Planting islands of native trees among oil palm plantations increases biodiversity and enhances ecosystem functioning.
Using CRISPR gene editing, researchers have identified a gene and a chemical that could potentially prevent and treat death cap mushroom poisoning in humans.
Deep dives
Using Tree Islands to Restore Biodiversity in Oil Palm Plantations
Researchers have conducted a five-year study in Europe and Indonesia to investigate the effects of planting islands of native trees among oil palm plantations. The study aimed to strike a balance between restoring the environment and maintaining agricultural productivity. The researchers found that the tree islands increased biodiversity by a factor of 1.5, enhanced ecosystem functioning, and had positive impacts on carbon and nutrient cycling, soil quality, and biotic interactions. Larger tree islands were found to be more effective in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Additionally, though there was a decrease in oil palm yield per area within the tree islands, the loss was compensated by a gain in yields of the adjacent oil palm trees. This research suggests that incorporating tree islands into oil palm plantations could mitigate biodiversity loss while maintaining agricultural productivity.
Unraveling the Biochemistry of the Death Cap Mushroom
Researchers using CRISPR Cas9 gene editing have identified a gene called STT3B that is involved in the cellular uptake of the deadly toxin found in the death cap mushroom. Through gene editing experiments, they found that cells lacking a functional version of the STT3B gene were able to survive exposure to the toxin. This suggests that inhibiting this gene could potentially prevent the toxin from entering human cells and alleviate the harmful effects of the mushroom. Moreover, the researchers discovered a chemical, Indo-Sionine Green, which can block the action of the STT3B gene. When tested in mice, Indo-Sionine Green reduced the mortality rate of death cap poisoning from 90% to 50%. Further research and evaluation are needed to determine if Indo-Sionine Green can be developed into a viable treatment for death cap mushroom poisoning in humans.
Innovative Uses of Nappies in Construction Industry
Researchers have explored the possibility of reusing discarded nappies as a building material to address the environmental concerns associated with the construction industry. By shredding and mixing the nappies with concrete, they discovered that nappy waste can partially replace the sand used in concrete production. Depending on the purpose, up to 40% of the sand can be substituted with shredded nappies without sacrificing structural integrity. This innovation could help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and sand consumption associated with concrete production. However, further research is needed to develop recycling systems for disposable nappies and to evaluate the overall environmental impact and feasibility of using nappy waste in construction practices.
00:45 Tree islands bring biodiversity benefits for oil-palm plantation
Global demand for palm oil has resulted in huge expansion of the palm plantations needed to produce it, causing widespread tropical deforestation and species loss. To address this, researchers planted islands of native trees among the palms in a large plantation, and showed that this approach increases ecosystem health, without affecting crop yields. The team say that while protecting existing tropical rainforests should remain a priority, tree islands represent a promising way to restore ecosystems.
The oldest identified ‘blueprints’ depict vast hunting traps with extraordinary precision, and fossil evidence that pliosaurs swimming the Jurassic seas may have been as big as whales.
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how shredded nappies could partially replace sand in construction, and how CRISPR helped crack the mystery of the death cap mushrooms’s deadly toxin.
