OFAB Nigeria celebrates exemplary science journalism
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE Federal Government of Nigeria is counting on agricultural technology to help deliver food security solutions and address challenges brought by climate change. In his speech during this year’s Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB)-Nigeria Media Awards, Nigeria‘s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Alhaji Sabo Nanono stressed that the country is relying on the contribution […]
Zebra finches amazing at unmasking the bird behind the song
Reading Time: 3 minutesIF songbirds could appear on “The Masked Singer” reality TV competition, zebra finches would likely steal the show. That’s because they can rapidly memorize the signature sounds of at least 50 different members of their flock, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. In findings recently published in the journal Science Advances, these […]
Large, delayed outbreaks of endemic diseases possible following COVID-19 controls
Reading Time: 3 minutesMEASURES to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as mask wearing and social distancing are a key tool in combatting the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These actions also have greatly reduced incidence of many other diseases, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Current reductions in these common respiratory […]
For vampire bats, social distancing while sick comes naturally
Reading Time: 3 minutesNEW research shows that when vampire bats feel sick, they socially distance themselves from groupmates in their roost – no public health guidance required. The researchers gave wild vampire bats a substance that activated their immune system and made them feel sick for several hours, and then returned the bats to their roost. A control […]
Humans are born with brains ‘prewired’ to see words
Reading Time: 3 minutesHUMANS are born with a part of the brain that is prewired to be receptive to seeing words and letters, setting the stage at birth for people to learn how to read, a new study suggests. Analyzing brain scans of newborns, researchers found that this part of the brain — called the “visual word form […]
Digital CRISPR-Cas‐Assisted Assay for Rapid SARS‐CoV‐2 Detection
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJOHNS Hopkins University researchers developed the first digital CRISPR-Cas‐assisted assay called digitization‐enhanced CRISPR/Cas‐assisted one‐pot virus detection (deCOViD) which is designed for SARS‐CoV‐2, the virus causing COVID-19. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an unprecedented demand for rapid diagnostics. CRISPR-Cas-assisted nucleic acid detection assays have been found to be helpful because of their well-designed detection mechanism, fast assay […]
Pakistan’s agriculture industry remains open for biotech opportunities
Reading Time: 2 minutesECONOMIST Graham Brookes of P.G. Economics Ltd. continues his online country reports to provide the latest data on the economic and environmental benefits of genetically modified (GM) crops. His latest episode was hosted by Pakistan, with Federal Minister Syed-Fakhar Imam of the Ministry of Food Security and Research in attendance. Brookes first gave his 23-year global report […]