Life Lines
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House-eating snails?
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on April 18, 2013 Giant African land snails, like the one pictured above, are reportedly “one of the world’s most destructive invasive species” as they not only consume over 500 plant species, they can actually eat stucco (apparently a good source of calcium). Therefore, I am sure you can imagine the damage they are causing in South Florida where they can…
Regenerated kidneys filter urine!
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on April 15, 2013 Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) have successfully regenerated kidneys that were unsuitable for transplantation. They stripped the tissue of all native cells, then added donor stem cells to the scaffolding that was left behind. The re-animated kidneys successfully created urine after being transplanted into rats! The hope is to apply this technique to humans…
What is driving obesity in cats and dogs?
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on April 12, 2013 Dr. Kelly Swanson, a professor of animal and nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign just published an article on the topic of pet obesity in the Journal of Animal Science. His research is designed to explore how foods alter gene expression in our pets, a field called nutrigenomics. He thinks that domestication (reducing the need for animals…
Jell-O Brains
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on April 10, 2013 I have to admit I love the science section of The New York Times. The topic today: Dr. Karl Deisseroth and colleagues at Stanford University have developed a technique called CLARITY that uses hydrogel to make the brain look like it is made of Jell-O. They have successfully applied this technique to a whole mouse brain as well as part of…
Painted Turtle Genome
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on April 7, 2013 Now we can add Western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) to the list of species to have their genome sequenced. The goal of sequencing their genome was to try to find genes that control the ability of these animals to survive freezing solid during the winter. Because they are not able to breathe while frozen,…
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on April 4, 2013 Last year we talked about how rats can apparently laugh. This year, new research published in PLoS ONE suggests that mice can cough. It actually surprised me to learn this was a controversial topic, since no one has reportedly attempted to tease apart the barely audible sound of a cough from the other sounds mice make. Researchers…
Fluorescent millipedes on Alcatraz
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 29, 2013 Alcatraz is even more exciting that I had previously thought! Early last year the National Park Service had baited rats on the island with a non-toxic fluorescent food dye so they could track the animals as they left behind fluorescent droppings. Volunteers from the UC Davis entomology club along with workers then searched the island using black lights to find evidence of the…
Experimental Biology 2013
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 28, 2013 I am so excited! The Experimental Biology meeting is only 23 days away and is already reportedly on track to be one of the largest meetings yet. I can’t wait to catch up on what’s new in comparative physiology at the meeting (along with many other topics). I will be sure to share the highlights.
Innovative pest control
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 23, 2013 Entomologist Dr. Coby Schal at North Carolina State University studies the chemicals involved in insect communication in an effort to more effectively manage pests. His big interest is in chemical communication using pheromones and how they impact mating and other behaviors. His research has aided the control of cockroaches, bed bugs, mosquitoes and other nuisance…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on March 16, 2013 Here’s to the physiology of drinking beer on St. Patrick’s Day: Cheers!!