Isolating eucalyptus genes for oils, biofuel
Reading Time: 2 minutesWHAT is the genetic basis for eucalyptus trees to produce that fragrant oil many of us associate with trips to the spa? Carsten Külheim, associate professor in Michigan Technological University’s School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, has spent the past ten years of his career studying eucalyptus. They are diverse, fast-growing species that includes […]
Why do horses prefer to sleep standing up instead of lying down?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCan you imagine sleeping while standing up? That could be fairly dangerous, don’t you think? But that’s exactly what some animals, such as horses, do! Because horses are prey animals, they don’t like sleeping on the ground. Due to their straight backs, horses can’t get up quickly. If a predator approaches a sleeping horse while […]
Three ways cities can help feed the world, without costing the Earth
Reading Time: 4 minutesCLIMATE CHANGE is under- way, and human activities such as urbanisation, industrialisation and food production are key contributors. Food production alone accounts for around 25% of global carbon emissions. Ironically, the changing weather patterns and more frequent extreme weather events resulting from climate change also put the world’s food supplies at risk. Food production drives […]
UNKNOWN PARENTS…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA study of phoronid larvae published recently by scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama has detected eight potentially new species. “The global diversity of small, rare marine animals like phoronids is grossly underestimated,” said STRI staff- scientist Rachel Collin. “We don’t know what animals are out there, and we know even […]
DDT-AUTISM LINK…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA study of more than 1 million pregnancies in Finland reports that elevated levels of a metabolite of the banned insecticide DDT in the blood of pregnant women are linked to increased risk for autism in the offspring. An international research team led by investigators at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the […]
Engineers make injectable tissues a reality
Reading Time: 2 minutesA SIMPLE injection that can help regrow damaged tissue has long been the dream of physicians and patients alike. A new study from researchers at UBC Okanagan moves that dream closer to reality with a device that makes encapsulating cells much faster, cheaper and more effective. “The idea of injecting different kinds of tissue cells […]
Researchers develop a vaccine against Nipah virus
Reading Time: 1 minuteNIPAH virus is a type of RNA virus transmitted from animals to humans. The infection causes severe respiratory illness and symptoms including cough, headache and fever, which can progress into encephalitis, seizure and coma. Currently, there is no approved vaccine against Nipah virus available on the market. In recent years, outbreaks, from bat-to-human or pig-to-human […]
Organ bioprinting gets a breath of fresh air
Reading Time: 2 minutesBIOENGINEERS have cleared a major hurdle on the path to 3D printing replacement organs with a breakthrough technique for bio-printing tissues. The new innovation allows scientists to create exquisitely entangled vascular networks that mimic the body’s natural passageways for blood, air, lymph and other vital fluids. The research is featured on the cover of this week’s […]
Sensor can detect spoiled milk before opening
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEXPIRATION dates on milk could eventually become a thing of the past with new sensor technology from Washington State University scientists. Researchers from the Department of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE), the WSU/UI School of Food Science and other departments have developed a sensor that can ‘smell’ if milk is still good or has gone bad. […]
An army of micro-robots can wipe out dental plaque
Reading Time: 2 minutesA VISIT to the dentist typically involves time-consuming and sometimes unpleasant scraping with mechanical tools to remove plaque from teeth. What if, instead, a dentist could deploy a small army of tiny robots to precisely and non-invasively remove that buildup? A team of engineers, dentists, and biologists from the University of Pennsylvania developed a microscopic […]