A breakthrough in the fight against Lyme disease is moving from the laboratory to the hardware store. Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio are developing a non-toxic biologic that could soon be available in big-box and home improvement stores.

This will offer a new line of defense against the most common tick-borne illness in the United States.

The project, led by Janakiram Seshu, a professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Sciences, shifts the focus of Lyme disease prevention from humans to the surrounding environment — specifically, small mammals and birds. Rather than vaccinating people or pets, the UT San Antonio team is targeting the “reservoir hosts” — small mammals like squirrels, chipmunks and white-footed mice — that naturally carry the bacteria and pass it to ticks.

Creatine is best known as a supplement for athletes, but a new systematic review asks whether the molecule that fuels muscle might also lift mood. Researchers at the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto examined five randomized controlled trials of creatine monohydrate in people with mood disorders. Two of the five suggested that creatine, added to standard treatment, reduced depressive symptoms. The other three found no clear benefit. The compound was well tolerated, with only mild digestive system side effects reported. The authors conclude that larger and more balanced trials are needed before creatine earns a place in psychiatric care.