Freezing Frogs Help Preserve Human Organs for Transplant
Primary Source: Al-Attar R, Storey KB. Lessons from nature: Leveraging the freeze-tolerant wood frog as a model to improve organ
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Human Exposure and Public Health
Disease Vectors and Pests: How Genetically Modified Insects Could Affect the World
Genetic modification is a reality, now more than ever. Yearly, there are more than 2.8 million deaths due to diseases spread by insects. So, what if we genetically modified insects so they don’t pose such a big threat towards human and agricultural health? And what would the long-term outcome be of such modifications? Will the mutations spread uncontrollably through wild populations? Well, that is for us to see and scientists to consider.
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Freshwater ecosystems need our help, and citizen science could be part of the solution
Freshwater resources around the globe are becoming increasingly degraded. Although humans are a major cause of this problem, they can also be part of the solution, especially when we all work together to tackle environmental issues. One way we can do this is through citizen science, where scientists and members of the public work together to perform research and advance scientific knowledge. Read on to learn more about freshwater citizen science, its benefits and challenges, and how you can get involved!
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Here, There, and Everywhere: the Plastic Particles Around Us All
Source: Yujia Xiang, Li Jiang, Yaoyu Zhou, Zirui Luo, Dan Zhi, Jian Yang, Su Shiung Lam, Microplastics and environmental pollutants:
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The Key to Higher Quality Fruit: Fungus!
Agricultural research reveals a vast swath of benefits to the quality of citrus fruits when tree roots are introduced to fungal partners.
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Going Blue: The Environmental Impacts of Aquatic Foods
Food production puts a major strain on our planet, and many people are exploring ways to reduce its impacts. Aquatic foods — including fish, shellfish, and water plants — may be one option! Which of these “blue foods” are more sustainable than others, and in what ways? What can we do to make catching and farming aquatic food even more environmentally-friendly?
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The Horseshoe Crab Has Saved Our Lives. Can We Return the Favor?
While threats continue to harm the historic population of Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs, new research into the health stressors they face may help mitigate human contribution to their decline.
Read MoreHow Air Pollution Regulation Can Affect Bird Populations
Although we have strong evidence that air pollution poses significant health risks to humans, how air pollutants affect plants and animals is not well studied. Birds are especially susceptible to air pollution because they have a unique way of breathing and interacting with air. Therefore, a group of scientists conducted a study on how air pollution affects North American birds and how air quality regulations, which were initially created to benefit humans, can also benefit these bird species.
Read MoreHot take – we need diverse and rich tree species, not just more trees to reduce the urban heat island effect
Wang, X., M. Dallimer, C.E. Scott, W. Shi, J. Gao. (2020). Tree species richness and diversity predicts the magnitude of
Read MoreThe Urban Heat Island Challenge – How to quantify this pressing concern for cities facing a changing climate
Sangiorgio, V., Fiorito, F., & Santamouris, M. (2020). Development of a holistic urban heat island evaluation methodology. Scientific Reports, 10(1),
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