Mice with Human Brain Cells

Mice with Human Brain Cells

nature   October 27, 2019

A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience worked on implementing human brain cells into mice brains. The presence of human brain cells in the mouse’s brain allows scientists to study different neurological diseases and conditions in a whole brain, rather than a laboratory dish. According to Steve Goldman, the study’s lead from Rochester University Medical Centre, these mice still have their own neurons which are responsible for sending and receiving information from various parts of the body. What makes them unique is the presence of human glial cells that are responsible for supporting neurons. 

Rochester University scientists extracted glial cells from the human fetus and injected it into young mice. In fact, each mouse received 300,000 human glials which multiplied to 12 billion after a year, ultimately moving the mouse counterparts to the margins and replacing the native cells. The extracted glial cells were ‘astrocytes’ which are responsible for maintaining the ionic environment within the human brain. They also play an important role in the movement of electrical signals from one neuron to the other. 

According to NewScientist, human astrocytes are almost 20 times the size of mouse glial cells. Therefore, by implementing human glial cells in mice brain, a huge difference is noticed in the conduction of electrical messages, eventually leading to changes in mice intelligence. Interestingly, Goldman’s team used standard memory and cognition tests to realize that mice with human glial cells have a much better memory, almost 4 times greater than the control mice.

Learn more by reading the full article at New Scientist:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26639-the-smart-mouse-with-the-half-human-brain/#.VHx_yTGsW4g

Original Journal:
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/48/16153.abstract

Image Credit: EXPRESS (express.co.uk)

Science of The Dancing Parrot

Science of The Dancing Parrot

nature   August 21, 2019

It was August of 2007 when a parrot named Snowball was left at a rescue centre in Dyer, Indiana. Soon after, the parrot became a YouTube sensation because of its amazing dancing skills, catching the attention of millions, including neuroscientists.The concept of dancing as seen in humans cannot be seen in most species, but parrots are the exception. In fact, parrots and humans are the only species that connect with music by showing a variety of spontaneous movements. These movements might be due to the fact that parrots are vocal learners with auditory-motor connections in their nervous system.

So far, research has shown the synchrony between the music beat and a parrot’s head and/or feet movement. Researchers wanted to see more of Snowball so they exposed him to new music once in a while such that now, he has 14 diverse dance movements like swinging his head, making half circles, doing headbangs, etc.

Parrots can acquire these  movements through various ways, such as imitation or copying humans. If dancing by imitation is the case, it is interesting to note that parrots might realize and distinguish the difference in body shapes between themselves and humans and still copy the motor movements of dance.
As well, dance movements might be a product of the parrots’ creativity. Animals other than humans usually show creativity upon a physical benefit like accessing food or mates. However, Snowball uses dancing to communicate with his human caregivers, without any food or mating opportunity present.

Read the full article by Atlantic here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/07/what-snowball-dancing-parrot-tells-us-about-dance/593428/

Read the full research paper by Current Biology here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960982219306049

Image Credit: Atlantic

New Fossil Site Discovered in China Brings Boundless Potential For Evolution And Discovery

New Fossil Site Discovered in China Brings Boundless Potential For Evolution And Discovery

nature   March 30, 2019

Image Credit: Dongjing Fu

      As reported in the Journal of Science, a new fossil site of the Cambrian period has been recently discovered by Dr. Dongjing Fu and his colleagues from Northwest University, Guizhou University, and Pomona College in China called the Qingjiang Biota. This discovery is opening up vast potential for discoveries in evolution.

      The Cambrian period, which was roughly 500 million years ago, had a massive explosion of life marking a critical period for the discovery of not only the first simple organism but evolution itself.

      Past sites have been discovered representing Cambrian periods include the Burgess Shale and Chengjiang locations, where extremely well-preserved soft bodies organisms were found. In many cases, these specimens rarely make it to general fossils, but none have the sheer quantity and quality of the newly discovered Qingjiang site.

      The Qingjiang site, located by the Danshui River in the Hubei province in China, includes near perfect preserved soft-bodied organisms including juvenile or larval forms, arthropod/worm cuticles, and jellyfishes. Furthermore, 53 organisms were identified as completely new to science and are still waiting to be named.

      Quoted from Dr. Dongjing Fu, “The discovery promises to shed light on the evolution of Cambrian ecosystems across space and time. Nowhere do have a more pristine fossil record of early Cambrian life and such a diversity of organisms — and this is just the beginning.”


Written and condensed by B.Li

Read more about this fascinating story at: www.sci-news.com

NASA Spots Rectangular Iceberg in Antarctica

NASA Spots Rectangular Iceberg in Antarctica

nature   October 29, 2018

During Operation IceBridge, NASA's longest-running aerial survey of polar ice, photos of a very sharp-angled, tabular iceberg were captured over the northern Antarctic Peninsula on October 16, 2018. This iceberg was found by senior support scientist Jeremy Harbeck just off of the Larsen C Ice Shelf.

NASA scientists explained later that the process that formed this iceberg is actually fairly common. Tabular icebergs are wide and flat, like sheet cake. They split from the edges of ice shelves through a process that is relatable like a fingernail growing too long and cracking off at the end. This often makes them rectangular and geometric as a result.

A second iceberg spotted by Jeremy Harbeck. Image Credit: NASA/Harbeck

“I thought it was pretty interesting; I often see icebergs with relatively straight edges, but I've not really seen one before with two corners at such right angles like this one had,” Harbeck said. “I was actually more interested in capturing the A68 iceberg that we were about to fly over, but I thought this rectangular iceberg was visually interesting and fairly photogenic, so on a lark, I just took a couple photos."

Read more about this fascinating story at:

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2018/2-rectangular-icebergs-spotted-on-nasa-icebridge-flight

https://www.space.com/42234-weird-square-iceberg-antarctica.html

Image Credit: NASA/Jeremy Harbeck

Scientists Sequence Genome of Lavender

Scientists Sequence Genome of Lavender

nature   October 16, 2018

   A team of scientists at Brock University and the University of British Columbia has sequenced the genome of English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), a plant that is widely grown around the world.

   Creating the first draft genome assembly for English lavender, the researchers found that lavender has a moderately repeated (over 48% repeated elements) genome of 870 million base pairs. This comes out to 62,141 protein-coding genes and 2,003 RNA-coding genes.

   “Researchers now have access to the lavender genome sequence and from here, they can discover more about the plant,” said Dr. Ping Liang of Brock University. “Given the economic status of lavender and its applications of essential oils in many industries, the lavender draft genome sequence serves as a significant genetic resource for continued lavender research.”

   Used widely throughout the world in various products such as perfumes, pharmaceutical preparations, cosmetics and antiseptics, lavender and its hybrid counterparts are valued for their essential oils. With production rates reaching over 1,500 metric tons annually, lavender plays a large role in the multi-billion-dollar flavour and fragrance industry worldwide.

Read more about this fascinating story at: http://www.sci-news.com/genetics/lavender-genome-06501.html

Or read the scientific study here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00425-018-3012-9

Image credit: Rebekka D.

New Mineral Discovery Could Solve Global Warming

New Mineral Discovery Could Solve Global Warming

nature   August 25, 2018

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky

Researchers, led by Professor Ian Power at Trent University, have created a revolutionary way to produce magnesite (MgCO3) at room temperature.

This mineral can capture greenhouse gases (CO2) from the atmosphere and can used to slow down global warming.

By determining how magnesite forms at low temperatures, the team developed a method that would dramatically accelerate crystallization which otherwise would take thousands of years on Earth's surface.

The method consisted of using polystyrene microspheres as a catalyst. As a result, magnesite would form within 72 days.

Quote from Professor Ian Power, “For now, we recognize that this is an experimental process, and will need to be scaled up before we can be sure that magnesite can be used in carbon sequestration (taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and permanently storing it as magnesite).”

Written and condensed by B.Li 

Read more about this fascinating story at: www.sci-news.com

Rips Detected in Earth's Mantle Below Southern Tibet

Rips Detected in Earth's Mantle Below Southern Tibet

nature   August 02, 2018

  According to a new study released by geologists from the University of Illinois, the upper mantle layer of the Indian tectonic plate appears to be torn in four pieces beneath the Tibetan Plateau. This fracture is the product of collision between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates nearly 50 million years ago.

  Using geophysical data collected from various sources, seismic wave tomographic images of Tibet were generated. Through these models, it was found that the intact regions of crust between the tears were strong enough to accumulate strain to generate earthquakes. These crustal areas are exposed to more heat from the mantle, making them more ductile.
  The model also helped to explain some of the deformation patterns observed from the surface, including rifts spanning from north to south. These earthquake locations and deformation patterns posed strong evidence of a strongly coupled crust and upper mantle in southern Tibet.
   “What were previously thought of as unusual locations for some of the intercontinental earthquakes in the southern Tibetan Plateau seem to make more sense now after looking at this model,” said graduate student and co-author Jiangtao Li. “There is a striking correlation with the location of the earthquakes and the orientation of the fragmented Indian upper mantle.”

Read the full press release at: https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/677194
Or read the full study at: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/07/24/1717258115

Massive Decline of King Penguin Colony Observed

Massive Decline of King Penguin Colony Observed

nature   July 31, 2018

 According to a new study funded by France's National Centre for Scientific Research, the number of king penguins on the Île aux Cochons has declined from 2 million to 200,000 in the past 50 years. This population drop amounts to nearly 90% in the past three decades.

 Through recent satellite image and photos captured by helicopters, it was found that the population has collapsed, with barely 200,000 remaining penguins left.
 The reason behind this sudden drop is also a mystery to scientists in this study. “It is completely unexpected, and particularly significant since this colony represented nearly one third of the king penguins in the world,” said lead author Henri Weimerskirch, an ecologist with the Centre for Biological Studies in Chize, France, who was one of the first who discovered the colony in 1982.

 Some of the possible effects to this drop could include El Niño events and overcrowding. In 1997, a particularly strong El Niño hit the southern Indian Ocean, temporarily pushing fish and squid, two food sources of the penguin, beyond their foraging range. In addition, past overcrowding could have reduced the carrying capacity of the environment, putting strain on the population.

Read more about this fascinating story at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/30/worlds-largest-king-penguin-colony-has-declined-by-90
Or read the full study at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/massive-decline-of-the-worlds-largest-king-penguin-colony-at-ile-aux-cochons-crozet/E254E3E24DE3BDC523B25FA3A3261584#

Genie’s Dogfish – The Discovery of a New Species of Shark

Genie’s Dogfish – The Discovery of a New Species of Shark

nature   July 23, 2018

Image credit: MarAlliance

Dr. Pfleger and her team of marine biologists have discovered through innovative methods of genetic testing and morphology a new species of dogfish shark: the Genie’s Dogfish. Since many deep-sea sharks share similar physical characteristics from the environment’s evolutionary pressures, this team uses DNA evidence to prove the need for a new distinction of species. DNA is used to determine the length of time a species has existed as well as any stark differences distinguishing various species.

Overfishing, bycatch, and shark fin trading are a few of the threats endangering sharks. As fisheries continue to fish in deeper waters, scientists must first discover the unknown species lurking in these waters to help preserve the biodiversity.

Founder of Mote Marine Laboratory, Eugenie Clark, is recognized through the title of the recently discovered dogfish shark species. “Genie established Mote and she lived on the Gulf of Mexico coast. She did a lot to advance our understanding of marine biodiversity there. So naming the dogfish shark from the Gulf of Mexico after her is the most appropriate thing in the world,” explains shark biologist Dr. Toby Daly-Engel from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Read more about this fascinating discovery at: http://www.sci-news.com/biology/genies-dogfish-squalus-clarkae-06213.html

Read the study at: https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4444.2.1

Underwater Volcano Discovered Beneath Pine Island Glacier

Underwater Volcano Discovered Beneath Pine Island Glacier

nature   July 20, 2018

 According to a study by an international team of scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council, a previously unknown volcanic hotspot has been discovered underneath the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS).
 To discover the volcanic activity, the scientists traced helium isotopes, more specifically He-3, as these isotopes are widely recognized as a principal source for the deep water melting of glaciers. By analyzing historical data of helium measurement around the seas of Antarctica, the scientists discovered a volcanic signal that stood out in their data.
  "To model the complex processes of how the ice sheets move is a difficult, but essential thing to do if we are to understand their role in the global climate and their potential for contributing to sea level rise," said Peter Milne, program director for ocean and atmospheric science at the NSF. "This research may add a critical piece of information as we try to assemble that 'big picture.'"
 The study concluded that the Pine Island Glacier would be a significant source of global sea level rise should melting continue or accelerate. Glaciers such as Pine Island serve as plugs that regulate the speed at which the WAIS flows into the sea.

Read the full press release at: https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=295861

Image: NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

Researchers Determine Koala DNA Sequencing

Researchers Determine Koala DNA Sequencing

nature   July 09, 2018

Image credit: Holger Detje

The first high-quality genomic sequence for the koala has been created. After sequencing over 3.4 billion base pairs and more than 26,000 genes in the koala genome, the team of scientists behind the Koala Genome Consortium finally assembled the complete sequence through the use of supercomputers.

Due to factors such as habitat destruction and fragmentation, disease, and drought, the koala gained status as ‘Vulnerable’ two years earlier on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The assembled genome produced by the team of 54 scientists spanning across seven countries and 29 different institutions will help ensure the longevity of the Australian marsupial. “This milestone has come from our vision to use genomics to conserve this species. The genetic blueprint has not only unearthed a wealth of data regarding the koalas unusual and highly specialized diet of eucalyptus leaves, but also provides important insights into their immune system, population diversity and the evolution of koalas,” explains director of the Australian Museum Research Institute, Professor Rebecca Johnson.

Read more about this fascinating discovery at: http://www.sci-news.com/genetics/koala-genome-06159.html
Read the study at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0153-5

Comprehending Consciousness: Study Turns to Neuroscience for Explanation

Comprehending Consciousness: Study Turns to Neuroscience for Explanation

nature   June 25, 2018

Photo by Franck V. on Unsplash

The electrical activity of individual neurons may provide scientists the answers for the origin and nature of consciousness. A team of researchers was able to utilize the medical opportunity presented by epileptic patients to isolate the brain activity that occurs upon changes in perception. These individuals received a surgical implantation of electrodes in the brain with the intent of identifying the cause of seizures.

One method used to differentiate physical stimulus from brain perception was through the use of ‘binocular rivalry’ – a phenomenon where the brain is unable to combine the images presented to the left and right eyes. Instead, the brain alternates between the two images irregularly. Patients were shown an image of a house to the right eye while the left eye was shown a face. In the analysis of the neural activity compared against reported changes in perception, the study highlights the individual cells in the human brain responsible for conscious experience.

Dr. Hagar Gelbard-Sagiv, study lead, explains, “Computers and robots interact with the world without being conscious. But something miraculous happens inside our brains to make us conscious and experience the world from a subjective perspective.” 

Read more about this fascinating discovery at: http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/neuroscience/consciousness-origin-nature-06106.html

Read the study at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03749-0

Concept of Zero Recognized in Honeybees

Concept of Zero Recognized in Honeybees

nature   June 11, 2018

Photo: Pexels

While the concept of zero has become instinctive to modern humanity, the numeric systems of ancient human civilizations indicate a prior lack of a complete comprehension of the concept. However, the concept of zero is no longer considered a concept exclusive to humanity as scientists are discovering other vertebrates capable of grasping the concept. Notably, RMIT University researcher Adrian Dyer and co-authors provide evidence in a recent study that supports the notion that honeybees can comprehend zero.

Dyer explains the team’s inspiration behind the study, “We’ve long believed only humans had the intelligence to get the concept, but recent research has shown monkeys and birds have the brains for it as well. What we haven’t known — until now — is whether insects can also understand zero.” To test the knowledge of zero, bees were lured to a testing apparatus and trained to select the image with the fewest elements. Despite a lack exposure to empty sets, when a set containing no elements was displayed, the bees recognized these images were lower than images that displayed any elements.

Read more about this fascinating discovery at: http://www.sci-news.com/biology/honeybees-concept-zero-06085.html

Read the study at: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6393/1124