London, March 28 : Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands have come up with an artificial version of the buttery coating that protects and nurtures a foetus'''' developing skin.
Joke Bouwstra and Robert Rissman say that their artificial "baby butter" may find a use outside the womb, in speeding up wound healing and treating eczema.
Natural vernix caseosa contains a mixture of fatty compounds that waterproof the foetus. It also contains dead cells called corneocytes, which store large amounts of water and ensure that the foetus does not get dehydrated.
The researchers point out that vernix may also act as a barrier to infections, reports New Scientist magazine.
London, March 28 : Biochemists believe that future medicines may feature an in-built system to prevent them from reaching the wrong tissue inside the body, says a report.
London, March 28 : University of Maryland scientists have reached a step closer to developing new drug therapies to combat active and asymptomatic (latent) tuberculosis infections by characterizing the unique structure and mechanism of an enzyme in M. tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes the disease.
Recent study revealed that binge drinking culture is high on popularity charts in UK. UK has the third-highest number of 15 and 16-year-olds with an alcohol problem out of 
London - A British government minister Friday put the costs of staging next week's summit meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) nations at 19 million pounds (27.1 million dollars).
London - Leading British contemporary artist David Hockney has said he is furious with tree-fellers who chopped down an ancient forest he had planned to paint in all four seasons.
