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During an insect’s metamorphosis, many of the larval body cells die. But many neurons in the brain survive and their connections are completely rewired. (Equinox Graphics/Science Photo Library)
Fruit flies are unlikely to remember their larval life. Researchers imaged fruit flies’ brains during metamorphosis and found that the connections between neurons in a region that is essential for learning and memory are dramatically rewired. Some neurons die off; others leave the region and become integrated elsewhere. This overhaul is reflected in a similarly profound shift in behaviour, from crawling larvae to flying adults.
Quanta Magazine | 10 min read
Reference: eLife paper
The chemical process that gives roasted meat and toasted bread their flavour could be responsible for storing more than 4 million tonnes of carbon in the sea bed each year. The Maillard reaction usually occurs only at temperatures above 140 °C. Researchers discovered that minerals found in sediments can make the reaction happen even at 10 °C, the approximate sea-floor temperature at the edges of continents. The reaction locks away carbon by converting sugars and amino acids into polymers that sea-floor microbes can’t easily break down into carbon dioxide.
Chemistry World | 4 min read
Reference: Nature paper
Reducing air pollution to levels advised by the World Health Organization could lead to a 17% decrease in antibiotic resistance by 2050. Researchers found links between fine particles and resistant pathogens in data from 116 countries between 2000 and 2018. For example, they showed that a 1% increase in fine particulate pollution was associated with a 1.5% increase in resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria. The researchers highlighted that this correlation doesn’t represent causation. Other scientists pointed out that many factors could confound the results. “At this stage there remains a great deal of uncertainty about what is actually happening,” says statistician Kevin McConway. “I would say that the new research raises more questions than it answers.”
El País | 6 min read
Reference: The Lancet Planetary Health paper
Features & opinion
Table of Contents
A new generation of academic search engines, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), is moving beyond keyword searches to pull connections from the tangled web of scientific literature. Some, such as Consensus, give research-backed answers to yes-or-no questions; others, such as Semantic Scholar, Elicit and Iris, can tidy up bibliographies, create connections around themes or generate summaries. The tools could help to combat ‘information overload’ and free scientists to be more creative. Critics note that the programs remain relatively untested and risk perpetuating the biases of the academic publishing process.
Nature | 8 min read
Tenure — a process that has long protected academic freedom — needs a rethink, say some US researchers. A spate of high-profile tenure denials has demonstrated how the process can derail careers when committees disagree and when criteria change or are opaque. Some universities are starting to include research contributions beyond papers, such as podcasts or community work, in their criteria. Others are overhauling the decision-making process, for example by ensuring that no one committee member can dominate tenure discussions.
Nature | 10 min read
Where I work
Jesús E. Rodríguez is a bioprocess engineer at ULUU in Watermans Bay, Australia.Credit: Giacomo d’Orlando for Nature
Bioprocess engineer Jesús Rodríguez and his team make plastic from seaweed, salt water and bacteria. The seaweed feeds the microbes, which produce compostable polymers “that could replace many, maybe even all, synthetic plastics”, he says. The bioplastics are being tested for use in buttons and containers, and the team is working on fibres for textiles. “We want to offer alternatives for any industry that uses plastic, from packaging to stationery,” Rodríguez says. (Nature | 3 min read)