FAO Chief introduces innovation agenda to Council
Reading Time: 2 minutesROME: FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu vowed on Dec 2 to boost transparency across the Organization and proposed new institutional structures to achieve stronger results in two key focus areas – innovation and the interests of vulnerable people in Small Island Developing States, Less Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries. In his opening address to FAO’s […]
Wildlife in tropics hardest hit by deforestation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTROPICAL SPECIES are six times more sensitive to forests being broken up for logging or farming than temperate species, says new research. A team led by Oregon State University and including Imperial College London scientists found that sensitivity to forest fragmentation – the breakup of forests by human activities like logging or farming – increased […]
Squid pigments have antimicrobial properties
Reading Time: 2 minutesOMMOCHROMES, the pigments that colour the skin of squids and other invertebrates, could be used in the food and health sectors for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This is confirmed by the analyses carried out by researchers from the University of Sonora in Mexico and the Miguel Hernández University in Spain. One of the squid’s […]
Ancient ‘chewing gum’ yields insights into people and bacteria of the past
Reading Time: 2 minutesRESEARCHERS from the University of Copenhagen have succeeded in extracting a complete human genome from a thousandsof-years old “chewing gum.” According to the researchers, it is a new untapped source of ancient DNA. During excavations on Lolland, archaeologists have found a 5,700-year-old type of “chewing gum” made from birch pitch. In a new study, researchers […]
Five researchers for international stint
Reading Time: 2 minutesFIVE EXCEPTIONAL young Malaysian researchers were awarded the prestigious Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment 2019 by Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, Royal Patron of the Merdeka Award Trust. Dr Mohd Azri Ab Rani, 35; Juliana Ooi Sue May, 34; Dr Yanny Marliana Baba Ismail, 33; Feng Ying Xing, 29 and Chrishen Robert Gomez, 25 are […]
Do not work in a silo ecosystem
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY JAYASYALINY JAYARAJ THE Chief Executive Officer of the MalaysianTechnology Development Corporation (MTDC), Dato’ Norhalim Yunus told participants at a panel discussion that government agencies and the private sector must quit working in a silo ecosystem. He said, they should instead come together as a united force and jointly pool their talents in order to […]
Experts review evidence yoga is good for the brain
Reading Time: 3 minutesSCIENTISTS have known for decades that aerobic exercise strengthens the brain and contributes to the growth of new neurons, but few studies have examined how yoga affects the brain. A review of the science finds evidence that yoga enhances many of the same brain structures and functions that benefit from aerobic exercise. The review, published […]
Researchers finds genes conferring resistance to multiple leaf rust in barley
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAN INTERNATIONAL team led by researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has identified genes that confer resistance to multiple leaf rust species in barley. Simon Krattinger from KAUST’s Center for Desert Agriculture refers to their findings as nonhost resistance, the resistance of an entire species against all strains of a […]
Growing popularity of agribiotechnology in Vietnam
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDESPITE being a progressive scientific achievement of the world during the past decades and accepted by many countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, and many other developed countries, but biotechnology and genetically modified crops and their applications are still not well known in Vietnam. It is undeniable that biotechnology and GM foods have […]
Self-cleaning surface repels even the deadliest superbugs
Reading Time: 2 minutesA TEAM of researchers at McMaster University has developed a self-cleaning surface that can repel all forms of bacteria, preventing the transfer of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and other dangerous bacteria in settings ranging from hospitals to kitchens. The new plastic surface – a treated form of conventional transparent wrap – can be shrink-wrapped onto door handles, […]