Another reason to love bees: they might be able to help us fight cancer.
While venom isn't usually known as a friendly thing, new research shows that venom from bees, snakes and scorpions could potentially be used to fight certain forms of cancer. While you wouldn't go and inject someone with a dose of venom, which could have lethal effects, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that if they isolated specific proteins in the venom, these could be used in a safe way to block tumor growth.
Read more ...
In a United Nations report released in May, scientists worldwide were called upon to join the war on jellyfish. According to the report, jellyfish have overwhelmed the marine ecosystem as a result of the overfishing of more competitive species, consuming fish eggs and larvae of weaker specimens and creating what the report called a "vicious cycle." So how can this cycle be stopped?
Read more ...
Arctic bugs can survive in frozen ground as cold as -27°C, scientists have revealed.
It is the first time higher-order invertebrates such as spiders, flies and beetles have been found coping in direct exposure to such cold temperatures. Previous lows were between just -5°C and a little below -10°C.
The research, published in the Journal of Thermal Biology, suggests they may be more resilient to climate change than first feared.
Read more ...
When it comes to illegal wildlife trade, one thing has always puzzled me ... Why is the demand for ivory so high? While I may not come across the black-market demands or understand the cultural or historical needs for these rare animal teeth, one thing is easy to see - populations of the African elephant are declining.
Read more ...
El mortal virus del Ébola se está expandiendo rápidamente en Ãfrica occidental y la principal preocupación es que se propague desde su punto de origen hasta llegar posiblemente a otros paÃses, incluyendo paÃses del Medio Oriente.
Con la cifra de muertos acercándose rápidamente a...
Read more ...