There has been a surge in the presence of pollutants and contaminants in the environment. Thus, efforts are being made to develop techniques that can measure the presence of these molecules within the environment and the human body.
The western chimpanzees of Guinea are threatened by mining activities. Using a novel genetic approach, UZH researchers and an international team have collected information on population size and community structure of the endangered species.
Researchers at Greece’s B.S.R.C. “Alexander Fleming” has perfected a method for identifying DNA traces in honey, indicating the species with which honeybees interact.
In this interview, we speak to Professor Elizabeth Clare about her latest research into environmental DNA and how it can help to measure animal biodiversity.
Between 2016 and 2021, over 500 researchers collaborated within the DNAqua-Net international network, funded by the European Union’s European Cooperation in Science and Technology program (COST), with the goal to develop and advance biodiversity assessment methods based on analysis of DNA obtained from the environment (e.g. river water) or from unsorted collections of organisms.
Exposure to the heavy metal cadmium is known to irritate the stomach and lungs or cause kidney disease, but new research links another health issue to inadvertently ingesting low doses of the pollutant: high activation of the antibodies that cause an allergic response.
Pollen from grass is a significant outdoor allergen that causes widespread and expensive respiratory conditions, such as hay fever (rhinitis) and allergic asthma.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University report findings on an advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform that detects, within seconds, antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next-generation DNA sequencing has been used by Curtin University scientists to get a deeper understanding of different species of animals, insects, and plants existing in the Perth and Pilbara parts of Western Australia.