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Radioactive bacteria
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Listeria bacteria has been enlisted by researchers to selectively infect metastatic pancreatic cancer cells and deliver radioisotopes into them. The experimental treatment dramatically decreased the number of metastases (cancers that have spread to other parts of the body) in a mouse model of highly aggressive pancreatic cancer without harming healthy tissue. Mice livers are shown above. The saline control liver on the left presents a large number of metastases compared to the liver on the right which was subject to the radioactive Listeria treatment. ...
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3157 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Parasitism leads to 'zombieism'
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Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, also known as cordyceps, is a type of fungus that infects insects and takes over their nervous systems. The method with which they take control of nervous systems is still a mystery to science. However, the repercussions of such an infection are all too clear. Carpenter Ants, for example, live in the canopy of the tropical rainforest. They frequently forage for food on the forest floor. Unfortunately, this is where the cordyceps fungus proliferates. A new study shows that the fungus prefers to grow on “the undersides of leaves sprouting from the northwest side of plants that grow on the forest floor” This places it in an ideal position to grow and release its spores to infect ants. Here's how the fungus gets ther ...
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2394 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
One ugly fish
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The coelacanth is known as a “living fossil” because it looks very much like its ancestors from 300 million years ago. Its genome has been sequenced, and it, in fact, has been found to be evolving at a very slow rate. The genetic sequence also might help give some insight into the transition from fins to limbs.
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2796 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
New bat species discovered
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This striped bat is only the fifth of its kind to be collected, and is so unique, it warranted the creation of a new genus.
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2776 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
My phone is nearly six months old, I think I need an upgrade
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Mobile phones contain a metal extracted from an ore called columbite-tantalite (or Coltan). Vast areas of African gorilla habitats are destroyed every year as we buy more and more mobile phones. Watch these two videos. The first video is about the people of Congo The second video is about the gorillas of Congo. Which evokes more emotion in you? ...
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2696 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
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5562 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Intelligent animals
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Dolphins are regarded as the second smartest animal alive, and are only outwitted by humans. Compared to other animals their size, dolphin brains are five times larger. Dolphins have been shown to be self-aware, and are capable of a wide range of emotions.
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3014 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Imagine being inside this hurricane
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This fantastic photograph of a hurricane on Saturn was recently snapped by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. It measures an astonishing 2,000 kilometers across the eye - that's big enough to cover the UK twelve times. Wind speeds reach as fast as 150 meters per second.
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3081 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Hydropower
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Nearly 20% of all electricity in the world comes from hydropower, and Norway has adapted to rely nearly entirely on it. They are the world leader in hydroelectricity production, generating 120 TWh annually. France and Sweden are next highest, each generating ~65 TWh per year.
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3097 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
How to make meat in a lab
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The biomass pyramid above shows how a large amount of plant matter is eaten by many small animals which are in turn eaten by fewer numbers of large animals. At each step of the biomass pyramid, matter and energy are lost in the form of energy to keep the animal warm and moving, or as faeces and urine. Therefore, the more steps there are in a biomass pyramid, the more loss of matter and energy that occurs. Humans are usually at the top of the Food Chain or biomass pyramid (unless we are eaten by sharks, lions or bears!). Also, there is often a significant loss of matter and energy at each step that can be avoided. Does that mean that we should all become vegetarians? No. However, we can eat more vegetables and less meat. Food security is an im ...
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3221 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
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3148 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
How Far Can Biotechnology Take Us?
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Throughout conservations on a daily basis, I often get asked ‘Will there ever be a cure for…?’ or ‘Do you think there will ever be…?’ and those questions are quite a stumbling block. Having discussed various aspects of current biochemical and biotechnical research of late I suppose it has prompted me to ask a similar question myself. The question being, how far can biotechnology take us? How much can we cure, eradicate or produce through further research in the biosciences? It’s a stimulating question and one that is impossible to answer definitively. We never know what exactly lies around the corner, but we can extrapolate on from current trends and ideas. Obviously, the areas of gene therapy, synthetic biology and pharmacoge ...
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3417 |
Chapman333 |
11 years ago |
Geep!
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A goat-sheep chimera also known as a geep all over the world is normally produced by the fusion of the embryos of both a sheep and a goat. The animal formed by this method thus has cells of not only goat but also of sheep origin. Those parts of the chimera that grow from the embryo of a sheep are woolly. Whereas those that grow from the embryo of a goat turn out to be hairy.
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3933 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Feeding ducks bread could actually be harmful
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Feeding bread to wild ducks is incredibly harmful. Bread has almost no nutrients that are useful for the duck, so they become malnourished and more susceptible to disease. Compounding the problem is excessive bread in the water, which leads to high levels of E. coli and even botulism outbreaks. Wild ducks need to stay wild, and artificially feeding them causes them to lose their natural instincts for acquiring food. If you want to feed captive waterfowl, consider chopped vegetables, whole grains, or fruit instead. ...
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3025 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Dwarf planets
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Not much of a believer in dwarf planets, but here's a cool schematic of some. In 2006 the organization responsible for classifying celestial bodies, the International Astronomical Union, decided that a new class of objects was needed. The solar system's erratic ninth planet, Pluto, was assigned to the new “dwarf planet” category along with four other bodies, all tinier than Earth’s moon. Some astronomers expect there may be as many as 50 dwarf planets in the solar system. Eris, the largest dwarf planet, is only slightly bigger than Pluto, at 1,445 miles in diameter (2,326 km). Discovered in 2003, Eris orbits at an average distance of 68 AU (that is, 68 times the Earth’s distance from the sun) and takes 561.4 Earth years to circle the sun. E ...
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3354 |
duddy |
11 years ago |