‘Enjoy your meat and keep your health’
Reading Time: 2 minutesNOW, researchers from the University of South Australia can reveal that Aussies can have their health and eat meat too with a new version of the Mediterranean diet adapted for Australian palates. Incorporating 2-3 serves (250g) of fresh lean pork each week, the Mediterranean-Pork (Med-Pork) diet delivers cognitive benefits, while also catering to Western tastes, […]
Blight-resistant GM potatoes
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe latest stage of field trials conducted by The Sainsbury Laboratory for a genetically modified (GM) potato with improved tuber quality and resistance to the devastating disease like blight has progressed successfully. The field trials were conducted after successful lab experiments to modify Maris Piper potatoes with late blight resistance genes from Solanum americanum and […]
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 […]
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 […]
Continual logging, replanting limits future forest growth
Reading Time: 2 minutesCONTINUALLY logging and re-growing tropical forests to supply timber is reducing the levels of vital nutrients in the soil, which may limit future forest growth and recovery, a new study suggests. This raises concerns about the longterm sustainability of logging in the tropics. Trees of recovering tropical forests were found to have tougher leaves, with […]
Study: Asian rivers transport more plastic than Europe’s waterways
Reading Time: 2 minutesIN the first study of its kind, researchers from the Netherlands examined the amounts of floating plastic debris at 24 locations on rivers in seven European and Asian countries. Lead author Caroline van Calcar, from Delft University of Technology, said: “Land-based plastics, washed into the ocean by rivers, are believed to be the main source […]
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 […]
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, […]
Human teeth as jewelry in Turkey 8,500 years ago
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAT a prehistoric archaeological site in Turkey, researchers have discovered two 8,500-year-old human teeth, which had been used as pendants in a necklace or bracelet. Researchers have never documented this practice before in the prehistoric Near East, and the rarity of the find suggests that the human teeth were imbued with profound symbolic meaning for […]
Developing market oriented rice hybrids
Reading Time: 2 minutesRECENT research and technological advancements have significantly improved the quality and viability of hybrid rice. Still, the lack of awareness among value chain actors on these improvements threatens to impede its full potential as a climate resilient alternative to traditional varieties. Characteristics like poor grain quality, lower head rice recovery percentage, chalkiness, high insect, pest, […]