor from the Shizuoka University's School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, said his research team jointly developed with its
partners a new method to detect signals of the viruses' mutation into
potentially new forms that could be transmitted from human to human.
In their experiment, adhesive substances in natto were used to fix cells from
birds and humans on the surface of test plates, and viruses were then placed on
the cells to check whether the form of the viruses has changed, the newspaper
Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Wednesday
The method boasts higher sensitivity than conventional ones, Suzuki said.
