Science News Digest 19th October 2009
In the science news this week, we take a look at Kew Gardens' Biodiversity victory, the discovery of a new type of energy, the future of beauty and finally the ultimate birthday present for Darwin.
Going Bananas at Kew
The Kew Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, based at Kew Gardens in London has achieved its target of collecting seeds of 10% of all the world’s wild plant species, according to The Guardian this week.
24,200 species have been collected since the seed bank was started in 2000. The 24,200th species to be collected is Musa itineran a wild pink banana from China and a favourite food for Asian elephants.
Janet Terry, the seed processing manager at the bank, explained why the Yunnan banana was chosen for the milestone: "It is representative of what the whole project is all about - it is endemic, endangered and it is an economic species. And of course, everybody loves a banana."
The seed bank, the largest in the world for wild plants, allows researchers access to all the seeds in one place making it easier to study medicinal plants and those that might resist climate change. It is also insurance against any loss of biodiversity, allowing species to be regrown.
The partnership now has a new target to collect a quarter of the world’s wild plant species by 2020.
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On Thin Ice
In 20 years time the arctic could be ice-free over the summer according to Professor Peter Wadhams of the University of Cambridge.
The Catlin Arctic Survey, conducted earlier this year, found Arctic ice floes were not as thick as had been expected.
This would mean that over the summer months, it would be possible to traverse the Arctic by ship meaning faster shipping times. Plus, in an ironic twist, oil and gas reserves would be easier to extract.
However, these silver linings accompany a very dark cloud. The loss of Arctic ice could have devastating consequences for the entire planet, changing ocean currents and atmospheric conditions.
It will also mean a big change in the way we explore the Arctic. Polar adventurers will no longer be able to use just dog sleds. They will need floating sleds and diving suits.
Pen Hadow, leader of the expedition remarked on how shocking it is that "in my lifetime we're looking at changing how the planet looks from space."
Read more at the BBC
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Magnetric Shock
The elusive magnetic monopoles has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time. Magnets always have a north and a south pole; even if you cut it down to just a single atom, this would have two poles like a tiny bar magnet.
However, according to a report in New Scientist, in September physicists found the first experimental evidence of magnetic monopoles by firing neutrons at spin ice cooled almost to absolute zero. The neutrons behaved as if magnetic monopoles were present. Before this, magnetic monopoles were purely theoretical.
This month, a team led by Steven Bramwell of the London Centre for Nanotechnology reported in Nature that they had measured the magnetic ‘charge’ on the monopoles. They injected the spin ice with muons, which decayed, emitting positrons in directions affected by the monopoles. By detecting the positrons, the team was able to establish that the monopoles moved – generating magnetic ‘current’ and they calculated the charge on a monopole, close to the theorized value.
At this stage, there is no way of knowing how many applications magnetricity could be used for, but it is likely that it could revolutionise data storage, making much more compact hard discs a possibility.
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Beauty is Only Sting Deep
Sea anemone stings could be the answer to effective beauty creams and eventually pain free drug delivery systems.
Israel based company NanoCyte keep Aiptasia diaphana, the Mediterranean and Red Sea in aquariums. They harvest stinging cells (cnidocysts) from the anemone using a stimulus to get them to release the filaments containing the stings.
The stinging cells are microscopic coiled threads which unravel on contact to release the anemone’s venom. NanoCyte treats the harvested cells to eliminate the venom and then adds them to cosmetic creams. The now harmless stinging cells can deliver the active ingredients of the cream directly into the skin – they are activated on contact.
Not all molecules can be delivered this way, but preliminary work by the company suggests that insulin may be able to reach the blood stream using this method.
NanoCyte plans to have cosmetic treatments on the market in 2010, but pharmaceutical applications will take more research.
Read the fulll article in New Scientist
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A Darwin–win situation
As reported in ScienceNOW, an important gap in the fossil record has been filled and has become an impromptu homage to Charles Darwin on the 200th celebration of his birth.
The fossilised remains of a winged reptile that existed around 160 million years ago have been uncovered and they bridge the gap between the more primitive flying dinosaurs with long tails and short skulls and the more modern species with short tails and elongated skulls.
"Up until now, the transition between the primitive and derived species has been a great mystery," says paleontologist Stephen Brusatte of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The newly discovered species has been named Darwinopterus ("Darwin's wing") and has provided an important clue in the riddle of natural selection.
Darwinopterus, constitutes "a perfect intermediate form between the two groups," says Brusatte, who was not involved in the find.
The fossil supports a concept called ‘modular evolution’ because the evolution of the skull was greatly accelerated in comparison with the rest of the body.
Going Bananas at Kew
The Kew Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, based at Kew Gardens in London has achieved its target of collecting seeds of 10% of all the world’s wild plant species, according to The Guardian this week.
24,200 species have been collected since the seed bank was started in 2000. The 24,200th species to be collected is Musa itineran a wild pink banana from China and a favourite food for Asian elephants.
Janet Terry, the seed processing manager at the bank, explained why the Yunnan banana was chosen for the milestone: "It is representative of what the whole project is all about - it is endemic, endangered and it is an economic species. And of course, everybody loves a banana."
The seed bank, the largest in the world for wild plants, allows researchers access to all the seeds in one place making it easier to study medicinal plants and those that might resist climate change. It is also insurance against any loss of biodiversity, allowing species to be regrown.
The partnership now has a new target to collect a quarter of the world’s wild plant species by 2020.
--------------------------------
On Thin Ice
In 20 years time the arctic could be ice-free over the summer according to Professor Peter Wadhams of the University of Cambridge.
The Catlin Arctic Survey, conducted earlier this year, found Arctic ice floes were not as thick as had been expected.
This would mean that over the summer months, it would be possible to traverse the Arctic by ship meaning faster shipping times. Plus, in an ironic twist, oil and gas reserves would be easier to extract.
However, these silver linings accompany a very dark cloud. The loss of Arctic ice could have devastating consequences for the entire planet, changing ocean currents and atmospheric conditions.
It will also mean a big change in the way we explore the Arctic. Polar adventurers will no longer be able to use just dog sleds. They will need floating sleds and diving suits.
Pen Hadow, leader of the expedition remarked on how shocking it is that "in my lifetime we're looking at changing how the planet looks from space."
Read more at the BBC
--------------------------------
Magnetric Shock
The elusive magnetic monopoles has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time. Magnets always have a north and a south pole; even if you cut it down to just a single atom, this would have two poles like a tiny bar magnet.
However, according to a report in New Scientist, in September physicists found the first experimental evidence of magnetic monopoles by firing neutrons at spin ice cooled almost to absolute zero. The neutrons behaved as if magnetic monopoles were present. Before this, magnetic monopoles were purely theoretical.
This month, a team led by Steven Bramwell of the London Centre for Nanotechnology reported in Nature that they had measured the magnetic ‘charge’ on the monopoles. They injected the spin ice with muons, which decayed, emitting positrons in directions affected by the monopoles. By detecting the positrons, the team was able to establish that the monopoles moved – generating magnetic ‘current’ and they calculated the charge on a monopole, close to the theorized value.
At this stage, there is no way of knowing how many applications magnetricity could be used for, but it is likely that it could revolutionise data storage, making much more compact hard discs a possibility.
--------------------------------
Beauty is Only Sting Deep
Sea anemone stings could be the answer to effective beauty creams and eventually pain free drug delivery systems.
Israel based company NanoCyte keep Aiptasia diaphana, the Mediterranean and Red Sea in aquariums. They harvest stinging cells (cnidocysts) from the anemone using a stimulus to get them to release the filaments containing the stings.
The stinging cells are microscopic coiled threads which unravel on contact to release the anemone’s venom. NanoCyte treats the harvested cells to eliminate the venom and then adds them to cosmetic creams. The now harmless stinging cells can deliver the active ingredients of the cream directly into the skin – they are activated on contact.
Not all molecules can be delivered this way, but preliminary work by the company suggests that insulin may be able to reach the blood stream using this method.
NanoCyte plans to have cosmetic treatments on the market in 2010, but pharmaceutical applications will take more research.
Read the fulll article in New Scientist
--------------------------------
A Darwin–win situation
As reported in ScienceNOW, an important gap in the fossil record has been filled and has become an impromptu homage to Charles Darwin on the 200th celebration of his birth.
The fossilised remains of a winged reptile that existed around 160 million years ago have been uncovered and they bridge the gap between the more primitive flying dinosaurs with long tails and short skulls and the more modern species with short tails and elongated skulls.
"Up until now, the transition between the primitive and derived species has been a great mystery," says paleontologist Stephen Brusatte of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The newly discovered species has been named Darwinopterus ("Darwin's wing") and has provided an important clue in the riddle of natural selection.
Darwinopterus, constitutes "a perfect intermediate form between the two groups," says Brusatte, who was not involved in the find.
The fossil supports a concept called ‘modular evolution’ because the evolution of the skull was greatly accelerated in comparison with the rest of the body.
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