1. United States
Scientists have bred plants that can alert growers when they are exposed to a toxin. One goal of the research is to have a field of plants remotely signal the presence of a banned pesticide by turning red. In their new research, a team has successfully developed this environmental sensor in the laboratory, without harming the normal functions of the factory.
In a natural system of stress hormones and receptors, the hormone abscisic acid is produced by a plant and binds to receptors during drought, causing the plant to close its pores to retain more water. Previous research has shown that these receptors can also be trained to bind to other substances.
The team ‘hacked’ the receptors and created sensors for a wide range of chemicals, including azinphos-ethyl, an insecticide that is poisonous to humans. Scientists also found a similar ability in yeast, which could respond to two different chemicals at the same time.
“We’re working on being able to detect every chemical in the environment,” said Sean Cutler, who worked on the study. “Not just pesticides, but also drugs like pharmaceuticals and antibiotics in the water supply, things that people worry about if they’re exposed to them. These types of applications are now within reach.”
Source: University of California, Riverside
2. Dominica
Dominica sets aside 304 square miles of ocean to protect endangered sperm whales. The world’s first marine sanctuary for sperm whales focuses on what is known as the Eastern Caribbean Clan, whose members do not travel as far as most sperm whales and which use the waters off the country’s coast as a crucial feeding and nursing habitat. In unprotected waters, whales are threatened by fishing gear entanglement, pollution and ship strikes. The new reserve will enforce rules on shipping lanes and regulate tourism such as whale watching and snorkeling. Traditional fishing will still be allowed.
A whale can only give birth to one calf every five to seven years, and the region’s sperm whale population has declined by 3% every year since 2010. The new sanctuary will protect about 35 whale families and benefit the entire ecosystem, researchers say. . Whale feces stimulate the production of phytoplankton, which in turn absorbs carbon dioxide from the seas.
“The approximately 200 sperm whales that call our sea home are valued citizens of Dominica,” said Roosevelt Skerrit, the country’s prime minister. “We want to ensure that these majestic and highly intelligent animals are safe from harm and continue to keep our waters and climate healthy.”
Sources: Associated Press, Mongabay
3. Italy
Archaeologists create maps of the ancient world without having to dig in a shovel. Amid urbanization, climate change and conflict, the speed at which powerful electromagnetic equipment can collect data helps locate hidden history before it disappears completely.
When the COVID-19 lockdown left the cathedral in Siena, Italy, without tourists, researchers scanned the interior using tools developed for studying glaciers, mines and oil fields. The hunt uncovered evidence suggesting that an older church may have existed on the site 1,200 years ago. In addition to ground-penetrating radar, which allows surveyors to quickly scan through layers of the Earth, geophysicists use magnetometry to measure tiny differences in magnetic field strength between objects. Visualization software helps the scientists place ancient structures on satellite maps. Skeptics warn that misinterpretation errors can occur and that this approach is best used alongside small excavations.
One geophysicist compares what he sees as the need for complete archaeological data to what taxpayers spend on space exploration. “I happily pay the price… every year that thousands of people look down instead of up,” says Immo Trinks. If we don’t, added Dr. Trinks adds, “our grandchildren will ask us: Why haven’t you done more to map what’s still there? Because they won’t get the chance to do that again once it’s gone.”
Source: Wired
4. Bangladesh
A campaign in Bangladesh to eradicate the addition of toxic lead to turmeric, a widely used spice, is proving hugely successful. Global health experts say there is no safe level of lead for humans, and that South Asians rank highest in lead exposure among populations around the world. In Bangladesh, researchers looked at supply chains and found that much of the contamination comes from lead chromate used to improve the color of turmeric.
But in less than two years, a campaign led by the government and Bangladeshi and American researchers managed to reduce the prevalence of lead-adulterated turmeric in the country’s markets from 47% to zero percent.
Researchers attribute the success to cooperation between the country’s food and health authorities and government officials eager to solve the problem. Adulteration of turmeric was declared a crime, and a multifaceted media campaign ranged from the prime minister’s TV broadcasts discussing the challenge to a sting operation at a street market that fined spice sellers who tested positive for lead.
The impact on the Bangladeshi population was almost immediate, with lead levels among turmeric factory workers falling by an average of 30%. According to a study by the Center for Global Development, lead poisoning is responsible for 20% of the learning gap between children in poor countries and children in richer countries. The Stanford University team that began investigating high levels of lead in 2015 hopes to repeat its campaign in India and Pakistan.
Sources: The Economist, Stanford Medicine
5. Nigeria
A non-profit organization called Archivi.ng is working to digitize every pre-online Nigerian newspaper, information that will help serve as historical context for the country in the age of artificial intelligence.
The initial goal is to record approximately 700,000 stories from the years between Nigeria’s independence in 1960 and 2010. The archives will be both an open online library that anyone can use and a data source for AI, where information about Africa is underrepresented, says the startup’s founder Fu’ad Lawal. He emphasizes that the current dependence on internet search results means that increasing the amount of online information about Nigeria will enhance understanding of contemporary issues.
Mr. Lawal first noticed the lack of Nigerian historical information online while working as a journalist. “We need to bring our historical data online to get maximum and accurate representation in this age of generative modeling,” said Mr Lawal. “So anyone who has a serious and inclusive AI strategy will need to look at digitalization efforts like ours and those of others from emerging markets.”
Sources: Rest of the World, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
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