Science News Digest - 22nd August 2011
In the science news this week: a new report shows that species are changing their habitat to adapt to global warming up to three times faster than expected, a modified version of ecstasy is 100 times better at killing cancer cells, the oldest ever fossilised bacteria have been found in Australia, and finally... ancient Egyptians used a fat-based gel to style their hairdos.
Climate change forces species to change habitats
A report has shown that over 2000 species in Europe and North America have moved habitat in response to global warming, reports the Guardian, as much as three times as fast as previously expected.
In the UK the habitat change of birds and butterflies has been most dramatic. The Cetti's warbler, once restricted to the Kent marshes, has moved 150 kilometres north in the last 40 years and can now be heard singing its distinctive song from Wales to the Humber. The comma butterfly, once found only in central England is now found as far north as Edinburgh.
The report from York University is the first to show that species movement is greatest in regions in which the climate has undergone the most warming. In search of temperatures to which they are used, animals and plants have moved towards the poles or to higher ground up to three times as fast as expected.
Leader of the project Chris Thomas said: "These changes are equivalent to animals and plants shifting away from the equator at around 20 centimetres per hour, for every hour of the day, for every day of the year. This has been going on for the last 40 years and is set to continue for at least the rest of this century."
The phenomenon is one of the clearest indications of climate change in action, and does not bode well for the survival of many species. "Realisation of how fast species are moving because of climate change indicates that many species may indeed be heading rapidly towards extinction, where climatic conditions are deteriorating" said Thomas.
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Modified ecstasy targets cancer cells
A modified version of the party drug ecstasy may be used as a treatment for blood cancers, according to the BBC.
Previous studies had shown that ecstasy has a cancer killing effect on some cells, but a new study has increased its effectiveness by a factor of 100. The early studies showed promise for the developments of cancer treatments since leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma cells were all killed in the test tube.
However, the doses required for the drugs to be effective were fatally high. The modified drug has a reduced toxic effect on the brain, making it more likely become a viable treatment. While the research has only yet been demonstrated in a test tube, animal studies and clinical trials are being considered.
Despite the fact that doctors will not be able to prescribe modified ecstasy for at least a decade, researchers have high hopes for their work. Lead researcher John Gordon explained "Against the cancers, particularly the leukaemia, the lymphoma and the myeloma, where we've tested these new compounds we can wipe out 100% of the cancer cells in some cases.
"This is in the test tube, it could be different in the patient, but for now it's quite exciting."
The researchers believe that the drug is attracted to fat in the membranes of cancer cells, and makes them "a bit more soapy". This means the membrane can be broken down and the cell killed.
Chemists are going to try and further tweak the molecular structure of ecstasy to increase the potency even further.
------------------------------
Earliest ever fossils found on ancient Australian beaches
Scientists have found ancient fossilised bacteria in Australia that may be the oldest evidence of life ever discovered, reports the New Scientist.
The fossils comprise long, tubular and hollow cells that are clumped together around sand grains. The discovery was made on a 3.43 billion year old beach in Australia that is now a sandstone formation.
Martin Brasier who led the study said: "Nobody had looked at fossil beach deposits because it was thought oxygen had caused the decay of all traces of life there," says Brasier. "In fact, there was minimal oxygen in the atmosphere at this time, meaning that the fossils could preserve well."
Potentially older fossils had been found in 1993 in rocks that pre-date the recent discovery by 35 million years, but debate has raged about whether these were genuine fossils or the result of mineral processes. Brasier's discovery is compelling as there are multiple strands of evidence suggesting the fossils are genuine bacteria.
The bacteria would have been around in a world that would be unrecognizable to humans, but similar microbes are in fact still found today. Dining on sulphur rather than oxygen, the bacteria form stagnant black layers beneath the surface of sandy beaches.
It is unlikely that older fossils will ever be found since sedimentary rocks that old are incredibly rare, most having metamorphosed beyond being recognizable. The same is not true of Mars, however, meaning the discovery opens up an intriguing line of enquiry for astrobiologists looking for signs of life on the red planet.
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And finally... Ancient Egyptians styled their hairdos with gel
Analysis of mummified bodies has shown that ancient Egyptians used a fatty 'gel' to style their hair, reports Nature News.
Archaeologists from the University of Manchester took hair samples from 18 mummies ranging from 2300 to 3500 years old. Microscopic analysis with both light and electrons revealed that half of the mummies had hair coated in a fat-based substance. Lead researcher Natalie McCreesh believes that the mystery substance was a beauty product used to style hair.
The 'gel' was found on artificially mummified bodies as well as those preserved naturally in the bone dry sand, suggesting the product was used in life as well as during the embalming process. It would appear that hair was styled separately during mummification as the usual embalming materials were absent from the samples.
"Maybe they paid special attention to the hair because they realized that it didn't degrade as much as the rest of the body," says McCreesh. The product was found on both male and female mummies, showing that both sexes cared about their eternal hairdo.
John Taylor, head of the Egyptian mummy collection at the British Museum in London, considers it likely that ancient Egyptians would use hair gel. "Hair was a status symbol," he says.
The fashion conscious mummies displayed a variety of hairstyles. Long, short, straight and curly styles were in evidence. Curling tongs have often been found in Egyptian tombs, so the gel may well have been applied after curling to hold the styles in place.
Climate change forces species to change habitats
A report has shown that over 2000 species in Europe and North America have moved habitat in response to global warming, reports the Guardian, as much as three times as fast as previously expected.
In the UK the habitat change of birds and butterflies has been most dramatic. The Cetti's warbler, once restricted to the Kent marshes, has moved 150 kilometres north in the last 40 years and can now be heard singing its distinctive song from Wales to the Humber. The comma butterfly, once found only in central England is now found as far north as Edinburgh.
The report from York University is the first to show that species movement is greatest in regions in which the climate has undergone the most warming. In search of temperatures to which they are used, animals and plants have moved towards the poles or to higher ground up to three times as fast as expected.
Leader of the project Chris Thomas said: "These changes are equivalent to animals and plants shifting away from the equator at around 20 centimetres per hour, for every hour of the day, for every day of the year. This has been going on for the last 40 years and is set to continue for at least the rest of this century."
The phenomenon is one of the clearest indications of climate change in action, and does not bode well for the survival of many species. "Realisation of how fast species are moving because of climate change indicates that many species may indeed be heading rapidly towards extinction, where climatic conditions are deteriorating" said Thomas.
------------------------------
Modified ecstasy targets cancer cells
A modified version of the party drug ecstasy may be used as a treatment for blood cancers, according to the BBC.
Previous studies had shown that ecstasy has a cancer killing effect on some cells, but a new study has increased its effectiveness by a factor of 100. The early studies showed promise for the developments of cancer treatments since leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma cells were all killed in the test tube.
However, the doses required for the drugs to be effective were fatally high. The modified drug has a reduced toxic effect on the brain, making it more likely become a viable treatment. While the research has only yet been demonstrated in a test tube, animal studies and clinical trials are being considered.
Despite the fact that doctors will not be able to prescribe modified ecstasy for at least a decade, researchers have high hopes for their work. Lead researcher John Gordon explained "Against the cancers, particularly the leukaemia, the lymphoma and the myeloma, where we've tested these new compounds we can wipe out 100% of the cancer cells in some cases.
"This is in the test tube, it could be different in the patient, but for now it's quite exciting."
The researchers believe that the drug is attracted to fat in the membranes of cancer cells, and makes them "a bit more soapy". This means the membrane can be broken down and the cell killed.
Chemists are going to try and further tweak the molecular structure of ecstasy to increase the potency even further.
------------------------------
Earliest ever fossils found on ancient Australian beaches
Scientists have found ancient fossilised bacteria in Australia that may be the oldest evidence of life ever discovered, reports the New Scientist.
The fossils comprise long, tubular and hollow cells that are clumped together around sand grains. The discovery was made on a 3.43 billion year old beach in Australia that is now a sandstone formation.
Martin Brasier who led the study said: "Nobody had looked at fossil beach deposits because it was thought oxygen had caused the decay of all traces of life there," says Brasier. "In fact, there was minimal oxygen in the atmosphere at this time, meaning that the fossils could preserve well."
Potentially older fossils had been found in 1993 in rocks that pre-date the recent discovery by 35 million years, but debate has raged about whether these were genuine fossils or the result of mineral processes. Brasier's discovery is compelling as there are multiple strands of evidence suggesting the fossils are genuine bacteria.
The bacteria would have been around in a world that would be unrecognizable to humans, but similar microbes are in fact still found today. Dining on sulphur rather than oxygen, the bacteria form stagnant black layers beneath the surface of sandy beaches.
It is unlikely that older fossils will ever be found since sedimentary rocks that old are incredibly rare, most having metamorphosed beyond being recognizable. The same is not true of Mars, however, meaning the discovery opens up an intriguing line of enquiry for astrobiologists looking for signs of life on the red planet.
------------------------------
And finally... Ancient Egyptians styled their hairdos with gel
Analysis of mummified bodies has shown that ancient Egyptians used a fatty 'gel' to style their hair, reports Nature News.
Archaeologists from the University of Manchester took hair samples from 18 mummies ranging from 2300 to 3500 years old. Microscopic analysis with both light and electrons revealed that half of the mummies had hair coated in a fat-based substance. Lead researcher Natalie McCreesh believes that the mystery substance was a beauty product used to style hair.
The 'gel' was found on artificially mummified bodies as well as those preserved naturally in the bone dry sand, suggesting the product was used in life as well as during the embalming process. It would appear that hair was styled separately during mummification as the usual embalming materials were absent from the samples.
"Maybe they paid special attention to the hair because they realized that it didn't degrade as much as the rest of the body," says McCreesh. The product was found on both male and female mummies, showing that both sexes cared about their eternal hairdo.
John Taylor, head of the Egyptian mummy collection at the British Museum in London, considers it likely that ancient Egyptians would use hair gel. "Hair was a status symbol," he says.
The fashion conscious mummies displayed a variety of hairstyles. Long, short, straight and curly styles were in evidence. Curling tongs have often been found in Egyptian tombs, so the gel may well have been applied after curling to hold the styles in place.
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