Comments on: The Things Roos Do http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/ The world according to a hula hooping, TKD black-belt wearing, radio show producing physiologist with aspirations to science journalism Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:08:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Tim McDonald http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-17175 Tim McDonald Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:15:01 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-17175 Back in the early '80s there was a huge scandal about Australian beef actually being kangaroo meat. It seems some of the Aussie beef producers were killing off the kangaroos, and butchering them and including them with their beef shipments to the US of A. I was working at a grocery store at the time while going to school, and our "bull meat" (frozen, misc. cow parts used to grind hamburger) came from Australia. Turns out we had gotten some of the lot numbers which contained roo. The REALLY funny thing is, we got more compliments on our ground beef (so lean! so fresh! keep doing whatever you are doing different!) during this period than it HAD to be the roo meat making the differnce! Back in the early ’80s there was a huge scandal about Australian beef actually being kangaroo meat. It seems some of the Aussie beef producers were killing off the kangaroos, and butchering them and including them with their beef shipments to the US of A.

I was working at a grocery store at the time while going to school, and our “bull meat” (frozen, misc. cow parts used to grind hamburger) came from Australia. Turns out we had gotten some of the lot numbers which contained roo.

The REALLY funny thing is, we got more compliments on our ground beef (so lean! so fresh! keep doing whatever you are doing different!) during this period than it HAD to be the roo meat making the differnce!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16373 Anonymous Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:46:09 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16373 What's an 'anzyme'? What’s an ‘anzyme’?

]]> By: Tim http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16158 Tim Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:34:16 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16158 This makes me feel even better about my recent purchase of kangaroo-leather shoes! This makes me feel even better about my recent purchase of kangaroo-leather shoes!

]]> By: Matt Ford http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16143 Matt Ford Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:13:04 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16143 I live in Oz and so far, can't say a lot of people seem to eat roo. I've had it a few times and it's a bit too gamey and tough for my liking. Tried roo mince (rooburger meat) in a ziti and it also tasted too gamey. Probably an acquired taste but I don't see it taking off too soon. Too bad because it's a lot less footprinty than cow. Camel meat, that's the go. Camel is delicious and it's even more of a pest than roo is here. I live in Oz and so far, can’t say a lot of people seem to eat roo. I’ve had it a few times and it’s a bit too gamey and tough for my liking. Tried roo mince (rooburger meat) in a ziti and it also tasted too gamey. Probably an acquired taste but I don’t see it taking off too soon. Too bad because it’s a lot less footprinty than cow.

Camel meat, that’s the go. Camel is delicious and it’s even more of a pest than roo is here.

]]> By: Geoff Vivian http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16126 Geoff Vivian Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:19:02 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16126 Hi Dr Kiki love your website. I produce a news site for the Kimberley (far north WA) and just had to link to this story. Best regards, Geoff Vivian Hi Dr Kiki love your website.

I produce a news site for the Kimberley (far north WA) and just had to link to this story.

Best regards,

Geoff Vivian

]]> By: Steve http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16121 Steve Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:31:30 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16121 It would be pretty funny watching a bunch of rooboys on horses out on the range in Texas rounding up kangaroos. It would be pretty funny watching a bunch of rooboys on horses out on the range in Texas rounding up kangaroos.

]]> By: bigjohn756 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16119 bigjohn756 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:11:49 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16119 It would be difficult to get people to eat kangaroo if they all tasted like the stuff I was fed while in Oz several years ago. I didn't like it at all. I can't really describe what it tasted like since I have never tasted anything like it. OTOH, they serve it a lot down there. It would be difficult to get people to eat kangaroo if they all tasted like the stuff I was fed while in Oz several years ago. I didn’t like it at all. I can’t really describe what it tasted like since I have never tasted anything like it. OTOH, they serve it a lot down there.

]]> By: Epicanis http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16117 Epicanis Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:07:24 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16117 Argh! Science by press release! I hate when they do this with research that interests me. Pubmed doesn't appear to have any of this professor's publications on this topic, and even Griffiths University itself (according to Google) only has the press release (and a newsletter with an even more abbreviated mention of the research). Dr. Wei is almost certainly working with some variety of <i>Clostridium</i> bacteria, which appear to have been worked on as a potential therapy for hard tumors for a while now. Very nifty-looking research. Usually I'm not that interested in <em>medical</em> microbiology, just because it's usually not so much "microbiology" as the "prevention of microbiology" (i.e. killing microbes or preventing their growth). I guess this is kind of like the use of medical maggots for cleaning up wounds. The bacteria eat the tumor and then go dormant in oxygenated healthy tissue. "Attack, my microbial minions! AH, HA HA HA HA HA!...." I did find a related study from 2006 that appears to show a lot of promise for the technique (I'm at work on my lunch break, so I unfortunately don't have time to dig deeper): http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v95/n9/full/6603367a.html ( Theys J,Pennington O,Dubois L,Anlezark G,Vaughan T,Mengesha A,Landuyt W,Anne J,Burke PJ,Durre P,Wouters BG,Minton NP,Lambin P:"Repeated cycles of Clostridium-directed enzyme prodrug therapy result in sustained antitumour effects in vivo"; Br J Cancer; 2006; Vol 95 #9; pp 1212-1219 ) Slightly more boring but still interesting is the possible use of <i>Clostridium</i> toxins directly against tumors - apparently someone's already applied for a patent to wall of the use of the technique by others (Grrrrrr.....): http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090291047 Argh! Science by press release!

I hate when they do this with research that interests me. Pubmed doesn’t appear to have any of this professor’s publications on this topic, and even Griffiths University itself (according to Google) only has the press release (and a newsletter with an even more abbreviated mention of the research).

Dr. Wei is almost certainly working with some variety of Clostridium bacteria, which appear to have been worked on as a potential therapy for hard tumors for a while now. Very nifty-looking research. Usually I’m not that interested in medical microbiology, just because it’s usually not so much “microbiology” as the “prevention of microbiology” (i.e. killing microbes or preventing their growth).

I guess this is kind of like the use of medical maggots for cleaning up wounds. The bacteria eat the tumor and then go dormant in oxygenated healthy tissue. “Attack, my microbial minions! AH, HA HA HA HA HA!….”

I did find a related study from 2006 that appears to show a lot of promise for the technique (I’m at work on my lunch break, so I unfortunately don’t have time to dig deeper):

http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v95/n9/full/6603367a.html
( Theys J,Pennington O,Dubois L,Anlezark G,Vaughan T,Mengesha A,Landuyt W,Anne J,Burke PJ,Durre P,Wouters BG,Minton NP,Lambin P:”Repeated cycles of Clostridium-directed enzyme prodrug therapy result in sustained antitumour effects in vivo”; Br J Cancer; 2006; Vol 95 #9; pp 1212-1219 )

Slightly more boring but still interesting is the possible use of Clostridium toxins directly against tumors - apparently someone’s already applied for a patent to wall of the use of the technique by others (Grrrrrr…..): http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090291047

]]> By: Mojomichael http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16109 Mojomichael Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:25:41 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16109 Would be easier if kangaroos weren't Winnie the Pooh characters or enjoyed boxing with Sylvester the cat. Not nearly as many cute cow characters to make people think twice about eating them. Roos are too cute to make this easy. Would be easier if kangaroos weren’t Winnie the Pooh characters or enjoyed boxing with Sylvester the cat. Not nearly as many cute cow characters to make people think twice about eating them. Roos are too cute to make this easy.

]]> By: Nic Wise http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16108 Nic Wise Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:19:13 +0000 http://www.kirstensanford.com/2010/02/08/the-things-roos-do/#comment-16108 Well, 'roo's are tasty, thats for sure. And they breed like, well.... roo's :) Ah, Australia: the only country which has to cull it's national animal. :) Well, ‘roo’s are tasty, thats for sure. And they breed like, well…. roo’s :)

Ah, Australia: the only country which has to cull it’s national animal. :)

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