Inhaled vaccine prevents COVID in monkeys
Current COVID-19 vaccines offer great protection from serious illness, but they don't prevent people from becoming infected in the first place. Because of this, researchers have been searching for ways to boost mucosal immunity — the immune response on mucosal surfaces — as this is where the virus is first encountered by the body. Now a team have shown that mucosal immunity can be improved enough to block infection in rhesus macaques by administering booster vaccines directly into their lungs, through inhalation. They hope this could offer a way to stop humans getting COVID-19 in the ...
Source: Nature Podcast - December 14, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Cat parasite Toxoplasma tricked to grow in a dish
In this episode:00:48 A new way to grow a tricky parasite in the labToxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes the zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis, has a complex, multi-stage life cycle. Some of these stages will only grow in the intestines of cats, making it difficult to study. Now, a team has found a way to grow one of these stages in vitro for the first time, which they hope will help researchers learn more about this parasite, estimated to have infected around 30% of the world’s population.Research Article: Antunes et al.08:50 Research HighlightsThe tiny VR goggles designed for mice, and how a squirt of water could g...
Source: Nature Podcast - December 13, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
The world ’s smallest light-trapping silicon cavity
In this episode:00:48 A gap for trapping lightConfining photons within materials opens up potential applications in quantum computing and telecommunications. But capturing light requires nanoscale cavities, which are difficult to make. This week, a team has created the smallest silicon gap yet for this purpose, just two nano-metres wide, by exploiting the intermolecular forces that are usually an obstacle when creating such small structures. They show this gap can trap light effectively, but they also believe that their method could be used to create tiny cavities for use in a range of different fields.Research Article: Ba...
Source: Nature Podcast - December 6, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Sanitary products made from plants could help tackle period poverty
Around 500 million people are estimated to be in period poverty, lacking adequate access to sanitary products. Many of these people rely on donations, but this is far from a long-term solution. To tackle this researchers have developed a method to extract absorbent materials for menstrual pads from a common plant, Agave sisalana. The researchers say that their method can be performed using local techniques and has a lower environmental impact than the manufacture of other period products. They're aiming to scale-up this approach to help those in period poverty.Research Article: Molina et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an...
Source: Nature Podcast - November 30, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Why COP28 probably won't keep the 1.5 degree dream alive
In this episode:00:49 What to expect at COP28.The UN’s annual climate change conference is starting soon in Dubai. This time will be the first time that humanity formally assesses its progress under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, so we ask if this challenge of keeping warming below 1.5 ËšC can be met and what needs to happen at COP28 to make it a reality. News Feature: Is it too late to keep global warming below 1.5 °C? The challenge in 7 charts10:49 Research HighlightsFalcons show off their smarts, and how smoke from California wildfires made Europe cloudy.Research Highlight: These falcons excel at problem-solving â...
Source: Nature Podcast - November 29, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Audio long read: Apple revival — how science is bringing historic varieties back to life
Researchers have been resurrecting apple trees to revive forgotten varieties of the fruit. They hope that sequencing these apples' genomes could uncover mutations that influence flavour, colour, crispness and other characteristics. This knowledge could help unlock the next blockbuster fruit, and develop trees that are more resistant to disease, climate change and other environmental pressures.This is an audio version of our Feature Apple revival: how science is bringing historic varieties back to life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. (Source: Nature Podcast)
Source: Nature Podcast - November 24, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Polio could be eradicated within 3 years — what happens then?
In this episode:00:46 What happens after polio is eradicatedSince 1988, cases of polio have fallen by more than 99%, and many observers predict that the disease could be eradicated within the next three years. However, eradication isn’t the same as extinction, so the next challenge is for researchers to make sure the disease won’t return. We discuss what a post-polio future may look like, and how to ensure that the disease is gone for good.News Feature: Polio is on the brink of eradication. Here's how to keep it from coming back09:48 Research HighlightsBotulinum toxin shows promise in treating a common disorder in olde...
Source: Nature Podcast - November 22, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Dust: the tiny substance with enormous power
In the latest episode of Nature hits the books, writer and researcher Jay Owens joins us to discuss her book Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles. Much like dust itself, Jay’s book travels the globe, looking at the impacts that these microscopic particles are having on the world, our health and environment, as well as exploring the role that humanity has played in creating them.Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles Jay Owens Hodder & Stoughton (2023)Music supplied by Airae/Epidemic Sound/Getty images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. (Source: Nature Podcast)
Source: Nature Podcast - November 17, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
How to 3D print fully-formed robots
In this episode:00:46 Machine vision enables multi-material 3D printing3D printers are capable of producing complex shapes, but making functioning objects from multiple materials in a single print-run has proved challenging. To overcome this, a team has combined inkjet printing with an error-correction system guided by machine vision, to allow them to print sophisticated multi-material objects. They used this method to make a bio-inspired robotic hand that combines soft and rigid plastics to make mechanical bones, ligaments, and tendons, as well as a pump based on a mammalian heart.Research article: Buchner et al.News &...
Source: Nature Podcast - November 15, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
How to tame a toxic yet life-saving antifungal
In this episode:00:46 Modifying a fungal drug to make it less toxicAmphotericin B is a drug used to treat life-threatening fungal infections. But while it is effective against many fungal species, it is also extremely toxic to kidneys, meaning it is mostly used as a drug of last-resort. This week, a team has unpicked the mechanism behind the drug’s toxicity, allowing them to modify it and reduce side effects in human kidney cells. The researchers hope this new version of the drug could become a useful tool in fighting fungal diseases.Research article: Maji et al.09:00 Research HighlightsReconstructing woolly rhino DNA us...
Source: Nature Podcast - November 8, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Nature's Take: How will ChatGPT and generative AI transform research?
In the past year, generative AIs have been taking the world by storm. ChatGPT, Bard, DALL-E and more, are changing the nature of how content is produced. In science, they could help transform and streamline publishing. However, they also come with plenty of risks.In this episode of Nature's Take we discuss how these AIs are impacting science and what the future might hold.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. (Source: Nature Podcast)
Source: Nature Podcast - November 3, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
A new hydrogel can be directly injected into muscle to help it regenerate
In this episode:00:46 An injectable gel for healing musclesSevere muscle injury can be debilitating, with long recuperation periods. Now, researchers have developed a material that can be directly injected into injured muscle, helping to stimulate and heal damaged tissue. The team showed this approach could rapidly restore walking ability in severely injured rats and regenerate muscles within four weeks. They hope that this solution could one day help humans with similar injuries, and overcome some of the limitations of current recuperation strategies.Research article: Jin et al.News and Views: Hydrogel implant rehabilitat...
Source: Nature Podcast - November 1, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Audio long read: Why BMI is flawed — and how to redefine obesity
For decades, BMI — calculated by dividing weight by height squared — has been as an international standard to determine healthy weights.However, BMI does not measure body fat, and ignores many other factors that can affect how healthy someone it.Now, a small but growing movement of reseachers and clinicians are calling for other metrics to be used in conjunction with BMI when diagnosing and treating obesity.This is an audio version of our Feature: Why BMI is flawed — and how to redefine obesity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. (Source: Nature Podcast)
Source: Nature Podcast - October 30, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Martian sounds reveal the secrets of the red planet's core
For years, researchers have been listening to Mars and the quakes that ripple through it, to understand the planet's internal structure and uncover its history. But often these results have left more questions than answers. Now, though, new research published in Nature reveals the composition and size of Mars's core, finding that it is much smaller than previously thought.Research Article: Khan et al.Research Article: Samuel et al.News and Views: Deep Mars is surprisingly softSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. S...
Source: Nature Podcast - October 27, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Sounds of recovery: AI helps monitor wildlife during forest restoration
In this episode:00:47 An automated way to monitor wildlife recoveryTo prevent the loss of wildlife, forest restoration is key, but monitoring how well biodiversity actually recovers is incredibly difficult. Now though, a team have collected recordings of animal sounds to determine the extent of the recovery. However, while using these sounds to identify species is an effective way to monitor, it’s also labour intensive. To overcome this, they trained an AI to listen to the sounds, and found that although it was less able to identify species, its findings still correlated well with wildlife recovery, suggesting that it co...
Source: Nature Podcast - October 25, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
