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Ground rules
affects the capacity of the soil matrix to supply nutrition. Optimum availability of nutrients in UK soils for crop growth occurs at a soil pH of 6–6.5, but an alarming number of soils submitted for analysis are acidic (between pH 5 and 5.5). Levels of...
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Starling survey reveals new murmuration hot spots
University of Gloucestershire have teamed up to find out more about starling murmurations, in particular, why this behaviour occurs. The Starling Murmuration Survey launched on 17th October and has already received records of 1,200 sightings around the...
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Flying Ant Day
in the journal Ecography, and a summary of our findings can be read on the BBC. Flying Ant Day FAQs Why does flying ant day occur? This is a day when males and new queens leave the nest to mate, with many ant colonies doing so on the same day when the...
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Reports
that whilst diseases can have catastrophic effects on our species, that longer term there is hope for rejuvenation to occur. Perhaps our own ash trees will feature their own resurgence in years to come! It was fascinating to learn about the planting...
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Omics for the environment
presence of specific RNA transcripts does not indicate the associated function is actually taking place, since regulation can occur after expression. That is where data from the proteome (proteins that have actually been expressed) and metabolome...
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Don't judge a scientist by their degree grade
today, where research councils demand no less than a 2:1 BSc honours degree? (Exceptions to this entry requirement do occur, but only where laboratory leaders are well funded and know the student.) I decided to look more closely at the degree grades of...
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The sense behind senescence
and it gains the label ‘antagonistic’ if one effect is positive while another is negative. Crucially, if the positive effect occurs only in young, reproductive individuals, and the negative effect only in older ones, then the gene could be selected even...
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Killer Cultures
studied, such as those in the Pacific Northwest in North America and in Kamchatka in Russia, where fish-eating killer whales occur in the same waters as killer whales that eat marine mammals. Distinct ecotypes In the Pacific Northwest two more ecotypes...
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“This research has been in a deep freeze for decades”
For now, in order to achieve the potential benefits, we need to be able to manage the risks. That management ideally would occur in a guided and facilitated session, but if not we can help people understand how to minimise the risk for themselves....
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“This research has been in a deep freeze for decades”
For now, in order to achieve the potential benefits, we need to be able to manage the risks. That management ideally would occur in a guided and facilitated session, but if not we can help people understand how to minimise the risk for themselves....
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Dangerous drivers
consortium backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They identified eight major ecological problems that could occur through 46 pathways. Each of these possibilities would have to be field-tested before any deployment. Obtaining what is called...
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A giant leap for bioscience
blood regulates its capacity to giverise to immune cells in response to viruses as we age. It tells us how clonal mutations occur in the blood and in what sequence as we age, and similarly for the liver and the brain.” Organoids in orbit Alysson Muotri...
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Tickets for the Ark: From wasps to whales – how do we choose what to save?
Nesbit Profile Books, £14.99 Rebecca Nesbit is an ecologist and author who is particularly interested in the dilemmas that occur when the science of conservation clashes with our values, or when people have different ideas about what kind of nature we...
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The Threat of a Plant Disease Pandemic
pathogens are included that figure rises to $220bn (£161bn) a year[3]. Crop failures and famines When plant virus epidemics occur in a staple crop the results can be devastating. Outbreaks of cassava mosaic begomoviruses, for example, are estimated to...
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Conflicting ideas
associate director at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, US, Malik studies the genetic conflicts that occur between and within organisms as different genetic entities compete to maximise their evolutionary success. During his...
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Breaking down barriers
of the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), which forms the tough viscous scaffold of the biofilm. This can only occur when we have a good understanding of how biofilm formation occurs and in what circumstances – a challenging area of study. These...
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On record: Latent Lepidopterans
system must also be cleared of any food particles from which lethal tissue-damaging ice crystals can develop. This can only occur with the cessation of feeding, restricting the Lepidopteran to a single sheltered spot where they will spend the winter....
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Conflicting ideas
associate director at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, US, Malik studies the genetic conflicts that occur between and within organisms as different genetic entities compete to maximise their evolutionary success. During his...
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Habitats of the World: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists and Ecologists
the habitats by region will make more sense to the traveler, although it does lead to repetition as similar habitats occur in different regions. There is a mammal and bird bias but it’s pragmatic, since birders must be the main target audience. The...
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Reports
issues associated with Huntington’s but are less aware of the emotional, behavioural, and communication issues which can occur. I am sure I am not the only audience member who felt they were leaving with a greater understanding and appreciation for this...
