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Lack of biodiversity in global food system will be challenged by climate change

This incredible interactive article clearly explains the problem of having a global food supply with limited biodiversity, using engaging examples such as the banana. This fruit symbolizes the threat: hundreds of different varieties have been cultivated over thousands of years. But we now eat just one variety, which is being threatened by a fungus, aided by conditions exacerbated by the climate crisis. Several more examples and data on increasingly homogenous global diets demonstrate that “We’ve literally eaten ourselves into a tight genetic corner.” Data points to the value of diversity in food production to mitigate devastating crop losses due to the climate emergency.

Scientists turn tomatoes into rich source of Vitamin D

Tomatoes get riper and tastier in the summer sun. Two studies now show that with a little help from gene editing, sun-ripened tomatoes can also stockpile a precursor molecule to vitamin D, a vital nutrient normally found mainly in animal products.

“This could be a game changer” in nations where vitamin D deficiency is a problem, says Esther van der Knaap, a plant geneticist at the University of Georgia, Athens. Biofortified plants could also help vegans get enough of the nutrient. The finding “opens up a very exciting new era for vitamin D,” says nutritional scientist Susan Lanham-New of the University of Surrey.

Mushrooms may communicate with each other using up to 50 “words”

An interesting article that includes scientific curiosity, interpretations of data, and skepticism in science: Buried in forest litter or sprouting from trees, fungi might give the impression of being silent and relatively self-contained organisms, but a new study suggests they may be active communicators. Mathematical analysis of the electrical signals fungi seemingly send to one another has identified patterns that bear a striking structural similarity to human speech.

Watch 118 Bird Species Migrate Across a Map of the Western Hemisphere

For the first time, scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have documented migratory movements of bird populations spanning the entire year for 118 species throughout the Western Hemisphere. This animation would be a great phenomenon to start a unit or inspire student questions. The study finds broad similarity in the routes used by specific groups of species—vividly demonstrated by animated maps showing patterns of movement across the annual cycle. Curious about what birds are represented by each dot? Check the companion map here.

New map shows where biodiversity is most at risk in America

The New York Times presents a summary of new biodiversity maps of the U.S., with links to sources that can be used for a deeper dive with students, like the original publication in Ecological Applications, and the ArcGIS Living Atlas maps of the data layers available here.

Decline of seed-dispersing animals has implications for plants as climate changes

More than half of plants rely on animals to disperse their seeds far and wide. In the face of climate change, birds and mammals are these plants’ best chance at putting down roots in a more suitable environment. Unfortunately, many birds and mammals that carry these seeds have experienced staggering losses to their population. A study published in Science in early 2022 created models that could forecast future interactions between animals and plants as their habitat ranges shift, and how species losses up until now have reduced the distance seeds can travel. This four-minute video explains the issue and highlights research data to show the areas around the world hardest hit by these declines, and the tactics that could increase plants’ resilience to climate change in the future.

Light, oxygen turn waste plastics into useful benzoic acid

Polystyrene winds up in landfills and makes up about a third of landfill waste across the globe. A team of chemists at Cornell University, partially supported by a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, has created a climate-friendly process to upcycle polystyrene. The scalable process can withstand commercial dyes, dirt and other plastics.

The team used catalyst-controlled photooxidation to take one step toward making that unsustainable future a little more sustainable. The process uses light, oxygen and an iron-based catalyst to convert polystyrene into benzoic acid. The method is effective on polystyrene of every form and texture and can take place in an oxygen-rich environment using a light-emitting diode, or outdoors and exposed to direct sunlight.

Zeer Pot Construction: Evaporative Cooling for Sustainability

The Zeer pot is a simple evaporative cooling system used for centuries in hot, arid regions of the world for cold food storage. This article provides step-by-step directions for constructing the simple configuration of unglazed clay pots and sand to create a food storage chamber that greatly extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The Zeer Pot would be a great starting phenomenon to explore the properties of water and evaporative cooling.

DNA barcoding brought botanist Steven Newmaster scientific fame and entrepreneurial success. Was it all based on fraud?

In 2013, a team led by Steven Newmaster, a botanist at the University of Guelph (UG), took a hard look at popular herbal products such as echinacea, ginkgo biloba, and St. John’s wort. The team published a study that used DNA barcoding—a system to identify species using small, unique snippets of genetic material—to test whether the bottles really contained what was printed on the label. See more

Integration of the topic of social justice into high school biology curricula

This 2021 journal article in Science & Education summarizes an exploratory multiple-case study of high school biology teachers including curricular objectives of critically examining science as a discipline touched by social justice issues and as a tool for student empowerment. Storytelling and culturally responsive pedagogy were reported to be highly effective in engaging students; using these vehicles for delivery, social justice content can be seamlessly introduced alongside organic evolution.

Diversity of food crops at risk just as we need it most

BBC journalist Dan Saladino’s new book explores the global food system, its limited resiliency in the face of climate change, and the potential resource of genetic diversity preserved by remote and indigenous communities. This Vox interview summarizes his findings with engaging examples and provides hopeful strategies for an increasingly urgent crisis. See the article here.

Artificial Intelligence is helping conservation scientists

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is not often associated with conservation efforts. But as this article from The Guardian reports, “conservationists are increasingly turning to AI as an innovative tech solution to tackle the biodiversity crisis and mitigate climate change.” Read about five AI projects contributing to our understanding of biodiversity and species here.

Chimpanzees observed treating wounds with crushed insects

Can animals exhibit empathy? Recent research published in the journal Current Biology contributes evidence, with observations that chimpanzees will catch insects and apply them directly to open wounds, treating both their own injuries and those of their peers. This engaging story features biologist Simone Pika and a brief description of her research methodology.

Gut microbes linked to depression in large health study

The trillions of bacteria in and on our bodies can bolster our health and contribute to disease, but just which microbes are the key actors has been elusive. Now, a study involving thousands of people in Finland has identified a potential microbial culprit in some cases of depression.

The finding, which emerged from a study of how genetics and diet affect the microbiome, “is really solid proof that this association could have major clinical importance,” says Jack Gilbert, a microbial ecologist at the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved with the work. See more