Nanoplastics can accumulate in marine organisms’ bodies, study finds
Reading Time: 3 minutesPLASTIC nanoparticles – these are tiny pieces of plastic less than 1 micrometre in size – could potentially contaminate food chains, and ultimately affect human health, according to a recent study by scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS). They discovered that nanoplastics are easily ingested by marine organisms, and they accumulate in the […]
Mabic trains biosafety professionals on risk communication
Reading Time: 2 minutesPUTRAJAYA: The Biosafety Department of Malaysia (JBK) recently engaged Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (Mabic) to train its regulators and enforcement officers on risk communication related to living modified organisms (LMOs). Risk communication is a branch of science communication that is highly effective in situations where there is low trust, high concern and for topics that […]
Global warming is transforming the Great Barrier Reef
Reading Time: 2 minutesA NEW study published online recently in Nature shows that corals on the northern Great Barrier Reef experienced a catastrophic die-off following the extended marine heatwave of 2016. “When corals bleach from a heatwave, they can either survive and regain their colour slowly as the temperature drops, or they can die. Averaged across the whole […]
Researchers develop first gene drive targeting worldwide crop pest
Reading Time: 2 minutesBIOLOGISTS at the University of California San Diego have developed a method of manipulating the genes of an agricultural pest that has invaded much of the United States and caused millions of dollars in damage to high-value berry and other fruit crops. Research led by Anna Buchman in the lab of Omar Akbari, a new […]
How do trees sleep?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBY SCIENCE BRIDGE ACADEMY MOST living organisms adapt their behavior to the rhythm of day and night. A group of researchers in Austria conducted a study to study this pattern on plants, it turns out that trees do go to sleep too! They study the day and night cycle of plants by[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ […]
Scaling sustainable rice farming practices to achieve food security in Asia
Reading Time: 3 minutesJAKARTA, Indonesia: Experts gathering at the 5th Responsible Business Forum (RBF) on Food and Agriculture have stressed the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to upscale the sharing of proven best practices in sustainable rice production among Asia’s smallholder rice farmers. The event, held on March 27-28 under the theme “Scaling Collaboration to Deliver the Sustainable Development […]
Focus on brain-eating amoeba
Reading Time: 2 minutesSUNWAY University Master in Science in Life Sciences student Shobana Gabriel Jabanathan (pix) is determined to raise awareness on the prevalence of brain-eating amoebae in Malaysian water sources. “My research aims to develop molecular methods for rapid detection and to determine the occurrence of brain-eating amoebae (Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri) in public […]
Matching wits with machines
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY MAZLAN HANAFI BASHARUDIN PENANG: The Centre for Development of Academic Excellence & Student Development (CDAE) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) today held a talk on the topic of “Outsmarting the Smartest Machines”. The talk, presented by its Director, Professor Dr Abd Karim Alias, touched on the issue of managing education in the future, in […]
What animal kills human the most?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSharks? lions? snakes? No. Mosquitoes. Many of us view mosquitoes as more of an annoyance than a threat, but the tiny insects are far and away the deadliest animals on earth. The World Health Organisation estimates that 725,000 people are killed each year by mosquito-born diseases. A staggering 200 million people are at least temporarily […]
Why does the moon have craters?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteONE reason the moon has craters because it gets hit by objects, small pieces of rocks that come from outer space. These are pieces of asteroids, comets that are flying around in the solar system. When they hit the surface, there’s an impact. The moon has no atmosphere, and so even a tiny rock will […]