Dissolving snails due to acidification of seawater
Oct 15, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Biologists have found that increased CO2 levels in seawater harms the shell of the snail Charonia lampas, or triton shell. The research was conducted off the coast of Shikinejima in Japan, where CO2 bubbles up from the... Read more
Atlantic salmon uses Earth’s magnetic field for navigation
Oct 10, 2018 Alexandru Ciobanu
Similar to their relatives, the Pacific salmon, the Atlantic salmon uses Earth’s magnetic field as a navigational tool, according to a new study.
Interestingly, the study showed that the fish do n... Read more
Education improves economic decision-making
Oct 08, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Education support and laboratory experiments that mimicked real-life situations improved economic decision-making in a group of nearly 3,000 girls in secondary schools in Malawi. The students received one year of finan... Read more
Our viral defenses are inherited from Neanderthals
Oct 05, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
New research has shown that Neanderthals and modern humans interbred and exchanged viruses. The Neanderthal DNA ended up in our DNA, and helps us to protect ourselves against viruses. This DNA-based adaptation was part... Read more
Pseudo-embryos from stem cells created in the lab
Oct 04, 2018 Alexandru Ciobanu
A new research study reports that mouse stem cells have the ability to produce pseudo-embryos, similar in many aspects to real embryos of 6 to 10 days.
The study showed that the three main embryonic axes were formed using around 300 stem cells, according... Read more
Genetics do not contribute much to forming a social society
Oct 04, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Research in sweat bees (Lasioglossum baleicum) revealed that social behavior is relatively independent of genetic similarities between the individuals. Fitness, i.e. an organism’s reproductive success and propaga... Read more
How do baby giraffes get their spots? From their mothers!
Oct 03, 2018 Alexandru Ciobanu
The spotted pattern of a giraffe is complex and important, ensuring efficient camouflage and protection from predators. But what determines the shape of the spots?
A new study showed that their shape is... Read more
Making wild groundcherry suitable for agriculture by DNA editing
Oct 02, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
To make wild groundcherry suitable for agriculture, scientists have edited its genome with the CRISPR technique to incorporate some characteristics of tomatoes. This makes the groundcherry grow in a more “organiz... Read more
Gene stealing algae may survive climate change
Sep 28, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Some green algae appear to have taken genes from bacteria, which allows them to survive hostile and fluctuating conditions in salt marshes. These algae, known as Picochlorum, are expected to survive climate change as w... Read more
Finally some good news for corals: reefs can be rehabilitated
Sep 28, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Researchers have attached coral fragment to hexagonal structures called “spiders” in the center of Indonesia’s Coral Triangle to test whether it is possible to restore coral reefs. Indeed, live coral ... Read more
Collapse of killer whale populations from PCBs expected
Sep 28, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Scientists found that killer whales are amongst the most highly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated mammals in the world. PCB contamination affects reproduction and immune function, and threatens viability o... Read more
How does a plant know when to flower?
Sep 27, 2018 Alexandru Ciobanu
Correct timing for flowering is extremely important for pollination and reproduction of plants. But, how does a plant know when it is the best moment to produce flowers? A component of the sunlight, called the UV-B rad... Read more
Climate change not the main culprit of amphibian decline
Sep 26, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Years worth of data collected in the US and Canada show that climate change is not the main factor that is causing the worldwide decline of amphibian populations. While it is true that local effects of climate change c... Read more
Gene drive technique eradicates malaria mosquito population in the laboratory
Sep 25, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Scientists are well on their way to specifically change the genome of malaria mosquitos to bring about their extinction. By introducing a mutation by the CRISPR – Cas9 gene drive technique in a part of the gene t... Read more
Glyphosate, a common herbicide, contributes to the dying of bees
Sep 25, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
The commonly used herbicide glyphosate has been found in a new study to have a profound effect on the microbiota living the intestines of honeybees. At least four out of eight common bacteria species are severely affec... Read more
Light pollution makes fish more courageous during the day
Sep 24, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Artificial light at night alters the behavior of fish (guppies) during the day, a new study shows. Fish leave their shelter faster, and spend more time in open, potentially dangerous, waters. It thus seems that fish ar... Read more
Children more likely to try marijuana younger if their mothers smoke it
Sep 24, 2018 Alexandru Ciobanu
A new study showed a correlation between mothers using marijuana during the first 12 years of their child's life and the age at which the children start using cannabis themselves. Maternal marihuana use was associated with children trying it at an earlier age. "Earl... Read more
Gut feeling, the sixth sense
Sep 21, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
The effects of cursing while driving and other 2018 Ig Nobel Prize winners
Sep 14, 2018 Alexandru Ciobanu
Sometimes science is too serious. Or so it seems! However, some scientists dare to venture into questions and research that “make people laugh then make them think”. This kind of unconventional studies are awarded every year with the Ig Nobel Prize and it is worth t... Read more
Bacteria in our guts produce electricity
Sep 13, 2018 Erwin van den Burg
Bacteria are pumping out electrons through their membrane, as many as 100,000 per second per cell. This electric current needs flavin, a derivative of vitamin B2 and abundant in the intestines. Bacteria generate electr... Read more
