Sunway University researchers find microplastics in sea salt
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE increase in news reports of marine wildlife washing up dead on shores due to complications from ingesting plastic, brings to light the severity of plastic consumption, disposal of plastic and garbage, and pollution of our waterways and oceans. The Great Pacific garbage patch so far is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the […]
Wound healing innovation from bitter gourd and rotten starfruit
Reading Time: 2 minutesSERDANG: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) researchers succeeded in producing ‘Medicated Wound Dressing’, a wound healing product from bitter gourd and rotten starfruit, a more effective and appropriate wound healing method especially for diabetic patients. It has both antimicrobial and healing abilities, and can be used on chronic and traumatic wounds with reduced microbial infection. Lead […]
Mozambique to gain from GM maize
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE use of genetically modified (GM) maize could increase crop yield by up to 50 per cent, according to a study conducted by the Mozambique Agricultural Research Institute (IIAM). Maize is considered to be one of the most important crops in the country. Pedro Fato, lead researcher at IIAM, reported that the GM seeds have […]
Study shows potential for reduced methane from cows
Reading Time: 2 minutesAN international team of scientists has shown it is possible to breed cattle to reduce their methane emissions. Published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers showed that the genetics of an individual cow strongly influenced the make-up of the microorganisms in its rumen (the first stomach in the digestive system of ruminant animals which […]
Bitter melon genes can protect rice
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSHEATH BLIGHT (SB) caused by Rhizoctonia solani fungus is one of the problems in rice production, but scientists have not found a source of resistance within the rice germplasm. Researchers from Southwest University in China tested a gene from bitter melon. The findings published in Transgenic Research. The research team developed transgenic lines harboring the […]
Biological evolution to inspire machine learning
Reading Time: < 1 minuteINVESTIGATORS from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston are taking advantage of a unique phenomenon of nanoparticles to develop a test for early detection of different types of diseases, including cancer. Through previous investigations, Morteza Mahmoudi and colleagues have shown that biomolecules in the blood of healthy individuals and patients form various corona profiles around […]
Sloppy sea urchins
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSEA urchins have gotten a bad rap on the Pacific coast. The spiky sea creatures can mow down entire swaths of kelp forest, leaving behind rocky urchin barrens. But new research suggests that urchins play a more complex role in their ecosystems than previously believed. A team led by Christie Yorke, a postdoctoral scholar at […]
No new males
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRISING temperatures could mean no male loggerhead turtles hatch at a key breeding ground by the end of this century, new research suggests. The University of Exeter study also warns that by 2100, more than 90% of loggerhead nests on the Cape Verde islands could incubate at “lethally high temperatures”, killing turtles before they hatch. […]
Mustering a milder mustard
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE mustards, broccolis and cab- bages of the world share a distinct and bitter taste. Some consider the flavor of cruciferous plants their strongest attribute. But even in India and China, where Brassicas have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years, scientists have sought to tone down the chemical compounds responsible for their pungent flavor. […]
Dr Aizan Sofia proves deficiency is an advantage
Reading Time: 2 minutesBEING a disabled as early as the age of 16 has strongly tests the fortitude and strength of Dr. Aizan Sofia Amin, who was diagnosed with bone cancer until she lost her left leg. Telling her hardship, Dr. Aizan Sofia said, although the physical was not perfect, the spirit of her soul and the encouragement […]