Bianca Nogrady

Most fossil-fuel reserves must remain untapped to hit 1.5 °C warming goal

September 17, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 8 September 2021: Nearly 90% of economically viable global coal reserves must be left in the ground to have even a 50% chance of hitting internationally agreed climate-change goals, according to an updated model of limits to fossil-fuel extraction, published today in Nature. For a 50% chance of remaining below 1.5 °C of … Continue reading Most fossil-fuel reserves must remain untapped to hit 1.5 °C warming goal

First ancient human DNA found from key Asian migration route

September 17, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 26 August 2021: The 7,000-year-old skeleton of a teenage hunter-gatherer from Sulawesi in Indonesia could be the first remains found from a mysterious, ancient culture known as the Toaleans, researchers report this week in Nature1. The largely complete fossil of a roughly 18-year-old Stone Age woman was found in 2015 buried in a … Continue reading First ancient human DNA found from key Asian migration route

Why severe sickle-cell pain has been neglected

September 17, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 25 August 2021: “Dealing with pain is messy,” says John Roberts, an oncologist at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. It can’t be measured objectively through biomarkers or visualized on a scan, the experience of it varies enormously from person to person, and it can be fiendishly difficult to treat. … Continue reading Why severe sickle-cell pain has been neglected

Delta: a deep dive

September 17, 2021No Comments

From The Medical Republic, 2 August 2021: At the start of this year, the covid situation in India was looking relatively good. As the pandemic raged in other parts of the world, India was reporting around 10,000 new cases each day1 – nothing like the hundreds of thousands being diagnosed in the United States. A … Continue reading Delta: a deep dive

Gut microbiome may help or hinder defenses against SARS-CoV-2

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021No Comments

From The Scientist, 31 August 2021: hen SARS-CoV-2 first began rampaging around the world, it was thought to primarily affect the respiratory system. It soon became clear that the virus had more far-reaching effects, including on the gastrointestinal system and its bacterial symbionts. This came as no surprise to Siew Ng, a gastroenterologist in the … Continue reading Gut microbiome may help or hinder defenses against SARS-CoV-2

Australian research faces impending scarcity of lab rodents

July 21, 2021No Comments

From The Scientist, 20 July 2021: iomedical researchers across Australia are reeling in shock from the sudden news that the biggest supplier of laboratory mice and rats in the country—the Animal Resources Centre—will close its doors in around a year, with no plans in place to ensure a continued supply of animals to researchers. Malcolm … Continue reading Australian research faces impending scarcity of lab rodents

Mice plague eastern Australia in record numbers

July 13, 2021July 23, 2021No Comments

From The Scientist, 13 July 2021: Just before Christmas last year, Julie Leven and her husband Des took their camper up to visit their son in northern New South Wales, Australia. Driving back at night to their home in Gilgandra, around 430 kilometers northwest of Sydney, they saw masses of white spots moving across the … Continue reading Mice plague eastern Australia in record numbers

How nanotechnology can flick the immunity switch

July 12, 2021No Comments

From Nature, 30 June 2021: Ever since 1796, when English scientist and physician Edward Jenner successfully inoculated an eight-year-old boy with cowpox to protect him from smallpox, vaccines have been a key tool for preventing disease. From smallpox to polio, diphtheria to COVID-19, vaccines have prevented more deaths from infectious disease than any other medical … Continue reading How nanotechnology can flick the immunity switch

Mounting evidence suggests Sputnik COVID vaccine is safe and effective

July 7, 2021No Comments

From Nature News, 7 July 2021: Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik, has been the subject of fascination and controversy since the Russian government authorized its use last year, before early-stage trial results were published. Evidence from Russia and many other countries now suggests it is safe and effective — but questions remain about the quality of … Continue reading Mounting evidence suggests Sputnik COVID vaccine is safe and effective