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Ecology

09/09/2018 / By Janine Acero

Bacteria-killing virus essential to marine ecosystems may provide insights for understanding the human gut

Bacteria and viruses are microscopic organisms that are found practically everywhere on the planet. Humans even have bacteria thriving inside their bodies. Despite their abundance, many of these microorganisms are yet to be discovered, much less studied. Now, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have recently discovered an elusive family […]

09/04/2018 / By Edsel Cook

A common wheat virus can spread and harm perennial native grass

The days when crop diseases left other kinds of plants alone are over now, stated an article in British Ecological Society. A virus that originally ravaged imported wheat has now started infecting switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and other non-crop species native to the U.S. The burden on farmers and researchers has redoubled: Not only do they need […]

07/19/2018 / By Tracey Watson

Researchers discover a new, pesticide-free way to limit mosquitoes and reduce the spread of the West Nile virus

West Nile Virus (WNV) might sound like an exotic disease that affects people somewhere in Africa, but it is also pervasive throughout the United States, particularly in the hot, muggy, summer months. While most infected people never even exhibit any symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that about 1-in-5 infected people […]

01/04/2018 / By Robert Jonathan

Dangerous research to resume: Federal funding ban on “super pathogen” experiments has been lifted, opening door to bioterror attacks or pandemic accidents

Put this one in the category of “what could possibly go wrong?” The National Institutes of Health is lifting a ban on funding experiments that deliberately make germs more dangerous, albeit subject to pre-approval by a scientific panel using a risk-benefit analysis. The U.S. government imposed a funding moratorium on such research in October 2104. At […]

12/06/2017 / By Rita Winters

Anthrax may wipe out chimpanzees; it is a widespread and persistent cause of death for rainforest mammals

Anthrax is an infection in animals seen in the skin, lungs, and intestines. It is caused by the bacteria called Bacillus anthracis, and it can affect humans. While anthrax is more commonly reported in arid climates, recent studies show that tropical rainforest outbreaks may have severe consequences for local wildlife. Data and samples collected over […]

11/27/2017 / By Frances Bloomfield

Scientists look at how human activity has altered evolution in the natural world: The consequences of exploding populations of rats, bedbugs, mosquitoes in cities

Nature may no longer be the primary force impacting evolution. A duo of researchers from the University of Toronto and Fordham University have put out a revolutionary new study on the evolutionary influence of urbanization. The study, which was published in Science, serves as a grim reminder on how far-reaching man’s power truly is. For […]

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