24 – 30 October 2016
Gene drives
The University of San Diego is spearheading a new $70-million programme of research on gene drives, which can be used to spread mutations through wild populations and could in theory be used to control diseases like malaria. Find source
Modified Mosquitoes vs. Zika
Mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia bacteria — which hinder the insects' ability to transmit Zika, dengue and other viruses — will be widely released in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Medellín, Colombia, over the next two years. Find source
Blue Plant's Secret
A new paper in the journal Nature Plants describes how a shimmering blue plant can still exist: Begonia pavonina, or the “peacock begonia,” dwells in the dim rain forests of southeast Asia and has adapted to the low levels of sunlight there by developing leaves that are an iridescent azure. Find source
Hormone that controls maturation of fat cells discovered
Mature fat cells produce a hormone that regulates the differentiation of nearby stem cells in response to glucocorticoid hormones and high-fat diets, Stanford researchers have found. Find source
Are old cells breaking our hearts?
Run-down cells, known as senescent cells, may make us old. A new study of mice suggests that they also drive another scourge of our advancing years—atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaques in our arteries that can spur heart attacks and strokes. Find source
