EurekAlert! Staff Picks

Promoting conservation efforts, especially in the case of important pollinators like bats, has always been an interest of mine! In this release from The Company of Biologists, research from the University of New England, Australia, suggests that efforts to support the bat population could be unintentionally dangerous. Bat boxes are set out to give bats a place to roost and encourage them to stay in certain areas. These boxes are often designed to stay warm to provide bats a comfortable place to rest. However, in warm weather, the boxes have been exceeding safe temperatures for their survival. If the bat box has been set in a spot exposed to full sun, rising temperatures could cause the box to exceed 122 degrees Fahrenheit or 50 degrees Celsius. The rise in temperatures could be fatal while the bats are sleeping and unable to relocate.

This was incredibly eye-opening to me, as I live in an area with high temperatures and hadn't considered how much planning should really go into setting up bat houses or similar conservation practices. I have been thinking about setting up bat houses on my property to encourage bats to hang around and help with pest control and pollination, so this news release helped me get a better idea of risks and best practices!

When I was pregnant, like many other expecting parents, I looked for every method and tip to promote my baby’s development. In a study from the University of Cambridge, researchers found that a good type of gut bacteria in pregnant parents could help! The study looked at the placentas of mice with the gut bacteria compared to those without it. More complications occurred in the pregnancies of mice without the bacteria present, which shows that the gut microbiome affects the placenta and can significantly impact pregnancy!

It is incredible to see the many factors that contribute to the health of the parent and the baby during pregnancy as more research comes out. This study could change the outcome of many pregnancies by testing the gut biome for potential complications and allow for early intervention. For instances of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, and stillbirth could potentially be avoided by the use of probiotic supplements.

With all the risk and uncertainty in pregnancy, it would be amazing to see the types of intervention made possible by this research!

Scientists from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, found that shortfin mako sharks were warming up before diving deep to hunt for food. Scientists attached data loggers to the sharks to track the temperatures of the water, their bodies, and the depths of their dives. Though the sharks are a species found in warm water, they swim to deeper waters where more prey are found. Scientists found that their body temperature decreased slowly while descending to cold waters, but increased much quicker when rising to warmer water at the surface. But rather than just swim to warm waters to recover from the cold, one shark prepared for its dive by warming up beyond the surrounding water to stay in warm in cold water for a longer period! This is a fascinating ability of regulating their body heat that is not seen in other fish species, and it was incredibly interesting to see a shark prepare for its journey to deep water!

Researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute found that individuals with multiple tattoos may have less risk of skin cancer. Conversely, the team noticed that those with only one tattoo had an increased likelihood of having melanoma. At first, it was thought that those with tattoos would have an increase in skin cancer risk due to potential heavy metal exposure and irritation from tattoo sessions, but it was really interesting to see that the risk was lower for those with multiple tattoos! There is speculation that those with multiple tattoos take sun protection precautions to keep tattoos from fading, but more research is needed to understand the pattern. I have a few tattoos myself, so it is really fascinating to consider if I may be mitigating my risk in my own tattoo care!

Color changing mold on cheese rinds offers a fascinating, and delicious, opportunity to see evolution in action! Researchers from Tufts University collected samples of mold growing on Bayley Hazen Blue rinds from the Jasper Hill caves, where they are left to ripen. Upon returning to the cave for more samples, they noticed the mold had changed from green to white! The mold was green from a gene that produces melanin, but to save energy, stopped melanin production causing the mold to turn white. It is so interesting that researchers were able to see this process happening over just a few years. Now, researchers can study the mold and look into its genetic diversity at the same time as contributing to new attributes in the cheese!

Microplastics have become a major concern in recent years with its presence in drinking water, food, and even in our own bodies. Researchers from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy have found these plastics can collect in the brain and cause Alzheimer’s disease-like symptoms. Assistant professor Jaime Ross and her team conducted an experiment exposing groups of mice with different genetic indicators of Alzheimer’s disease to microplastics. The results showed that male and female mice experienced different symptoms of cognitive decline, similar to what we see in humans. With how prevalent micro- and nanoplastics are, her research will hopefully inspires more research and regulation regarding plastic use!

Northwestern University scientists have created a new tool to help track infant development as early as 16 days old! As a new mom, making sure my daughter is meeting her goals and developmental milestones is my primary focus and this is an incredibly helpful toolkit to make available to families. The existing tool to track an infant's development began at three years old, which made early intervention difficult. This new NIH Baby Toolbox aims to be widely available and measure the development in children too young to answer questions. It can be difficult to keep track of each developmental leap as a parent, and even more so to get the necessary support should your child require extra help. It is amazing to see this kind of tool be made available for babies at such a young age so that early intervention is possible!

As someone who always manages to let their phone die, this release from the University of Ottawa stood out to me! Researchers from uOttawa in collaboration with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, found a way to measure and compare batteries’ performance to develop long-lasting betavoltaic batteries. This advancement could allow pacemakers to run for a lifetime without depletion, batteries to function in extreme conditions, and provide a more sustainable source of energy!

A news release by Kyoto University details an unexpected comeback from the brink of extinction in red headed wood pigeons. Although the population of this pigeon fell drastically low, it made a quick comeback after its primary predator - the feral cat - was removed. This was unexpected due to the low genetic diversity of the species after inbreeding due to low population. However, researchers found that a harmful mutation common in other wood pigeons was lower in this small population of the red headed wood pigeons. With how difficult it is to bring a species back even with devoted conservation efforts, it is amazing that a feature of its population decline actually enabled its revival!

This release from the Frontiers tells an interesting story of how a reading robot became part of the family for many households. A robot designed to help preschoolers with reading was introduced to 20 families in 2021 and by 2025, almost all still had their robot. It had become a point of nostalgia, comfort, or even like a member of the family for many. In a time when technology is shaping so much of the world we live in, it was so interesting to see other ways assistance technology can be integrated into people’s lives; even as intimately as family!

A news release by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences describes the discovery of an object beyond Pluto that provides more insights into the outer Solar System. The object, currently labeled as 2023 KQ14, has a peculiar orbit that is different from other objects of its kind. The FOSSIL team’s simulations of 2023 KQ14’s orbit, some of which utilized National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s PC cluster, suggest that the orbit has been maintained for at least 4.5 billion years. These observations imply ancient astronomical events that contribute to our understanding of the history of the Solar System. It is interesting how this could imply that a ninth planet may have existed but was potentially pushed out of the Solar System.

Microplastics are a recent point of concern in conversations about plastic waste and its impact on the environment. This news release by Kaunas University of Technology was informative in how it broke down the different challenges in combating plastic waste. With an increased use in plastic worldwide, pollution from plastic use has made its way into water supplies, different food sources, and even the most unexpected places such as breast milk. One of the main challenges faced with dealing with plastic waste is outdated waste management. I was surprised to learn that even with the increased plastic use, new regulations have only just been proposed. The EU has a goal of reducing plastic waste overall, but a significant challenge is dealing with the plastic waste that already exists. With increased and more efficient recycling efforts, the target is to recycle 55 percent of plastic waste by 2030.