Bats tricked into colliding with buildings

Bats tricked into colliding with buildings

By chXout TeamNo Comments
When you initially think of a species under threat, often your first thought would be to blame predation, poaching or habitat destruction. You don’t often think of inanimate objects as being a threat to wildlife. So then, why are bats often found dead or injured near buildings with smooth surfaces - a recent study published in the journal ‘Science’ has found the answer. Bats use echolocation to navigate around their environment and forage for food. They emit a call and listen to the resulting echo from nearby objects, thus allowing them to locate and/or avoid objects in their flight path. In modern architecture a lot of smooth, vertical surfaces such as mirrors and windows are affecting bats’ abilities to avoid collisions. The study found that of the 21 bats investigated, 19 collided into a vertical metal plate while none collided with horizontal objects. It appears that vertical surfaces, in the way they reflect an ‘echo’ trick the bats into thinking...
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Could the iconic hen harrier be facing extinction in the UK?

Could the iconic hen harrier be facing extinction in the UK?

By chXout TeamNo Comments
The hen harrier, a beloved resident of Scotland’s heathland, is reported to be at high risk of becoming extinct. Although figures in 2015 showed the greatest reported breeding success rate of the raptor, with 6 successful nests and 18 newly hatched chicks, the suspicious disappearance of 5 males resulted in nesting failures. According to the latest annual survey there has been a decline of 88 pairs (13%) over the last 6 years, despite suitable habitat environments for 300 breeding pairs. This alarming decline is attributed to the destruction of habitats, cold and wet weather conditions and illegal killings. Unfortunately, the hen harrier is a natural predator of the red grouse which causes conflict with the interests of gamekeepers and farmers. High numbers of hen harriers in moorlands owned by private landowners are associated with decreased red grouse density and therefore increased shootings in the interests of commercial estates. Despite being protected under both UK and National Law, it is often surmised...
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SEQUENCING DNA IN OUTER SPACE

By chXout TeamNo Comments
On the 20th July 2016 the arrival of the SpaceX CRS-9 mission to the International Space Station, brought with it a very important cargo - the MinION DNA sequencing device. Up until recently, sequencing DNA in space had not been done and all samples would routinely be sent back to Earth for DNA sequencing. But on the last weekend in August 2016, as part of the Biomolecule Sequencer experiment, NASA astronaut Dr. Kate Rubins, successfully sequenced DNA on board the orbiting International Space Station using the MinION sequencer. This is the first time DNA has been successfully sequenced in microgravity. The MinION DNA sequencing device, developed by UK-based Oxford Nanopore Technologies, is a small handheld device, weighing only 120 grams.  It operates through electrochemical detection. An electric current is passed through nanopores embedded in a membrane giving a baseline current reading. When a DNA sample is added to the device, the DNA molecules partially block the pores and change the current passing...
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THE RAPIDLY EVOLVING GENOME OF THE TASMANIAN DEVIL

THE RAPIDLY EVOLVING GENOME OF THE TASMANIAN DEVIL

By chXout TeamNo Comments
The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrishii) is the largest remaining marsupial carnivore. They are found throughout the Australian island of Tasmania and can be found in all native terrestrial habitats. Devils are nocturnal, highly social marsupials but are extremely aggressive towards each other. Tasmanian devil numbers have dramatically reduced since the late 1990s and devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is the primary cause of this decline. DFTD is a contagious cancer which is passed from devil to devil through biting during social interactions. Tumours grow on the faces and mouths of the infected devil and individuals die within months of infection. DFTD was first seen in 1996 in Mount William in north eastern Tasmania and has since spread to over 65% of Tasmania, with only the populations on the west coast and the far north-west remaining DFTD-free. Over the last 20 years, it is estimated that there has been localised declines in devil populations by as much as 90%, with an overall...
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Unravelling the Zika Virus Genome

Unravelling the Zika Virus Genome

By chXout TeamNo Comments
The Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus from the Flaviviridae family and is primarily transmitted via infected mosquitoes.  However, ZIKV has also been isolated in semen and so the virus can be transmitted sexually through infected partners. The recent on-going outbreak of ZIKV, which originated in Bahia in Brazil in 2015, has spread rapidly across the Americas and has resulted in more than 1.5 million cases worldwide. The recent epidemic in the Americas has dominated the headlines due to the high incidence of babies born with microcephaly to ZIKV-infected mothers. Indeed this outbreak has been characterised by an increased prevalence of neurological syndromes such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. In February 2016 the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the current epidemic to be a global public health emergency, due to the accelerated rate at which ZIKV is spreading, bringing its associated neurological conditions. Once a relatively obscure virus, the recent devastating outbreaks have thrust ZIKV into the scientific spotlight. Recent research, led...
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The Fight to Save Our Ash Trees

By chXout Team Comment Closed
We have 157,000 hectares of ash woodland in the UK, together with approximately 12 million ash trees outside the woodlands in gardens, parklands and along roadsides. These ash trees are associated with and support 1,000 different species, including 12 species of bird, 55 species of mammals and 239 species of invertebrates. But ash trees are now under attack from a deadly enemy - a fungus called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (previously Chalara fraxinea). This fungal pathogen kills the leaves, then the branches and trunk and eventually the whole tree dies. Ash dieback, as this deadly disease is known, originated in Asia but is spreading across Europe. Ash dieback was first seen in Eastern Europe in 1992 and it now affects more than 2 million square kilometres from Scandinavia to Italy. The disease was first found in the UK in 2012 and has since spread from Norfolk and Suffolk to South Wales. Recent evidence suggests that ash dieback could wipe out all ash trees across Europe unless action...
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