Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Bat virus clues to origins of Sars.

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Researchers have found strong evidence that the Sars virus originated in bats.

Two novel Sars-like coronaviruses were found in Chinese horseshoe bats which are closely related to the pathogen that infects humans.

Chinese horseshoe bat Dr. Libiao Zhang, Guangdong Entomological Institute/South China Institute of Endangered Animals

Critically, the viruses infect human cells in the same way, binding to a receptor called ACE2.

This suggests coronaviruses could transfer directly from bats to humans, rather than via an intermediate species like civets as was previously thought.

The results are reported in the journal Nature.

According to Gary Crameri, virologist at CSIRO and an author on the paper, this research “is the key to resolving the continued speculation around bats as the origin of the Sars outbreaks”.

This Sars-like coronavirus is around 95% genetically similar to the Sars virus in humans, the research shows. And they say it could be used to develop new vaccines and drugs to combat the pathogen.

Sars
The viruses use the same basic route into human cells as Sars

The Sars outbreak between November 2002 and July 2003 resulted in more than 8,000 worldwide cases and more than 770 deaths. This, along with the ongoing endemic of the Mers-coronavirus demonstrates the threat to humans from novel coronaviruses.

Dr Peter Daszak is the president of the EcoHealth Alliance and an author on the paper published in Nature. He said: “Coronaviruses evolve very rapidly. The ones we are seeing are exquisitely evolved to jump from one species to another, which is quite unusual for a virus. So the big question is why are they emerging now?”

At wildlife markets in China other animals and humans come into close proximity with bats, creating an ideal environment for the virus to jump between species. Also, those hunting in or living near bat caves have a significant risk of infection from such viruses, which are excreted in bat faeces.

Understanding the origins of infectious diseases like Sars could help scientists tackle future infectious viruses before they emerge, through knowing where they are likely to arise and which families of virus we are most vulnerable to, and taking action to prevent initial infection.

Dr Daszak said it would cost “about $1.5bn to discover all the viruses in mammals. I think that would be a great investment because once you have done it, you can develop vaccines and get ready with test kits to find the first stage of emergence and stop it.”

Finding gold in gum trees an old prospectors’ trick – ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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A breakthrough in using gum trees as a way to discover gold deposits has been compared to the practices of old time prospectors.

The CSIRO has found minute traces of gold in the living tissue of eucalypts near Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia.

The gold has been brought up from as far as 30 to 50 metres below the ground by the massive tap roots of the trees in search of water.

Previously, research into so-called bio-prospecting had been confined to laboratory conditions and after processing of the tree material.

Dr Melvin Lintern, from the Earth Sciences Division at the CSIRO, says finding the gold particles in the leaves and bark of the gum trees is a world first.

“For a long time we’ve been able to collect leaves from the site and then send them off to a laboratory to get them analysed, so that’s not particularly novel.

“Where we’ve done some groundbreaking research is to actually locate the gold in living tissue.

“We weren’t expecting this at all. To actually see the gold particles in the leaves is quite a Eureka moment for us.

“These trees are sort of telling us what’s going on below the ground, and the eucalypts and acacia trees that we did the research on appear to be bring up the gold from a remarkable 30-metre depth.”

Once commercially applied, using tree specimens to identify possible mineral deposits could conceivably slash the costs of multi-million dollar drilling and exploration programs.

The old timer prospectors around Kalgoorlie would say ‘oh there’s blackbutt trees around that area therefore it’s prospective for gold’.

Simon Coxhell, Geologist

Consultant geologist Simon Coxhell agrees this development in bio-prospecting could be an adjunct to normal prospective practices.

“It may be a way of defining initial exploration targets and it is quite valid.”

Mr Coxhell has spent many years exploring in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder region and he says the geology in the area, literally the rocks, is generally of the laterite kind.

That means they’re ancient and highly weathered.

And he believes that’s why the gum trees there are able to show traces of gold and that was recognised by the early pioneers.

“The old timer prospectors around Kalgoorlie would say ‘oh, there’s blackbutt trees around that area, therefore it’s prospective for gold’.

“Those eucalypts they tend to grow in areas of reasonably deep weathering, in areas of lots of mafic volcanic rock, that’s the greenstone belt, which typically gold mineralisation is associated with.”

After more than a century of gold mining, much of Australia‘s easy to access reserves have been mined out and explorers and miners are being forced to go far deeper for new finds.

This breakthrough has the potential to more easily identify prospective areas at depth.

Australia’s oceans are changing.

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Launched on 17 August, the 2012 Marine Climate Change in Australia Report Card demonstrates that climate change is having significant impacts on Australia’s marine ecosystems.

The report card provides information about the current and predicted-future state of Australia’s marine climate and its impact on our marine biodiversity. The report card also outlines actions that are underway to help our marine ecosystems adapt to climate change.

“Although there are some concerning findings in the 2012 report card, the information we’ve compiled is helping to ensure that ocean managers and policy makers are best placed to respond to the challenge of managing the impact that climate change is having on these systems.”

‘Australia has some of the world’s most unique marine ecosystems. They are enjoyed recreationally, generate considerable economic wealth through fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, and provide irreplaceable services including coastal defence, oxygen production, nutrient recycling and climate regulation,’ Project leader CSIRO’s Dr Elvira Poloczanska said.

‘Although there are some concerning findings in the 2012 report card, the information we’ve compiled is helping to ensure that ocean managers and policy makers are best placed to respond to the challenge of managing the impact that climate change is having on these systems.’

Key findings show:

– warming sea temperatures are influencing the distribution of marine plants and animals, with species currently found in tropical and temperate waters likely to move south

– new research suggests winds over the Southern Ocean and current dynamics are strongly influencing foraging of seabirds that breed in south-east Australia and feed close to the Antarctic each summer

– some tropical fish species have a greater ability to acclimatise to rising water temperatures than previously thought

– the Australian science community is widely engaged in research, monitoring and observing programs to increase our understanding of climate change impacts and inform management

– adaptation planning is happening now, from seasonal forecast for fisheries and aquaculture, to climate-proofing of breeding sites for turtles and seabirds.

Led by CSIRO, more than 80 Australian marine scientists from 34 universities and research organisations contributed to the 2012 report card. The report card draws on peer-reviewed research results from hundreds of scientists, demonstrating a high level of scientific consensus.

‘Our knowledge of observed and likely impacts of climate change has greatly advanced since the first card in 2009,’ Dr Poloczanska said.

Aspects of marine climate which have been analysed include changes in sea temperature, sea level, the East Australian Current, the Leeuwin Current, and El Niño-Southern Oscillation.

Marine biodiversity assessed for the report card include impacts on coral reefs; tropical, temperate and pelagic fish; marine mammals; marine reptiles; seabirds; mangroves; tidal wetlands; seagrass; macroalgae; marine microbes; phytoplankton and zooplankton. The two new sections included in the 2012 report card focus on the smallest and largest organisms in the oceans: microbes and whales.

The project has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, through the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility’s Marine Biodiversity and Resources Adaptation Research Network, the Fisheries Research and D

evelopment Corporation, and CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship.

Source: Science Alert

 

 

Rice gene holds clue to diabetes risk.

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Contrary to popular belief, a new study suggests that eating rice does not substantially raise blood sugar levels – thus increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes – although researchers warn that some varieties of rice may need to be avoided.

The study was published this month in the journal Rice by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).

It found that as many as three quarters of 235 rice varieties analysed had a low to medium glycaemic index (GI), and were therefore less likely to lead to diabetes.

GI measures the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Low GI foods are more slowly absorbed, causing a gradual release of sugar in the body and a lower risk of diabetes. Doctors often advise diabetics to avoid rice, believing it is a high-GI food.

The findings could have important implications for Asia where rice is the staple food for 3.5 billion people, and diabetes is a growing public health concern, said Melissa Fitzgerald, who led the IRRI team.

“With or without diabetes, it will be difficult for them to give up rice,” Fitzgerald told SciDev.Net.

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that by 2030, seven of the ten countries with the highest number of diabetics will be in Asia, straining public health budgets.

The researchers found that the so-called “waxy gene”, and the related amylose content, are the key determinants of the GI of rice. Rice varieties with high amylose have lower GI.

Amylose is also the chemical component which makes rice either firm or sticky after cooking, influencing consumer preferences. The waxy or sticky rice types have the highest GI, but some sticky rice varieties have little or no amylose.

Rice varieties with a low to medium GI include Basmati, India’s widely grown Swarna variety, and Doongara from Australia.

The researchers say that the findings will help rice breeders to develop lower GI rice by identifying varieties with better traits.

Tony Bird, a CSIRO Food Futures Flagship researcher said “this is good news for diabetics and people at risk of diabetes who are trying to control their condition through diet, as it means they can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet.”

But Claire Kerslake, a health counsellor and certified diabetes educator in Australia, warned that although it was true that some varieties of rice are lower in GI, “the GI is only part of the picture. You also need to take into account the total carbohydrate load”.

She advised diabetics to limit carbohydrates such as rice “to half a cup per meal.”

Source: ScivX