Pangaea Biosciences, Author at Pangaea Biosciences - Page 13 of 73 Archive

Bloodsucking worms from invasive pythons in Florida may spread across US, study finds

Burmese pythons are a big, invasive problem in Florida — but an invasive parasite carried inside those snakes could spread further than the reptiles themselves, a new study finds. Scientists discovered the non-native bloodsucking worms, which are called pentastomes, crawling in the lungs of three dead pygmy rattlesnakes in Central Florida last year, according to a…

Mexico’s Monarch Butterflies Are in Grave Danger. Scientists Are Moving an Entire Forest to Save Them.

Tree by tree, Mexican scientists are planting the first stages of a new forest in the mountains of the country’s central Michoacan state. They’re taking saplings from oyamel fir trees further down the mountain and creating a new home for them higher up. Three and a half years ago, the first batch of transplanted trees…

A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy

Last May, an elderly man was admitted to the Brooklyn branch of Mount Sinai Hospital for abdominal surgery. A blood test revealed that he was infected with a newly discovered germ as deadly as it was mysterious. Doctors swiftly isolated him in the intensive care unit. The germ, a fungus called Candida auris, preys on…

At 71, She’s Never Felt Pain or Anxiety. Now Scientists Know Why.

Jo Cameron has a rather unusual superpower: she doesn't feel pain, or only very slightly, and she didn't even realise this wasn't normal until she was in her 60s. Now scientists have identified the genetic mutation they think is responsible. While the idea of a pain-free life might sound appealing at first, pain is actually…

A Clever New Strategy for Treating Cancer, Thanks to Darwin

The large outer leaves of the vegetables were “literally riddled with holes, more than half their substance being eaten away.” With each step he took around the ravaged cabbages, tiny swarms of little ash-gray moths rose from the ground and flitted away. This was, it appears, the first record in the United States of the diamondback…

Fossil Site Reveals Day That Meteor Hit Earth and, Maybe, Wiped Out Dinosaurs

Sixty-six million years ago, a giant meteor slammed into Earth off the coast of modern-day Mexico. Firestorms incinerated the landscape for miles around. Even creatures thousands of miles away were doomed on that fateful day, if not by fire and brimstone, then by mega-earthquakes and waves of unimaginable size. Now, scientists have unearthed a remarkable trove of fossils…

Scientists hunt down the brain circuit responsible for alcohol cravings

Scientists at Scripps Research have found that they can reverse the desire to drink in alcohol-dependent rats -- with the flip of a switch. The researchers were able to use lasers to temporarily inactivate a specific neuronal population, reversing alcohol-seeking behavior and even reducing the physical symptoms of withdrawal. "This discovery is exciting -- it…

Study on Weed Killers and Monarch Butterflies Spurs Ecological Flap

Monarch butterfly populations have been declining since the 1990s, and several studies have linked this to the proliferation of crops genetically engineered to tolerate the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup. Crops are routinely doused with it, killing all but the engineered plants—and the casualties include milkweed, on which monarchs exclusively lay their eggs. Some 850 million milkweed…

Study uncovers genetic switches that control process of whole-body regeneration

When it comes to regeneration, some animals are capable of amazing feats -- if you cut the leg off a salamander, it will grow back. When threatened, some geckos drop their tails as a distraction, and regrow them later. Other animals take the process even further. Planarian worms, jellyfish, and sea anemones can actually regenerate…

With single gene insertion, blind mice regain sight

It was surprisingly simple. University of California, Berkeley, scientists inserted a gene for a green-light receptor into the eyes of blind mice and, a month later, they were navigating around obstacles as easily as mice with no vision problems. They were able to see motion, brightness changes over a thousandfold range and fine detail on…

About: Pangaea Biosciences

Recent Posts by Pangaea Biosciences

Bloodsucking worms from invasive pythons in Florida may spread across US, study finds

Mexico’s Monarch Butterflies Are in Grave Danger. Scientists Are Moving an Entire Forest to Save Them.

A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy

At 71, She’s Never Felt Pain or Anxiety. Now Scientists Know Why.

A Clever New Strategy for Treating Cancer, Thanks to Darwin

Fossil Site Reveals Day That Meteor Hit Earth and, Maybe, Wiped Out Dinosaurs

Scientists hunt down the brain circuit responsible for alcohol cravings

Study on Weed Killers and Monarch Butterflies Spurs Ecological Flap

Study uncovers genetic switches that control process of whole-body regeneration

With single gene insertion, blind mice regain sight

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