The role of universities in the fight for a fairer and more sustainable planet is increasingly significant. A team of researchers from ESPOL decided to examine how academia contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by analyzing scientific publications on a global scale. Using tools such as ArcGIS, Biblioshiny, R, and VOSviewer, they conducted an in-depth review of scientific databases such as Web of Science and Scopus, tracking hundreds of articles addressing topics related to service-learning and community engagement. The results show a positive trend in scientific production on these topics, with a notable growth since 2009 and a peak in publications through 2022. Regarding the countries leading research in this field, the United States tops the list with 261 articles, followed by Spain with 64 and the United Kingdom with 40. The race for sustainability is on! 

New research in India shows how to improve the success of home gardening programs to increase food security, nutrition and inclusivity in rural communities.

According to an article published in the journal PNAS, different lineages of amoebae and ancestors of plants, algae and animals were already established in the Neoproterozoic period and survived the two glaciations that covered the entire planet.

When the dust that covered the skies 66 million years ago prevented plants from photosynthesizing and benefited creatures that fed on decomposing organic matter, these insects selected species that could fill their nutrient void, confirms a study published in Science.

Brazilian researchers analyzed behavioral and physiological factors in animals whose mothers received a synthetic substance that activates the same receptors as marijuana during pregnancy. The consequences were different in males and females.

The synthetic peptide was inspired by ACE2, the protein to which the virus that causes COVID-19 binds to invade human cells. The results point to a route for the development of novel antivirals.

Hurricane Maria killed so many Purple-throated caribs, sole pollinator of two species of heliconia, that other birds were able to gain access to the plants, according to an article in New Phytologist, which concludes that species extinction is a far more complex process than is often thought.

Characterized by high pH and salinity, these water bodies have practically dried up because of rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and wildfires. The findings show how the local microbial community and other factors influence greenhouse gas emissions.

Globally, the food industry generates around 1.3 billion tons of waste per year, which has caused environmental problems such as habitat loss, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and pollution. The National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) has estimated that in Ecuador, approximately 14.4 thousand tons of waste are generated despite regulated legislation, and the brewing industry accounts for a significant portion of this. 

Promising results were obtained by a group at the Brazilian Center for Research on Energy and Materials (CNPEM), working with collaborators elsewhere. They combined inhibition of glutaminase, an enzyme that converts glutamine into nutrients for tumor cells, with inhibition of HuR, a protein that regulates the RNA of glutaminase.