Turning food waste into tires
Reading Time: 2 minutesResearchers at The Ohio State University have discovered that food waste can partially replace the petroleum-based filler that has been used in manufacturing tires for more than a century. In tests, rubber made with the new fillers exceeds industrial standards for performance, which may ultimately open up new applications for rubber. As Katrina Cornish explains […]
Scientists rewarm large-scale tissues preserved at freezing temperatures
Reading Time: 2 minutesA research team led by the University of Minnesota, has discovered a groundbreaking process to successfully rewarm large-scale animal heart valves and blood vessels preserved at very low temperatures. The discovery is a major step forward in saving millions of human lives by increasing the availability of organs and tissues for transplantation through the establishment of […]
Food security looks very different depending on where you are sitting
Reading Time: 5 minutesIn 1974, the World Food Conference declared that: “Every man, woman and child has the inalienable right to be free from hunger and malnutrition in order to develop their physical and mental faculties.” The conference set as its goal the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition within a decade. Two decades later, in 1996, the […]
Gene editing for PRRSV resistance in pigs
Reading Time: 2 minutesPorcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a disease that reared its head in the 1980s and has been the bane of both pigs and their farmers on a global scale ever since. Most vaccines have failed to cease the spread of the virus in which it continues to evolve rapidly. In addition to causing respiratory […]
Genome sequence of polar alga explains adaptation to extreme climates
Reading Time: 2 minutesAn international team of researchers has identified the genetic mutations which allowed microalgae (phytoplankton) from the Southern Ocean to adapt to extreme and highly variable climates – a step towards understanding how polar organisms are impacted by climate change. The team led by Prof Thomas Mock from the University of East Anglia (UEA) School of […]
Woolly Boolly! They’re resurrecting the Woolly Mammoth
Reading Time: 2 minutesResearchers from Harvard University announced their plan to bring the woolly mammoth back to life using CRISPR/Cas9 within two years’ time. This would not only allow us to learn more about the prehistoric behemoth, but would also represent a first step towards preservation of endangered species. Eminent geneticist George Church and his team at Harvard […]
On the trail of the mushroom scientist
Reading Time: 5 minutesAt the age of 68, Professor Vikineswary Sabaratnam, the country’s leading mushroom expert is not showing any signs of slowing down. Whether it is conducting research, supervising post graduate students, teaching, helping farmers to grow mushrooms, or simply creating awareness on the benefits of mushrooms to the general public, Vikineswary tells The Petri Dish Editor-in-Chief, […]
Lettuce in February: The hidden cost of buying fresh vegetables all year round
Reading Time: 4 minutesBeginning with this issue we will be publishing articles on food security from THE CONVERSATION. We find these articles that come with academic rigour, but journalistic air appropriate to be presented as a series. We believe this series will bring awareness on the subject which is a critical global issue. We are indebted to THE […]
Oil and gas deposits could be located with help of DNA soil analysis
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWHILE a lot of sciences are involved in finding oil and gas, biology might not be the first science that leaps to mind. But researchers at Repsol are working on changing that mindset. The team is focusing on the concept of “bioprospection,” studying how the presence of certain microorganisms on the surface can be an […]
Seagrasses greatly reduce bacteria, benefiting humans and marine life
Reading Time: 2 minutesSEAGRASS meadows reduce bacteria pathogenic to humans and marine life by up to 50%, a new study shows. What’s more, corals located near seagrass meadows exhibit only half the prevalence of disease. These findings highlight the importance of seagrass ecosystems to the health of humans and other organisms; not only could they help with improving […]