How do parrots mimic human speech?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf you’re wondering why parrots imitate sounds they hear, it’s because they’re social creatures. They feel a need to be able to interact and fit in with those around them. When kept as pets, these birds see their human owners as their family and want to communicate with them. Since a human owner usually can’t […]
The most influential species of all evolution
Reading Time: 2 minutesEVER wonder what is the most influential (defined as the species that has most changed life on Earth) species in the history of the planet? Homo sapiens? You got it wrong. Though we’d like to think we are the masters of the universe, we don’t even make it in the top five. It is … the earthworm. Yeah, you read that […]
Microbe buddies convert heat- trapping methane to energy
Reading Time: 2 minutesResearchers from the Department of Energy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have recently discovered that the ubiquitous heat-trapping methane gas can be converted into beneficial and environmental-friendly energy by simply creating a harmonious environment for two very different microbes. Per biotechnology news portal Bionity.com on April 13, the discovery published in the Bioresource Technology journal […]
From coffee-waste to biofuels
Reading Time: 2 minutesFuture Americano, cappuccino and latte drinkers could help produce the raw material for a greener biofuel that would reduce our reliance on diesel from fossil fuels. Purpose-grown feedstocks (used to extract oils) for biodiesels are controversial because of their cost and the demand they place on land and water. However, spent coffee grounds, which have […]
10 SOPs to detect living modified organisms
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Biosafety Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is expected to introduce ten standard operating procedures (SOPs) to detect living modified organisms (LMOs) in the country under its enforcement activities in the next four months. Its minister, Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (pix)announced this during the National Biosafety Seminar which aims […]
What makes leaves change colour in autumn?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEvery autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colours. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer to winter. During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the food […]
Why do we get bored?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSome people never tire of doing the same thing, while others get bored very easily. According to Dr Irving Biederman, a neuroscientist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, this problem involves opioids, a chemical in the brain that gives us pleasure. A new experience will stimulate the release of opioids—a wow. The […]
Something’s fishy about new canola project
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA joint research between Nuseed, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) have developed canola containing omega-3 oil through plant-to-plant gene transfer. Genes from microalgae were transferred to canola for it to produce canola oil which is rich with long chain DHA, at level equal or better […]
New research shows Zika can damage the eyes
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA novel finding from research conducted by Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology at the Kresge Eye Institute has shown that Zika Virus (ZIKV) caused impaired vision or even blindness. This happens when the virus replicates itself in the retinal cells of the eyes – layer of cells at the back of […]
Regional platform to share SDG strategies for Southeast Asian nations
Reading Time: 2 minutesSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are based on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals came into effect in January 2016 and are targeted to be achieved by 2030. However, the United Nations and its member countries are aware of the reality that a lot of turbulence and headwinds must be navigated to achieve these […]