Science In Public
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A decade ago, University of Melbourne’s Professor Laura Mackay discovered the “first responders” of our immune system, a unique population of T cells based in our skin, gut and other barrier tissues.
Now she’s working to super-charge their protective power to clear infections and fight cancer, and to calm them down to avoid skin autoimmune disease.
[Read more…] about First responders in our skin and gut revealed
A paper published in Nature Communications shows that when neurons are given information about the changing world around them (task-related sensory input) it changes how they behave, putting them on edge so that tiny inputs can then set off ‘avalanches’ of brain activity, supporting a theory known as the critical brain hypothesis.
The researchers, from Cortical Labs and The University of Melbourne, used DishBrain – a collection of 800,000 human neural cells learning to play Pong.
[Read more…] about Brain cells living on the edge
Bees could become biomonitors, checking their neighbourhoods to determine how far antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has spread, according to research by Macquarie University scientists.
At least 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which estimates that 10 million people will die due to AMR by 2050. But we have few tools to keep track of its spread in the environment.
[Read more…] about Patrolling honey bees expose spread of antimicrobial resistanceDid you ‘call it’? Or do the results ruffle your feathers?
The magpie’s warbling has won over the nation, taking out number one in ABC’s search for Australia’s Favourite animal sound. The call of the magpie was a clear winner, attracting over a staggering 36% of the votes in the final round.
“The magpie’s warble is part of almost every soundscape in Australia,” says Dr Dominique Potvin, a behavioural ecologist and senior lecturer in Animal Ecology at the University of the Sunshine Coast. “Its song has regional dialects, developed through learning from older generations. So it’s an ancient song, but it keeps evolving. Magpies come together to sing these melodies in a duet or chorus by family groups, letting others know the territory they occupy,” says Dominique.
[Read more…] about Magpie swoops top spot in poll to find Australia’s Favourite Animal Sound
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Agricultural genetic stories from the International Congress of Genetics in Melbourne.
Read on for more information about each story.
[Read more…] about Paranoid plants, productive sheep, queen bees, wheat, barley, rice, bin chickens, flower and fruit yieldFriday at the Genetics Congress
Genetic health stories from the International Congress of Genetics in Melbourne. Read on for more information about each story.
[Read more…] about Antidepressants, bowel cancer, ancient DNA, liver, heart, short stature, and Indigenous inequityThursday at the Genetics Congress
More on all these stories below.
[Read more…] about Bin chickens; platypus threat; bilby poo; isolated koalas; sex changing fishEvery plant, every animal, every human depends on mRNA to accurately translate the DNA of their genetic code into proteins, the building blocks of life.
[Read more…] about A prize for nonsense and quality controlAre bin chickens spreading deadly diseases? Anjana Karawita and his colleagues at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong are investigating the role of Australian ibis in spreading Japanese encephalitis virus
[Read more…] about Are bin chickens spreading Japanese encephalitis?