Blog | chXout® | Applied genetics news & research

Hedgehogs

2nd June 202022nd February 2022 By chXout Team Comment Closed

The hedgehog. Erinaceinae. These lovable spiny creatures which are a common site in our gardens and hedgerows, are Britain’s only spiny mammal. The UK is home to the West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). This species is just one of seventeen different species worldwide from Europe, Asia, Africa and New Zealand. They were named for their peculiar foraging methods. These mammals search through hedges and undergrowth in search of creatures that compose most of their diet such as worms, insects, centipedes, snails, mice and sometimes even snakes! As they look for their food they snort and grunt in the hedgerows - ‘hedgehog’. Their specialised coat can contain over 6,000 spines and hangs around their body in a loose ‘skirt’, concealing the grey fur on their undersides, long legs and short stubby tail. Their spines are hollow and naturally fall out when a baby hedgehog (called a hoglet) grows adult spines. This process is called ‘quilling’ just like when our baby teeth fallout and...

Bioluminescent Plankton

2nd June 20208th June 2020 By chXout Team Comment Closed

According to the Oxford dictionary bioluminescence is the ‘biochemical emission of light by living organisms’. It is a clever mechanism used by organisms to attract mates, find food and to respond to attacks. About 80% of bioluminescent species live in the deep sea and it is estimated that most species that live 700 meters below sea level can produce their own light. To produce their own glow-in-the-dark magic trick they use variations of a chemical reaction using three ingredients: an enzyme called luciferase, oxygen and luciferin. This enzyme allows the oxygen to bond to the organic molecule luciferin. The high-energy molecule that is created releases the energy in the form of light. These light producing molecules are interestingly good antioxidants and so it was believed that once they were used as such until they were eventually adapted for signalling. This is because as the oxygen content of the sea increased organisms were forced to dive to deeper depths away from...

Can Nature Improve Our Mood During Lockdown

2nd June 20203rd June 2020 By chXout Team Comment Closed

‘A walk-in nature, walks the soul back home’ - Mary Davis The environments that we are confined to can impact our body, mind and spirit profoundly. What we hear, touch, smell and see can not only affect our mood but our nervous, endocrine and immune systems as well. Say you are in a stressful environment, your heart rate goes up, elevating your blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension, suppressing your body’s systems. You would find that the opposite happens in a relaxed and more pleasant environment like a spa or a walk in the woods listening to bird song. Being in nature or even just viewing nature from a window can reduce feelings of anger, pain and stress. We are literally genetically programmed to find elements of nature engrossing as we humans were not made to sit inside all day. Nature can lower the production of stress hormones and researchers have even stated that it could reduce mortality. Even a single potted...

Coronavirus: Calls to shut down ‘dirty fur trade’

14th May 20203rd June 2020 By chXout Team Comment Closed

Around two weeks ago in the Netherlands, two fur farms reported Mink (Neovison vison) infected with Covid-19. Farmers at the facility caught the virus but are now safe in quarantine. This is now adding to the ever-expanding list of animals known to be able to contract the virus which even includes lions and tigers. In a new case, lions and tigers from the New York Zoo caught the disease from their keepers. This evidence shows that this deadly virus can spread between humans and animals, threatening endangered animals even more. To keep the virus from spreading, we need to keep the interactions between wild animals and humans to a minimum. Some animals that can catch the virus include horseshoe bats, red foxes, wild boar and possibly even domestic cats and dogs. This means that there needs to be tougher regulations surrounding the wildlife trade as well as regulations to keep our ecosystems safe where human interaction is necessary. The potential of this virus spreading is another...

Rewilding

17th April 202017th April 2020 By chXout Team Comment Closed

Imagine. Imagine vast natural forests casting dappled lights across mossy nutrient rich ground, glades full to the brim with wild long-forgotten flowers filling the air with their rich aroma, and vast open spaces full of lush green grasses rippling in the wind like the sea on a stormy winter’s day. A natural mosaic of mottled purple and yellow stretches over wide-open spaces, all untouched by mankind. Animals once roamed that land and they may once again if time allows it. No matter how pleasant we may think Britain is today with its gently sloping hills and patched blanket work of farmers' fields it is merely a reminder of what is once was. Now that that first scene has all but disappeared, Britain is one of the few countries that doesn’t have top predators and as we all know, top predators help other species flourish. Some conservationists believe that some parts of the UK should be left to live in a totally wild...

Myths About Climate Change

14th April 202017th April 2020 By chXout Team Comment Closed

Firstly, what is climate change? Climate change is defined as 'the long-term shift in average weather patterns across the world'. It is a natural process and without it our planet would be 30°C cooler. Hostile to life. The release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere creates a thick blanket around our planet, insulating it. This is where the name 'greenhouse' comes from. When we burn fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil, we release gases that trap heat from the sun's incoming rays. Faster warming corresponds with the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and therefore carbon dioxide is labelled as a major offender contributing to this crisis. Our apparent need for burning hydrocarbon fuels such as wood and coal really doesn't help. As we cut down forests and burn fossil fuels, we are releasing carbon that combines with oxygen in the air which predominately forms CO2 and water vapour. It has been said that there is now...