EEEW! Finding a smudge of someone’s old lipstick on your glass in a restaurant is enough to ruin the meal in an instant. But new research has discovered that those dabs of old lippy may be an unexpected germ-busting bonus. It’s shiny forks that we need to worry about.

Researchers at Ohio State University investigated the safest ways in which restaurants can clean their dishes, and as part of the study they sought the most bacteria-friendly stains and the worst utensils to clean.

They report in the Journal of Food Engineering that old lipstick is among the hardest stains to remove — along with cheese and milk. But Dr Melvin Pascall, a professor of food packaging, found an unexpected result: “Lipstick seems to have antimicrobial properties. It was a big surprise for us. It was the least hospitable substance for bacteria.”

Cheese was the toughest item to remove, which could bode ill for the shiny forks in cheese-ridden eateries such as pizzerias. Because steel forks seem to be the best hiding place for bacteria.

“The stiff prongs of the forks shield the food from the action of scrubbing,” Pascall cautions. But his biggest worry is dried milk stains: bacteria thrive on them, he found: “We need to find ways to safely and quickly remove milk dried on glasses.” As for the lipstick — well, maybe the colour might suit you.

Switched-on genes mean a higher IQ

A GENE that could make up to 20 points difference between people’s IQs has been identified by psychiatrists at Washington University.

The scientists examined a gene called CHRM2 and found that it influences a particular kind of intelligence, called performance IQ, which determines people’s ability to organise things logically and have good spatial awarness. People with high performance IQs tend to be whizzes at chess and puzzles.

The investigators report in Behavioral Genetics that the more “positive” variations on the gene a person has, the greater a beneficial effect it can have on your IQ. The gene activates a multitude of signalling paths in the brain involved in learning, memory and other higher brain functions. Each positive variation on CHRM2 seems to raise IQ by up to four points.

Professor Danielle Dick, the lead author, says that a person with all the positive variations switched on would have up to 20 points more IQ than someone who had them all turned off.

Professor Dick says that the possibility of two people with such extreme variations of the gene ever meeting, however, would be statistically unlikely. She adds that CHMR2 is most probably not the only gene involved in raising IQ: up to 100 more might yet be awaiting discovery.

Dip in performance

EARLY-morning swimmers might do better having a lie-in and moving their dip to the evening, says a report in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

South Carolina University researchers found from their study of 25 athletes that their swimming performance was significantly lower before 8am. Evenings and afternoons are much better, they report.

By gum, it works

A COMMON ingredient in burgers and soft drinks could become a lifesaver for patients with cancer, says a team of Missouri-Columbia University researchers.

A new frontier for cancer therapy involves using gold nanoparticles to detect and treat cancer cells. It works in the lab, but the problem is that the particles become unstable and toxic when put in humans. Now the team has found that gum arabic, which is produced by acacia trees, stablises the gold so that it can be taken as tablets. The gum is, of course best known for appearing on the labels of far less healthy substances.

Thy neighbour’s ass

YOUR next-door neighbour is better than any celebrity at making you want to buy new products, claim researchers at Bath University.

The researchers showed 300 students two adverts for a digital camera; one endorsed by a fictional student, the other by a leading celebrity. The students, who admitted being flashy types who bought products to show off to others, said that they were more impressed by the student-endorsed camera.

Why? It’s our shallow and parochial psychology. The Bath study says that beating the Joneses, rather than keeping up with celebs, is the top motivation for many people. Their study could mean less work for the likes of David Beckham and a boost for viral marketing that encourages ordinary people to commend products to each other.

It’s on the cards

GET well soon? It’s just not enough in these days of rampant emotional inflation. That’s why Hallmark Cards has launched its new Journeys range in America, for sending to people facing life’s travails such as depression, cancer and anorexia. The 176-card collection features such gems as: “I’m sorry you lost your job, but please remember that your job is not who you are.” How about one that reads: “Sorry that my last card drove you over the edge,” too?

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