Biosentients - Science Biology… etc

Scientists at Uppsala University has succeeded in extracting long DNA fragments from dried, pressed plant material collected in the 1700s by Linnaeus’ apprentice Adam Afzelius. It is hoped that the study, led by Associate Professor Katarina Andreasen, will shed light on whether plants growing today at Linnaeus’ Hammarby estate outside Uppsala reflect the species cultivated by Linnaeus himself……..

The green mussel is known for being a notoriously invasive fouling species, but researchers have just discovered that it also has a very powerful form of adhesion in its foot, as per a recent article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry The stickiness of the mussel’s foot could possibly be copied to form new man-made adhesives……..

Finding economical and practical solutions for conserving endangered carnivores is a continuous challenge for conservationists. As per a research findings published by the peer evaluated open access journal, PLoS ONE, on August 27th, a team of Brazilian scientists define global conservation priorities that encompass socioeconomic and life-history factors for endangered carnivores……..

Once upon a trash heap dreary, while he wandered, weak and weary, University of Illinois English professor and birding enthusiast Spencer Schaffner raised his binoculars, focused and had a eureka moment. In his sights, not a raven, nor even the Tamaulipas crow, a once-common inhabitant of the Brownsville, Texas, city dump. Rather, Schaffner identified the rarely spotted fowl irony……..

Indonesian authorities have arrested five wildlife trade suspects for attempting to illegally sell Sumatran tiger skins. The most recent raid took place in Jakarta on August 7 and recovered a number of protected wildlife species in addition to two complete tiger skins. On July 16, a raid in Sumatra recovered 33 tiger skin pieces, which ranged in size……..

Deep in Africa’s Kalahari Desert lies the “Devil’s claw,” a plant that may hold the key to effective therapys for arthritis, tendonitis and other illnesses that affect millions each year. Unfortunately, years of drought have pushed the Devil’s claw toward extinction, so researchers are scrambling to devise new ways to produce the valuable medicinal chemicals of the Devil’s claw and other rare plants……..

In a pioneering effort that generated massive amounts of DNA sequence data from 12 people, a team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has demonstrated the feasibility and value of a new strategy for identifying relatively rare genetic variants that may cause or contribute to disease. The proof-of-concept findings were published online today in the journal Nature…….

Mention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. Think biggeracres bigger. These well-known spices are now becoming organic agriculture’s key weapons against insect pests as the industry tries to satisfy demands for fruits and veggies among the growing portion of consumers who want food produced in more natural ways……..

UC Santa Barbara have found good evidence that niche differences are critical to biodiversity. Their findings are published online in this week’s issue of the journal Nature. “Ecologists have long assumed that species differences in how they use the environment are key to explaining the large number of species we see all around us, but the importance of such niches have never been field tested,” said first author Jonathan M. Levine, associate professor in UCSB’s Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology……..

Canadian researchers uncover alarming invasion of round goby into Great Lakes tributaries: impact on endangered fishes likely to be serious. A team of researchers from the University of Toronto, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the University of Guelph has identified a drastic invasion of round goby into a number of Great Lakes tributaries, including several areas of the Thames, Sydenham, Ausable and Grand Rivers. Many the affected areas are known as “species-at-risk” hot spots……..