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 […]
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 […]
Engineers shrink microscope to dime-sized device
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE University of Texas at Dallas have created an atomic force microscope on a chip, dramatically shrinking the size — and, hopefully, the price tag — of a high-tech device commonly used to characterise material properties. “A standard atomic force microscope is a large, bulky instrument, with multiple control loops, electronics and amplifiers,” said Dr […]
Genetically modified foods: Nothing to fear
Reading Time: 4 minutesGENETICALLY modified crops (GMOs or genetically modified organisms) have existed for thousands of years, but now that we know how to splice genes in the laboratory, there is concern over food safety. Much of that concern is unwarranted. Nevertheless, there are campaigns to require product labeling when some foodstuffs contain GMOs. The food industry is […]