Edible food wraps provide antimicrobial properties – Thin films made of apple puree and oregano oil may one day coat fruits and vegetables to prevent growth of E.coli. Developed by the USDA, the product takes advantage of the natural antimicrobial properties of plant-derived essential oils. Films without the antimicrobial properties are already being sold by California-based Origami Foods® in conjunction with the USDA.

Medicinal applications of pine tree extracts – A drug derived from pine tree bark extract has been shown to reduce edema in patients suffering from hypertension.

Greatest science books of all time – Discover magazine has posted a list of the 25 greatest science books of all time, just in time for the holidays. Each entry is accompanied by a short description of the book’s significance to society. Don’t agree with their list? You can vote on their site.

Neanderthal genomic DNA sequenced – Groundbreaking work by Svante Paabo and Edward Rubin published in Nature and Science, respectively, describes our first look at genomic DNA isolated from Neanderthal. One of the questions that can be addressed with this study is whether Neanderthals had the capacity for language. ScienceNow has a summary article on their website.