Quick SNiPs Archives - Page 4 of 13

PHOTO CREDIT: Rui Diogo, Natalia Siomava, Yorick Gitton

Human Health

Muscles found in human embryos hint at ancient ancestors...

The human body is the result of millions of years of evolution. During development the human embryo and fetus give us a glimpse into our deep ancestral past. For example, human emb...

October 11, 2019

Agrifood

One step domestication may have occurred in pineapples...

Pineapples are grown using clonal propagation; growing from parts of the plant, such as the leafy top of the fruit, rather than by sexual reproduction. A team of researchers wanted...

October 10, 2019

Human Health

E. coli used to produce magic mushroom chemical...

In recent years researchers have been suggesting that so called ‘magic mushrooms’ may be an effective treatment for psychiatric conditions such as PTSD and major depressive dis...

October 09, 2019

Environment

One protein protects tardigrade DNA from damage...

One of natures coolest little critters, the tardigrade, is known for its odd abilities. They are able to survive extreme temperatures, can transform themselves into something like ...

October 08, 2019

Environment

Selective breeding has influenced the shapes of dog brains...

There are so many designer breeds of dogs these days, specially bred to look or behave in a certain way. It turns out that while selecting for particular physical or behavioral tra...

October 07, 2019

Environment

Coral and symbiotic partner genomes decoded...

For years we have been hearing that coral reefs are under threat from climate change. Warming seas are contributing to coral bleaching which is the result of coral expelling the al...

October 04, 2019

Human Health

Hand sanitizer not as effective as we thought against flu...

Hand sanitizer certainly has a role to play in hygiene in environments like hospitals, however it may not be as effective as we thought. A new study indicates that hand washing is ...

October 03, 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Caters

Environment

Genetic change results in unusual zebra foal...

Have you ever wondered if zebras are white with black stripes, or black with white stripes? A very unusual zebra foal, which is almost completely black with a few white spots, rece...

October 02, 2019

Human Health

Genomics to reduce food poisoning rates...

Food borne illness is a serious concern for public health however, detecting contaminated food can be a slow process. Firstly, potentially contaminated food needs to be identified,...

October 01, 2019

Environment

Thylacine and wolf similarities caused by sections in junk DNA...

The extinct Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, was a marsupial predator with stripes, a pouch for its young, and a skull like a wolf. The thylacine and wolf lived on opposite sides of ...

September 30, 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Petr Hamerník [CC BY-SA 4.0]

Environment

Genomics identifies new species of giant salamander...

Conservation of ecosystems and species is vital, especially as our environment changes in response to the climate crisis. In order to improve the success of conservation it is impo...

September 27, 2019

Human Health

Gene-editing identifies target for common cold treatment...

At some point we have all struggled through a cold and wished for a treatment that would stop the virus in its track. Many have tried over the years to tackle the common cold, and ...

September 26, 2019

Data and Technology

Forensics breakthrough: DNA extracted from rootless hair...

Until now, forensic scientists have only been able to extract DNA from hairs found at crime scenes if they have their root attached. Unfortunately, most hairs do not have the root ...

September 25, 2019

Human Health

Common liver disease may be result of microbiome...

The human microbiome is a delicate system made up of a huge assortment of microorganisms, and it plays a role in our health. Changing even one of the microorganisms in the microbio...

September 24, 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: SWNS

Data and Technology Human Health

Vision restored thanks to stem cells...

Twenty-five years after being the victim of a random acid attack, James O’Brien can once again see out of both eyes. The attack left his right eye heavily scarred, with very impa...

September 23, 2019

Human Health

Napping linked to improved heart health...

Previous studies have shown that napping is both good and bad for heart health, although inconsistencies between studies may explain these differences. However, a new study conduct...

September 20, 2019

Human Health

Alzheimer’s progression linked to microbiome...

Dementia is a condition with no cure, that roughly one third of those of us who live until 90 will develop. One form of dementia, Alzheimer’s, is in part caused by the buildup of...

September 19, 2019

Data and Technology

Extending lives of guide dogs using gene editing...

Training up working dogs, such as sniffer dogs and seeing eye dogs, is an expensive and lengthy process, and unfortunately the working life of the trained dogs is only around seven...

September 18, 2019

Human Health

Chemotherapy hair loss may soon be thing of the past...

One of the many undesirable side effects that many chemotherapy patients experience is hair loss. This hair loss happens in response to taxanes, a class of cancer drugs, but new re...

September 17, 2019

Environment

Loch Ness monster may be a giant eel...

Scotland’s Loch Ness came to the public’s attention in 1933 when local papers published reports of a large beast living in the water. Since then there have been a number of rep...

September 16, 2019

Agrifood Environment

Tweaking symbiotic relationship in plants may reduce fertilizer pollut...

Fertilizer is often added to soil to ensure crops grow, however excess phosphorus from this fertilizer often gets washed into nearby waterways causing serious environmental problem...

September 13, 2019

Human Health

Having left-handed genes changes the structure of your brain...

One in ten of us is left-handed, but what causes this difference? Previous studies involving twins have shown a genetic component, although the specifics were not known until now. ...

September 12, 2019

Environment

One protein helps us sense the cold...

Humans and other animals are able to detect the cold weather of winter. For humans, sensing this may send us back inside for a warmer coat, a fox may return to its den, birds may f...

September 11, 2019

Human Health Environment

Fungal infections may increase in humans due to climate crisis...

Climate change is often associated with changing environmental conditions, but it has now been linked to an increase in fungal diseases in humans. Typically, the human body is too ...

September 10, 2019

Human Health

Re-growing enamel may put an end to fillings...

Anyone with a cavity in their teeth has lamented the inability of tooth enamel to regrow itself. Enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body, made up of a complicated structure ...

September 09, 2019

Human Health

Brain changes in response to obesity...

Previous studies have shown that humans and mice that are obese have fewer taste buds, but a new study may shed light on the link between obesity and taste perception. Researche...

September 06, 2019

Agrifood

Bacteria may be solution to saline farmland...

Increasingly salty soil is a big problem for farmers, as many crops are unable to grow under these conditions. This means that over time farmland with salty ground water can beco...

September 05, 2019

Human Health

Melanoma vaccine one step closer...

Skin cancers, including melanoma, are a serious health concern. For decades researcher have been searching to find effective treatment option for melanoma, and a team from the Mass...

September 04, 2019

Environment

Fuzzy mold spores are a reproductive strategy...

We’ve all been there; you open something you are looking forward to eating, only to discover a furry patch of mold. It’s certainly unappetizing, but why is it fuzzy? Just li...

September 03, 2019

Environment

IVF last hope for northern white rhino...

Tragically the northern white rhino has been functionally extinct since 2018, when the last male died. There is still a small glimmer of hope for the species, there are still two l...

September 02, 2019

Environment

Algae may be the answer to reducing methane emissions...

Cows, and other ruminant livestock, produce methane while digesting their food. They then burp out methane, which is a greenhouse gas with 28 times the heat trapping potential of c...

August 30, 2019

Agrifood

Increasing rate of photosynthesis may be first step towards food secur...

An international team of researchers, led by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, has made an important discovery. Researchers have been able to increase ...

August 29, 2019

Environment

Survival of the fittest favours aggressive spiders following natural d...

Often the effects of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, on wildlife can only be estimated after the fact. Typically populations of wildlife are only sampled after the destructi...

August 28, 2019

Fisheries and Aquaculture

100 years of data indicates drastic decline in sockeye numbers...

The Skeena River is an important habitat for sockeye salmon in B.C. It has been known for some time that their numbers in this area have been declining over time, although it has b...

August 27, 2019

Human Health

Pain-detecting organ discovered in mice...

For decades medical specialists have thought they have the full picture about how we detect pain through our skin, but this may be about to be turned on its head. Researchers from ...

August 26, 2019

Human Health

Gene therapy trial improves survival times for glioblastoma...

Glioblastoma is a type of brain tumor which is incredibly aggressive and is typically fatal within six to nine months of diagnosis. At present the only hope of extending this progn...

August 23, 2019

Human Health

Gut-brain connection may help explain obesity...

Extra portions of your favorite foods can lead to weight gain over time. A team of researchers, led by Baylor College of Medicine, have identified a gut-brain connection that expla...

August 22, 2019

Human Health

Chlamydia vaccine one step closer...

Following the success of the HPV vaccine, researchers have been looking for other sexually transmitted infections that may be prevented with vaccines. An international team of rese...

August 21, 2019

Environment

Brain plasticity allows finches to learn new songs...

During their first three months, male zebra finch chicks listen to their fathers as they sing and learn to imitate their songs. To begin with, the sounds the birds make are unstruc...

August 20, 2019

Human Health

Signals in breast milk provide information about time of day to babies...

Throughout the day, the composition of the milk nursing mothers produce for their babies changes. Milk in the morning contains higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which promotes...

August 19, 2019

Human Health

Hearing impairment caused by hair cell damage may one day be treated w...

In humans, the hair cells that enable hearing cannot regrow if they are damaged by loud noises or illness, which can lead to deafness. Sound vibrations enter the ear, moving the ha...

August 16, 2019

Environment

Genetic diversity of Florida panthers still a concern...

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had to make a big decision in the 1990’s in order to save the Florida panther. Local populations of the big cats had decreas...

August 15, 2019

Human Health

Diagnosing celiac disease set to become easier...

It is estimated that one in 100 people suffer from coeliac disease, an autoimmune disease with no known treatment other than eating a gluten free diet. For those with celiac diseas...

August 14, 2019

Agrifood

The avocado genome revealed...

Avocados are an incredibly popular, and valuable crop, particularly some varieties. The Hass avocado is the most popular hybrid, which was first bred in the 1920’s. Roughly 50% o...

August 13, 2019

Human Health

Kidney damage in lupus patients can be detected in the urine...

Patients diagnosed with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience inflammation that damages their organs, when their body attacks healthy cells. The kidn...

August 12, 2019

Human Health

Specialty cat food may one day help reduce your cat allergy symptoms...

For 20 per cent of us, being in the presence of cats can cause itchy eyes, and a runny nose. This allergic reaction is often in response to a protein called Fel d1, which is found ...

August 09, 2019

Agrifood

Bakers microbiome influence taste and texture of their sourdough...

Many of us have experienced a delicious slice of sourdough bread, but what exactly makes it so tasty? Bakers create a sourdough starter culture of flour and water, and then leave i...

August 08, 2019

Human Health

For veterans returning from duty, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a serious problem. The three main groups of symptoms of PTSD are re-experiencing, avoidance and hyper...

August 07, 2019

Environment

Komodo dragon genes explain their abilities...

Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world, they can be up to 10 feet long, and weigh up to 300 pounds. Despite their huge size they can pounce on their prey incredibly qu...

August 06, 2019

Data and Technology Human Health

U.S. trial underway to help sickle cell patients...

At present a trial that aims to use CRISPR, a gene-editing tool, to treat sickle cell is underway in the United States. Unfortunately for 100,000 people in the U.S. alone, sickle c...

August 05, 2019