The Unsung Heroes in Our Forests: Bryophytes

Posted on April 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment
If we were asked who helps us to protect the forests in British Columbia, we mayoften think of park rangers.However, forests also have their own defenders to protect them from disturbances. A group of small non-vascular plants called bryophytes play an important role in protecting their living environments. Some example of bryophytes are liverworts and lichens.

Liverworts (Source: Dermnet.org)

Dr.Gary Bradfield (Source: UBC, Department of Botany)

Dr. Gary Bradfield, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, who studies about bryophytes after disturbances, explained how these little organisms help to maintain the ecosystems.

Bryophytes are sensitive to changes in their living environments because of their simple structures. Similar to canaries being used to detect toxic gas in coal mines, bryophytes can be used as indicators to detect natural and human disturbances. “They’re so sensitive to any kinds of changes in climates, changes in conditions, so we can use them like little measuring devices,” explained by Dr. Bradfield. By comparing the numbers of species and their abundance in disturbed and undisturbed areas, researchers can determine whether a disturbance puts a great effect on the environment.

Deforestation by logging (Source: Cosmosmagazine.com)

After a bad disturbance, such as a deforestation by logging, the forest may look dead in the first glance. But if we take a closer look, we can find bryophytes growing on burnt trees or surviving beneath rocks. “These guys (bryophytes) are so tiny, they actually survive, they are like little survivors after a nuclear war,” said Dr. Bradfield.

Not all disturbances are bad. A good disturbance can be a rainy day in the forests to give plants moisture, or fallen wood branches which hold nutrients and moisture which bryophytes required. Bryophytes can store the moisture and nutrients from these disturbances, and allow other plants or animals to use them. As Dr. Bradfield explained, “we think of them as the arteries of the forest. In like our own bodies we have arteries carrying our blood around.”

Here is a short video that briefly explains how bryophytes can be used to help protect biodiversity and answers to some questions from Dr. Bradfield.

We also made a podcast which talks about how human disturbances affect our forests. It explains what is a riparian zone and how it can help us to protect nearby ecosystems.

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When an engineer designs a machine,every piece of component in the machine is important for it to function properly. Nature is also a brilliant engineer; bryophytes may look insignificant to us, but they are truly amazing organisms that help protect and recover the ecosystem from disturbances.

References:

1) Baldwin, L. K.; Petersen, C. L.; Bradfield, G. E.; Jones, W. M.; Black, S. T.; Karakatsoulis, J. Bryophyte response to forest canopy treatments within the riparian zone of high-elevation small streams. Canadian Journal of Forest Research-Revue Canadienne De Recherche Forestiere 2012, 42, 141-156.

http://scitec.uwichill.edu.bb/bcs/bl14apl/bryo1.htm ( link to bryophytes website)

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Natural_disturbance_regime?topic=58074 ( link to disturbance website)

http://www.greenworks.tv/stormwater/riparianbuffer.htm (link to riparian buffer website)

 

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Viruses: The Lifeline of the Ocean

Posted on April 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Photo from Flickr user moonjazz

Most of us think of viruses as destructive and harmful, but a new study could change your mind.  Research done by Dr. Emma Shelford from the University of British Columbia, and a team of scientists, suggests that viruses may be the lifeline of the ocean.  We had a chance to sit down with Dr. Shelford and discuss the study:

 

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The research looks into how the presence of viruses in the ocean are affecting the growth of phytoplankton, which are very small organisms that live in the surface water of the ocean. Through a process called photosynthesis, they use the energy from the sun, and nutrients from the water to fuel themselves.

Satellite image of phytoplankton growth off the coast of Vancouver Island. Photo from Flickr user eutrophication&hypoxia.

The study was conducted in two locations: False Creek, in Vancouver BC, where phytoplankton and nutrients in the water are high and the Indian Ocean, a nutrient-poor region where there is low phytoplankton abundance.  After analyzing the water samples from both locations, they found that the presence of viruses resulted in an increase in the growth of phytoplankton.

How do viruses affect the growth of phytoplankton?

Viruses reproduce by a process called viral lysis, where they infect a bacterial cell.  At the end of the process, the bacterial cell bursts.  This releases all of the bacteria’s nutrients into the water.  The nutrient that the research focuses on is nitrogen. This nutrient is very important in the growth of phytoplankton.  So with an increase in nitrogen in the water, there is also an increase in phytoplankton.  The role of viral lysis is explored in further detail in this descriptive podcast:

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How does this research affect us?

Phytoplankton form the base of the food chain. Photo from Akash Aujla

The research has given us a new perspective on what role viruses take in the ocean. By helping the growth of phytoplankton in the ocean, viruses are also having an impact on the world’s ecosystem.  Phytoplankton form the base of the food chain.  Their production is key to the survival of organisms higher up in the chain.  More lower level organisms, means more food for upper level organisms, and eventually more fish and other seafood that we consume on a regular basis.

Phytoplankton also produce half of the oxygen that is in our atmosphere.  As a byproduct of creating food for themselves through photosynthesis, they release oxygen into the atmosphere.  Also through photosynthesis, phytoplankton help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  This is especially important because this gas is a contributor to global warming.  It is one of the most prominent greenhouse gases and acts like a blanket over the Earth that prevents heat from escaping.

It is amazing to think that viruses are actually an important and integral part of the ocean ecosystem. They play a huge role helping support life in the ocean and the entire world.

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Glaciers of British Columbia

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The distinctive topography of British Columbia is in large part due to the presence of massive volumes of ice during the last ice age. Locally, this last major glacial advance is called the Fraser Glaciation. Although there have been at least four major advances of ice since the beginning of the Pleistocene (1.8 million years ago), each successive advance has wiped out evidence of the previous advance. Most of the erosion and depositional landforms we see today are the result of the last, Fraser Glaciation.

Glaciers erode, transport, and deposit clay, silt, sand, and gravel, forming many different landforms. The study of these deposits is called Quaternary geology. The gradual advance of ice started in southern BC about 25,000 years ago and climaxed at about 15,000 years ago in Washington state (see figure). This ice was part of the larger Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which formed as valley glaciers advanced downhill and coalesced to form a large ice mass that covered almost all of BC. A piedmont glacier is also called an expanded foot glacier. It is a continuous sheet of ice at the base of a mountain range and resting on land that is formed by spreading out and coalescing of valley glaciers from the highest elevations of the mountains.

To the west advanced into the Pacific Ocean, although there may have been ice-free corridors at times. To the east the ice joined up with the Laurentide Ice Sheet (see video) that was advancing from Hudson Bay. At times there may have been an ice-free corridor between the sheets along the Rocky Mountains. This is important to archaeologists, as either the coastal or interior corridors may have provided migration routes for ancestral North Americans during this time. By 10-11,000 years ago the ice had left the Fraser Valley.

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As the ice advanced to lower elevations throughout the mountain ranges of the Cordillera, the spectacularly rugged scenery was formed. Small river valleys became filled with ice that gouged out large U-shaped valleys separated by narrow knife-edged ridges and triangular peaks. The local Capilano and Seymour Rivers and Lynn Creek all begin in U-shaped valleys, although their lower reaches include narrow gorges and glacial drift deposits. Steep sided circular depressions high in the mountains on the Cheakamus map sheet are called cirques and are the birthplace of mountain glaciers.

As the ice advanced, large volumes of outwash sand were spread out in front of the glaciers by meltwater rivers. In southwest BC, as the ice moved down the Georgia Depression from north to south, over 500 metres of sand, silt, and gravel were deposited in this fashion. It is probable that in the northern part of the Georgia Strait, dry land existed across the strait. The sands that filled up the depression are called the Quadra Sands and can be seen in the sea cliffs at UBC and at Point Roberts.

References:

Siegert, Martin. Ice Sheet and Late Quaternary Environmental Change. London: Wiley, March 2001.

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Extra Gene Leads to Long Cancer-free and Fat-free Lives in Mice

Posted on March 19, 2012 by | 1 comment

Mouse (Photo by Ernst Vikne on www.flickr.com)

Can you imagine a world in which cancer and obesity can be prevented by a single gene? It may sound too good to be true, but researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) in Spain have found such a gene. In fact, not only does this particular gene prevent cancer and obesity, it also increases longevity!

The gene in question is known as the ‘Pten’ gene, a tumor-suppressing gene that is often lost in humans affected with cancer.

“Tumor suppressors are actually genes that have been used by evolution to protect us from all kinds of abnormalities,” explains Manuel Serrano, a researcher who worked on this study.

With an extra copy of the Pten gene, mice appeared to be immune to cancer. In addition, these mice were also found to have less body fat; in fact, the Pten gene led to slimmer mice despite an increase in appetite.

Difference in liver fat of a mouse with the Pten gene and without. (Source: Researchers' own materials)

The decreased body fat can be explained by the fact that most tumor-suppressing genes increase the activity and production of brown fat. Brown fat is a special type of fat that burns energy rather than storing it. As people age, the amount of brown fat in their tissues tends to decrease and be replaced by the more familiar—and much-disliked—white fat. In the case of the mice with the extra Pten gene, the overactive brown fat led to their burning more calories.

Brown fat can also explain the observed increase in longevity, as it has been shown to have the beneficial effect of protecting against metabolic damage commonly associated with aging. Metabolism refers to the chemical reactions that take place in our body in order to maintain life. Numerous studies exist that show a correlation between the rate at which these metabolic processes occur and the longevity of organisms.

This study may have been performed on mice, but the results are very promising for humans as well. The amazing effects of the Pten gene indicate that it may be possible to develop a drug for humans that offers the same benefits.
References:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1890175,00.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/cp-weg022912.php
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120306131252.htm

 

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Mind Blowing Device That Charges Up Your Mobile

Posted on March 19, 2012 by | 2 comments

As our technologies advance, the energy consumption of our daily activities increase. In recent years, many new products and designs often include energy saving concepts. As we have seen numerous ways to gather energies, and many new idea can be found in our daily lives. For example: Shoes that can charge up your iPod when you walk or run. Cars that can store electricity while it is powered by gasoline. And paints that can convert sunlight to electricity. Above all of these amazing concepts, this may be the one that can really blow your mind away: A device that can charge up your iPhone using your own breath!

AIRE mask is designed by Joco Paulo Lammoglia, an inventor from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AIRE mask is a device that uses the flow of air produced by your breath to generate electricity. The design is simple and yet effective: Small wind turbines are built inside the mask. These turbines can gather energy from the movements of the air and convert it to electricity. The electricity produced is enough to recharge an iPod or even an iPhone.

In an interview,Lammoglia said:

“AIRE can be used in any situation, indoors or outdoors. It can be used while you sleep, walk, run, or read a book, for example. Besudes waving energy (and contributing to environmental preservation), it also encourages the practice of physical exercise.”

AIRE just won the Red Dot Design Award: Best of the best 2011. And Lammoglia is hoping to commercialize it in the near future.

References:

Article from MailOnline:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2113539/AIRE-mask-uses-lung-power-charge-mobile-phone.html#ixzz1ovX07ly6

Article from psfk.com:

http://www.psfk.com/2012/02/charge-iphone-breath.html

Joco Paulo Lammoglia’s website:

http://www.joaolammoglia.net/#!products/photostackergallery0=0

 

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Learning from Mistakes

Posted on March 14, 2012 by | 2 comments
Image from learnforeverblog.blogspot.com

Image from learnforeverblog.blogspot.com

“We learn more from our failures than from our successes.” You probably have heard of that phrase more than once in your life. And you may have even thought of the phrase as untrue. We make little mistakes repeatedly all the time: forgetting to put soap into the dishwasher, not thinking before we speak, eating too many sweets. We don’t always learn from those mistakes. Rather, we often repeat them.

But mistakes can separated into many categories: From stupid mistakes, like stubbing your toe; to simple mistakes, like missing the bus. There are also more complicated mistakes that may result from sequences of mistakes building upon each other, leaving you with relationships that fail, a negative outcome to a significant event, or a poor grade in school.

Researchers from the University of Exeter have found that we do learn more from our failures than from our successes, especially when it comes to more involved and complex mistakes.

Complex mistakes often result from errors in predictive judgement. In other

Image from science.ca

words, every decision we make is predictive of the final outcome. Good judgement results in success, while poor judgement may leave us with failure. The study done at the University of Exeter used electrophysiological measurements (electrodes) to monitor the brain activity of volunteers when a prediction was made on a computerized task, and after new information was introduced, which make their predictions incorrect. The volunteers needed to learn from the incorrect prediction in order to stop repeating the error. A strong brain signal was measured in the lower temporal region of the brain every time the volunteer was presented with visual that had previously cause them to make an error, and before there was time to consciously make a better decision. This early “warning signal” immediately alerts us of our previous mistake and prevents us from repeating it.

Researchers from Michigan State University have also found that the brain reacts differently when one thinks that they can learn from a mistake verses someone who doesn’t think that they can learn from a mistake. When one believes that they can learn from an accepted mistake, the brain is tuned to pick up on mistakes faster.

 

 

References:

http://research.msu.edu/stories/learning-our-mistakes-hardwired

University of Exeter. “Why We Learn From Our Mistakes.” ScienceDaily, 2 Jul. 2007. Web. 14 Mar. 2012.

Wills, A.J.,Lavric, A, Croft, G. and Hodgson, T.L (2007). Predictive learning, prediction errors and attention: Evidence from event-related potentials and eye-tracking. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 19, 843-854.

 

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Biofuel under the sea

Posted on March 14, 2012 by | 2 comments
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A news video  from News Channel 5 about algae as a feedstock for biofuel production.

Bioengineers, Yaso Yoshikuni and his colleagues, at the Berkeley Laboratory devised a way to transform seaweed into biofuel. Their groundbreaking findings were published this year in Science. Specifically, Yaso Yoshikuni and his colleagues discovered that an E. coli biopathway leads to the breakdown of an algae component (alginate) into simple sugars then finally to fuel.  The seaweed in question is Phaeophyceae, brown algae,  most commonly found on the Californian coast.  Seaweed, compared to other types of feedstocks like corn, maize or sugar cane, are more economically beneficial and sustainable. Brown algae as a feedstock for biofuel could potentially make a more sustainable economy in the future.

Image by James Gaither brown algae (Fucus) growing on rocks

Why brown algae?

Brown algae is found to be a more sustainable source of biofuel than corn or sugarcane because it is already found in large quantities in sea water and produced for food supplies. The brown algae intended for biofuel feedstock will be found on existing seaweed farms and thus will not require more space for its production. In addition, brown algae are one of the fastest growing seaweed. For instance, one type of brown algae, the kelps, are known to grow at least 1 metre per day!  In addition to naturally fast growing brown algae,the worldwide seaweed industry is estimated to be 5.6 billion U.S. dollars according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The big and existing market of seaweed and its naturally fast growth make the brown algae an economically feasible option as a feedstock for biofuel.

Other possible sources of biofuel

sugarcane - Image by irodman

There are other ways for converting biomass into fuel. Sugar canes, corn and maizes are some of the sources already engineered to produce ethanol (a component of fuel).  These examples have some economic disadvantages. Using them as a feedstock would take away valuable food supply and require energy intensive processes. Green algae has also been considered as a source of biofuel but they are not as fast growing as brown algae and do not contain significant amount of alginate for the production of ethanol.

 Challenges of biofuel production

While brown algae is more economically feasible than other types of biomass, there are still some obstacles to overcome before biofuel production is made possible. First, in order for biofuel production from brown algae to be competitive to fuel production, it requires billion of tonnes of large-scale production. Simply, the production of biofuel from brown algae cannot keep up with the fuel production just yet. In addition, transport of biomass from its natural source and to processing manufacturers is another challenge. The technicality of biofuel production is not well established for biofuel production to compete with the fuel production.

Specialist at the lab (Image by the Los Alamos National Laboratory)

References

http://www.nature.com/news/biofuel-from-beneath-the-waves-1.9860

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12283-corn-biofuel-dangerously-oversold-as-green-energy.html

http://aem.asm.org/content/77/16/5822

More videos about biofuel production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92unk4k-N3k&feature=related

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Coffee Alert!

Posted on March 12, 2012 by | 2 comments

Coffee (Image from flickr by user Ballstik Coffee Boy)

I have to admit, I hate Monday mornings. It is the time of the week that is as far away from the weekend as possible, and I am not a “morning person“. So I occasionally drink a cup of coffee on dreadful Mondays, hoping that it would help me stay alert through rest of the day. However, a research from University of Bristol, United Kingdom, reported that people who depend on a shot of coffee to kick-start their day are no more alert than those who are not regular coffee drinkers. In fact, individuals who usually consume little or no caffeine may feel increased level of anxiety and fatigue.

Chemical Structure of Caffeine (from Wikipedia by Icey,ClockworkSoul)

It is widely known that caffeine helps to temporarily ward off drowsiness and restore alertness, as it is a psychostimulant acting on the central nervous system. However, it is also anxiogenic, meaning it could cause anxiety. With this in mind, researchers at University of Bristol investigated the relationship between habitual intake of caffeine and caffeine-induced anxiety levels.

STUDY METHOD

Placebo Pills (Image from Thoughtbroadcast.com)

In this research, participants were 162 non-/low (0~1 cup of coffee per day) and 217 medium/high (1-6 cups of coffee per day) caffeine consumers and they were asked to avoid caffeine consumption for 16 hours. In a randomized, double-blind, parallel group design, all volunteers were asked to rate the anxiety, alertness, and headache level using standard questionnaire called the Mood, Alertness and Physical Sensations Scales (MAPSS) before proceeding with the experiment. After that period, they were given either a caffeine pill (100 mg) or a placebo. Later, they took a slightly higher dose (150 mg) of caffeine pill or another placebo. The participants’ emotional states were measured using MAPSS after each intakes of pills.

RESULTS
Surprisingly, caffeine did not increase the alertness of any groups more than non-caffeine consumers who were given the placebo. Moreover, non/low caffeine consumers had more headaches after taking the caffeine pills, but did not feel any more alert than normal.
Also, high caffeine consumers who were given a placebo after abstaining from coffee for 16 hours felt less alert and experienced worse headaches than those who received actual caffeine pill. In fact, the headache was so severe that four people had to drop out of the study.

It is interesting to note that anxiety levels significantly increased with intake of caffeine among those who usually consume little or no caffeine. However, medium/high caffeine consumers did not become any more anxious after caffeine, implying that frequent consumption of caffeine helps in building tolerance to anxiety inducing effect.

Image from "Futurama"

Well, what does these results imply? It seems that what people perceives as “enhanced alertness” from caffeine is actually the “restoration of alertness” counteracting the caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

 References:
Journal Article – “Association of the Anxiogenic and Alerting Effects of Caffeine with ADORA2A and ADORA1 Polymorphisms and Habitual Level of Caffeine Consumption”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3055635/

Caffeine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

News Article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/jun/02/drinking-coffee-alert-caffeine

 

 

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