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Frontier research

While this male seahorse is not pregnant, when one is, it's hardly noticeable, according to Dr. Roth. Image credit - Sarah Kaehlert
interview | environment | frontier research
24 February 2020

Q&A: The curious case of male pregnancy in seahorses and pipefishes

Male seahorses not only become pregnant and give birth, but do so in ways that take different forms, which make them unique research subjects to understand the evolution of pregnancy, according to Dr Olivia Roth from the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) in Germany.

Caterpillar saliva causes maize to release a fragrant chemical that prepares other parts of the plant for attack. Image credit - Pxhere, licensed under CC0
environment | frontier research
20 February 2020

Plants can detect insect attacks by 'sniffing' each other's aromas

Fragrant aromas from plants can actually be a response to attacks by insects, and can alert neighbours to an attack or summon the insects’ predators. Now, scientists are deciphering these secret codes to develop better, greener chemicals to defend crops against herbivorous insects.

Monsoons occur throughout the tropics and sub-tropics but scientists are still uncertain about how climate change will affect them. Image credit - Jean-Marie Hullot/Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0
environment | frontier research
11 February 2020

A 40-million-year-old layer of dust can help predict how monsoons will change

A fine layer of dust thought to have been left by the first winter monsoon ever to cross northeastern Tibet has been uncovered by scientists, revealing the moment when the great weather phenomenon that waters much of Asia’s summers and dries its winters may have begun.

The Solar Orbiter will let us see the sun in unprecedented detail, potentially including the first-ever view of the sun's poles. Image credit - ESA/ATG medialab
space | frontier research
07 February 2020

Five things we’re going to learn from Europe’s Solar Orbiter mission

At 23.03 (local time) on Sunday 9 February, Europe’s newest mission to study the sun is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US. Called Solar Orbiter, this European Space Agency (ESA) mission will travel to within the orbit of planet Mercury to study the sun like never before, returning stunning new images of its surface.

Scientists are working on overcoming the protective blood-brain barrier to better treat conditions such as stroke or brain injuries. Image credit - Hellerhoff, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
health | frontier research
30 January 2020

Our brain has a barrier that stops drugs. How do we get past it?

A new drug for Alzheimer's, stroke or brain injury might work well in the lab, but the crucial test is whether it can get to where it needs to be.

The migration routes of wildebeest are being squeezed by human activity. Image credit - Jorge Tung/Unsplash
environment | frontier research
23 January 2020

Human-wildlife conflict threatens protected reserves in East Africa

Each year, more than a million wildebeest migrate across the grassy plains of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania into Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. But on the borders of these protected areas, human populations are increasing and wild ecosystems are struggling to survive in the face of development. Understanding these pressures is crucial for protecting people and wildlife, and to curb illegal activities such as poaching.

Studying the culture of Mongolian herders may help crack the mystery of why humans started consuming animal milk before populations evolved to be able to digest it. Image credit - Matthäus Rest
science in society | frontier research
21 January 2020

Solving an ancient dairy mystery could help cure modern food ills

Genghis Khan’s conquering armies fed on dried curd as they crossed the vast steppes of Eurasia, ancient Romans imported pungent cheeses from France, and Bedouin tribes crossing the Arabian Desert have for centuries survived on camel’s milk.

Light-activated catalysts that can neutralise airborne pollutants are being embedded in paint with a view to cleaning up city air. Image credit - AM Technology
environment | industry | frontier research
16 January 2020

The paints that eat pollutants and heat homes

Applying a coat of paint on the walls of a house may soon help to heat it, saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions. It could also clean the air that we breathe, breaking down chemicals and pollutants, and eliminating harmful pathogens.

There could be a genetic explanation for why some people are more susceptible to ill health following traumatic life events such as a natural disaster. Image credit - Pfc. Nicholas T. Howes, USMC
health | frontier research
14 January 2020

Genetics could explain how traumatic events affect people's health

Facing the death of a loved one, being given a life-threatening diagnosis, or living through a natural disaster is difficult enough. But those who get through these traumatic life events often face further ill effects.

The region of High Mountain Asia, which includes the Karakoram mountain range, is known as the third pole of the Earth because of the scale of its ice fields. Image credit - Tahakhan021, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
environment | frontier research
13 January 2020

Studying Asian glaciers provides glimpse into future of extremes

Scientists may have solved a 25-year-old puzzle about the mysterious behaviour of certain glaciers in High Mountain Asia. In most of this region, they are shrinking; but in the northwest, they are growing.

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