Category Archives: Science in the News

Microalgae Used to Create Biodiesel: An Organism That Can Save Our Planet?

Posted on February 6, 2021 by | Leave a comment

It is quite obvious by now that if we don’t change our ways of living, our planet is doomed. Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, there is an increased amount of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere that are slowly damaging the earth. In today’s society, most of the energy production is coming from fossil fuel combustion and this is the key source of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. The primary energy demand will continue to increase and as of right now, fossil fuels still contribute to 82% of the global demand of energy.

Source: bbc.com

An article written by Ashokkumar Veeramuthu and team describes the potential use of microalgae to produce biodiesel. You may be asking, what are microalgae and what the heck is biodiesel? Let’s jump straight into it.

What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is made from materials such as plant oils and animal fats. It’s an alternative to petroleum diesel and has a more favourable combustion profile as it emits much less CO, CO2 and SO2 into the atmosphere. Since we are slowly killing our planet, replacing our non-renewable energy sources with green alternative sources doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

Why Use Microalgae?

You may be wondering, what is so special about microalgae? Why can’t we use some type of terrestrial plant like corn to produce biodiesel? Studies show that the use of microalgae is the best option for the production of a renewable and sustainable source of energy. Microalgae are unicellular photosynthetic organisms living in aqueous environments that convert sunlight, water and CO2 into algal biomass. The reason why there has been a shift of attention towards microalgae to produce biodiesel is because microalgae provide a large range of advantages compared to terrestrial plants. The benefits of microalgae include high lipid concentrations (which can easily be converted to biodiesel through a process called transesterification), rapid growth and minimal nutrient requirements. The table below compares values of the biodiesel productivity of microalgae and other plants.

Amount of biodiesel productivity for different feedstocks. Source: intechopen.com

Microalgae also tend to grow 10 times more rapidly than terrestrial plants and less than a tenth amount of land is required to produce the same amount of biomass. Additionally, microalgae don’t require immense amount of fertilizers to grow unlike terrestrial plants. The cultivation of microalgae can be carried out by using wastewater, since it is rich in key nutrients. Furthermore, the use of wastewater decreases costs of cultivation greatly and makes biodiesel production commercially viable.

This video showcases the whole process in a nutshell:

 Source: David T. Kearns (YouTube)

In today’s world, there’s a shift of attention to deal with the issue of climate change. From Elon Musk creating fully electric vehicles to Joe Biden rejoining the Paris climate accord within hours into presidency, we as humans are finally taking initiative to save our planet. The future of creating fuels from microalgae sounds promising and having a range of renewable sources of green energy will be beneficial to us in the coming time.

– Parwaz Gill

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“A drink a day keeps reality at bay”: Atrial Fibrillation

Posted on February 1, 2021 by | Leave a comment

This happens quite often: people come home after a long, tiring day and look forward to cracking open a beer, making a cocktail or pouring themselves a glass of wine. Sure, this may be an evening ritual for many, but at what cost? A recent study led by consultant cardiologist, Professor Renate Schnabel, at the University Heart and Vascular Center determined that people who regularly enjoy small amounts of alcohol develop an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). 

What is atrial fibrillation?

In simple terms, atrial fibrillation is when a person has an abnormal heart rhythm. The two upper chambers of the heart, the atria, beat out of sync from the two lower chambers, the ventricles. The irregular heartbeat caused by atrial fibrillation can lead to problems such as strokes or heart failure.

Atrial Fibrillation vs. Normal Sinus Rhythm on Electrocardiogram. Source: Clearvue Health

Here is a video which gives an overview of atrial fibrillation:

Developing the study

Researchers followed a sample size of 107,845 people (age range of 24-97 years) with no history AF participating in one of the five studies in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark or Italy. Participants joining the study between 1982 and 2010 were given medical examinations which assessed their medical history (ie. details regarding body mass index, hypertension, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, total cholesterol, tobacco consumption, history of heart failure (HF) and/or strokes, and alcohol consumption). For information on alcohol consumption, the participants were asked to share how often they consumed alcohol (ie. beer, spirits, wine) as well as their drinking pattern (participants that never drank were the control group). Average alcohol consumption was analyzed as grams consumed per day. During the follow-up with the study participants, which occurred after approximately 14 years, they were observed for any link between their alcohol consumption and the occurrence of AF. 

Key findings from the study 

Right off the bat, researchers from the study observed a positive correlation between consumption of alcohol and AF cases after following up with participants after 14 years. This was evident even for individuals consuming low amounts of alcohol since researchers determined that 1.2 drinks/day were linked to an increased risk of developing AF. Specifically, a person’s risk for AF increased by 16% in 14 years just by drinking one alcoholic beverage a day. In fact, 5854 people actually ended up developing atrial fibrillation after 14 years.

Hazard ratio for atrial fibrillation cases for alcohol consumption (g/day). Source: European Heart Journal

What this means for alcohol consumers 

This was one of the largest studies researching the link between alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation, according to Professor Schnabel. Even low amounts of alcohol consumption can lead to developing AF which is a stepping stone for other problems such as heart failure and strokes. The risk of developing AF can easily be prevented by proper management of drinking habits. After all, protecting your heart in this manner will only benefit you in the long run.

– Ramdeep Dosanjh

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Quote

A ‘Viral’ Testing Kit: ID Now COVID-19

THE PROBLEM

All around the world, new COVID-19 testing centres are constantly being opened in response to the growing number of victims. These testing centres provide information about one’s diagnosis, but often through a stressful and lengthy experience. Testing centers around Canada experience wait times of up to 2 hours, and usually requires a minimum of at least 48 hours before results become available. This is a problem.

COVID-19 Testing Centre in North Vancouver
Credit: Jane Seyd, www.nsnews.com

Besides just being tedious, this lengthy processing time has other concerns. The Director of Abbott, Norman Moore describes it:

“You’re the most infectious early on—and if we don’t have results in that timely fashion, what does it help if a molecular test comes back two weeks later?”

THE SOLUTION

This is where Moore and his team at Abbott steps in. Having already developed reliable testing tools for influenzas A&B, strep A, and respiratory syncytial virus, it was only a matter of time before COVID-19 testing apparatuses were developed. In early 2020, Abbott developed the ID Now COVID-19 Rapid Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, and launched for distribution in the US after receiving approval for emergency use from the FDA that year in March. Shortly after, Health Canada provided approval of use in October 2020.

NO IMAGEAbbott’s ID Now COVID-19 Test
Credit: abbot.com

This Rapid Nucleic Acid Amplification Test takes nasal swabs from individuals suspected with COVID-19, and exposes the viral RNA packed under the outer envelope of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an acidic solution at 56⁰ C. Just as it is written in the name, it then takes the viral RNA and amplifies it hundreds of millions of times until it is detectable by the system, and what’s more this impressive amplification process is done is a matter of minutes, and test results are returned within 13 minutes.

A Typical Nasal Swab
Credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet, www.flickr.com

It’s normal to have some doubt when the current gold standard testing protocol in Canada (RT-PCR) takes 6-8 hours on average. We can compare the accuracy of an ID Now diagnosis to PCR lab tests by considering sensitivity and specificity.

  • Sensitivity measures the proportion of people with COVID that are correctly identified
  • Specificity measures the proportion of people without COVID that are correctly identified

Abbot’s clinical trial on 1003 subjects reported an average sensitivity of 93.3% and specificity of 98.4%. This is comparable to a separate meta-analysis on lab PCR testing which determined an average sensitivity of 98%, and no reported specificity. Note that these numbers are dependent on many factors, and are often higher than what is seen in the real world. This shows that ID Now can be an effective solution to rapid testing, but that results should be taken as preliminary and confirmed with other molecular assessments if results are not consistent with one’s symptoms.

This is Abbott’s response to the ‘rapidly’ changing world. They have provided frontline workers across North America with rapid testing, but whether or not they can combat COVID-19 as quickly as their tests do remains a question.

~William Lee

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Posted on February 1, 2021 by in Biological Sciences, Science in the News

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Baby Sharks Face a Gloomy Future

Posted on February 1, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Sharks are considered the lions of the sea but due to climate change they are losing their glory. With global warming causing the rise of ocean temperatures one particularly tough and beautiful species, the epaulette shark sometimes referred to as the walking shark, may be heading towards disaster.

An Epaulette Shark

An Epaulette Shark: Source: flickr.com/Richard Ling

The epaulette shark lives in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and finds its food in shallow puddles between the coral. This shallow environment is dangerous and would leave most fish stranded out of the water left to cook and die under the sun. This amazing animal is not so easily defeated and is able to preserve its breath and march back towards the sea.

Video Source: Nature on PBS| Youtube

The epaulette shark has proven itself to be resilient in low oxygen environments but rising temperatures may not be handled so well, especially by its offspring.

A new study conducted by PhD candidate Carolyn Wheeler on the eggs of epaulette sharks showed that increasing ocean temperatures significantly affect the development of its young. The researchers analyzed the growth of epaulette shark embryos until they hatched, – at temperatures of 27°C, 29°C, and 31°C – measuring the growth, development and metabolic performance of the animals. It was found that the growth rates of the embryos increased at the higher temperatures, as in the warmer water the sharks tended to consume their yolk-sacks faster which is their only source of food before they hatch. This in turn caused them to hatch sooner, and due to the reduced time in the embryonic stage they were born smaller and lacking in energy. The newborns which hatched at higher temperatures struggled to survive and needed to feed significantly sooner after birth compared to those at 27°C. Other studies have additionally observed that at 32°C the likelihood of epaulette shark eggs hatching becomes very low.

Epaulette Shark Embryo: Source: flickr.com/CLF

The average temperature of the Great Barrier Reef is currently at 28°C during the period of embryo development in the wild, but with climate models predicting that average temperatures in this region will rise to 32°C by the middle or end of the century these animals are in trouble. As we explored earlier, epaulette sharks are known to be tolerant to low oxygen environments and are more so than any other shark. Additionally, in other experiments it has been found that their eggs and newborns are even tolerant to ocean acidification.

Since the increasing temperatures will likely have a detrimental impact on the epaulette shark – which is considered a tough and resilient species – we can only imagine the negative impacts it will have on other more vulnerable wildlife.

– Adam Soliman

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Laughter: The Mysterious Stress Reliever?

Posted on February 1, 2021 by | 1 comment

Laughter. As human beings, it’s something that most of us are bound to experience. Whether it’s from browsing YouTube and finding a ridiculous dog fail compilation, or when your friend cracks out a joke that you just find funny for some apparent reason, the feeling of laughter is a common occurrence in our lives.

Check out the video below that not only showcases the diversity of laughter between all types of race and gender but also for a quick laugh!

YouTube Preview Image

 

the mechanisms of Laughter is complex

Laughter is something that we take for granted. If we find something funny, then we’re going to laugh. However, scientists to this day are unable to home in on the exact science of the reasoning of laughter. In fact, the results from the many studies that do exist out there further confirm that laughter is much more complex than we think. As an example, one study conducted in PNAS suggests that we laugh differently depending on who it is directed to. Have you noticed that you laugh differently with your friends than with strangers? This is something that we have probably realized as well!

A photo of two people laughing, by Emanuele Spies from São Leopoldo, RS, Brasil, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

laughter can help relieve stress?

A recent study conducted by Dr. Zander-Schellenberg and others were able to attribute this strange phenomenon as a way to relieve stress. More specifically, an increased frequency of laughter was found to have a positive correlation with the ability to weaken the effects of stressful events, while also dampening certain symptoms that may arise from stress. However, it was found that the intensity of laughter did not have such a significant effect.

In order to see if the experiment applies to daily life experiences, data were collected from 41 psychology students, 33 of which were female, from the University of Basel in real-life settings for 14 consecutive days. Through the usage of a smartphone application, a sound queue that triggered randomly throughout the day would prompt participants to answer questions about both the frequency and intensity of laughter, as well as any details regarding their current levels of stress and stressful events.

By investigating the effects of laughter on stress outside the laboratory, the study was able to show greater validity towards real-life dynamics, however, Dr. Schellenberg and others suggest that future studies that replicate their findings are required in order to further test for robustness. As the sample consisted of predominantly female students, recreating the experiment with a sample that more closely represents the general population is something that could solidify their findings.

 

 

For more information about laughter, this video does a great job of not only going over the origins of laughter but also the significance of it:

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-Aaron Yoon

 

 

 

 

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How Safe is Your Data in a Quantum Computer Era?

Posted on January 25, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Quantum computers have recently gone from science fiction to science fact. The tech has the potential to advance countless fields with its unparalleled computing power, but it may also spell the end of internet security as we know it. You are likely wondering what the heck is a quantum computer? And what does it have to do with internet security? 

Quantum Computer, Processor, Computer, Technology

Source: pxhere.com

Quantum Vs. Classical

In simple terms, classical computers use a system of 1’s and 0’s called bits in order to store information. Each bit can either be a 1 or a 0, and when you string lots of bits together, you can form complex information. Computing power is limited by how fast these bits can be read.

binary code, binary, binary system, byte, bits, administrator, virus, trojan, computer, digital, 1, software, code, developer, software development, program, hacker, blue, green, text, technology, line, pattern, font, mesh, energy, electric blue, net

Source: pxhere.com

Qubits are like bits, but instead of being limited as either a 1 or a 0, they can be both a 1, a 0, and anything in between all at the same time. While this concept may make your brain hurt, the important takeaway is that qubits allow quantum computers to skip step by step computing.

Let’s say you take a test. You answer the first question, then the second, and so on. This is how a normal computer works, but a quantum computer would be able to answer all the questions simultaneously. 

Understanding the basics, let’s figure out why internet security might be in the crosshairs of quantum computers.

Encryption for Everyone

You rely on encryption every day to keep your personal information safe online. While different encryption methods vary, the most common of these are public key encryptions. 

Computer, Encrypt, Encryption, Security, Green Computer

Source: pixabay.com

If I told you to multiply 556 by 632, you could easily use a calculator to find 351,392. But if I gave you that number and asked you to find two specific factors, you could come up with a bunch of different answers. 

Public key encryption jumbles up information and hides it behind a really large number like a “door”. To unlock this door you need the right factors or the “key”. Use a large enough number, and even the most powerful conventional computers would need thousands of years to crack the code.

Quantum Codebreaking

Factoring these large numbers would be easy for a quantum computer, as it would be able to guess every answer at the same time. A recent study published by the International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications concluded that:

“The consequence of this technological advancement is the absolute collapse of the present public key algorithms that are considered secure…” (IJACSA)

Using qubits, computers could break a code that would take normal computers thousands of years to crack in mere hours. For a more complete understanding of how this could work check out this video:

YouTube Preview Image

Thankfully quantum computers still have a ways to go before they pose a real threat to our online security. Researchers are also developing quantum proof encryption, but who knows if it will be able to protect us from the coming quantum era. 

– Declan O’Driscoll

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A Promising Treatment in the Fight Against Microplastics

Posted on January 25, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Over the past few years, there has been a global effort by scientists to develop a treatment that is able to limit the pollution of microplastics into marine environments. Fortunately, Marthe Kiendrebeogo and her research team may have found a solution. They discovered that they were able to effectively break down a sample of microplastics through anodic oxidation. 

Now you may ask, what are microplastics?

Microplastics are pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length. The three main sources of microplastics are the breakdown of larger plastics, cosmetics and laundry washes. All three of these sources have contaminated marine environments all over the Earth. To put this into perspective, a recent study has suggested that there are approximately 12-125 trillion microplastics floating in the oceans today. 

A collection of mainly plastic material that washed ashore. Plastics, such as a water bottle, can be degraded and become a source of microplastics.

Credit: unsplash.com/john_cameron

The Effect of Microplastics on Life:

The buildup of microplastics in aquatic life through ingestion can lead to toxic (harmful) effects. These effects were studied by a different research team led by Dr. Kogel where they found the toxic effects included infertility, decreased growth rate, shorter lifespans, and internal damage. Furthermore, microplastics are known to travel up the food chain and eventually reach humans. There is currently a lack of information regarding the effects of microplastics in humans, but several studies are in progress.

YouTube Preview ImageFor those interested, Drs. Sarah Dudas and Peter Ross show the presence of microplastics in aquatic life in this video.

And now to the study:

With the background information out of the way, I’m going to explain how Marthe Kiendrebeogo and her team created a potential solution to tackle the rising issue of microplastics.

This research team found that the process of anodic oxidation breaks down microplastics efficiently. Anodic oxidation involves a lot of chemistry, but the main thing to know is that it creates hydroxyl radicals (OH-) without adding extra chemicals into the water. These hydroxyl radicals are very good at attacking and breaking down microplastics. The full mechanism is in the article for those interested. This study found that with their proposed mechanism, 58 ± 21% of microplastics broke down in 1 hour which reached approximately 80% in 3 hours. 

I think that the most significant result in this study is that 58 ± 21% of polystyrene was degraded in 1 hour because an hour is close to the time of a normal laundry cycle. A laundry cycle puts a lot of stress on clothing fabrics which leads to the release of microplastics. In fact, a recent study has estimated that 35% of microplastics in oceans can be contributed to laundry. Thus, this mechanism would be very effective at decreasing the amount of microplastic production if it was implemented into laundry machines.

The addition of this treatment into laundry machines can limit the number of microplastics released at the initial source.

Credit: unsplash.com/scottsweb

Based on the results of this study, the future of treatments for microplastics sounds more promising. Nevertheless, there still is a lot of work to be done. The next step for this promising treatment would be to test the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism on samples consisting of other microplastics. 

-Karnvir Dhillon

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Use of Nanotechnology in Cancer Therapy

Posted on January 25, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Would you believe someone if they told you that there is a type cancer therapy that is more effective and has less negative effects than chemotherapy, yet is less commonly used?

Cancer is characterized by the rapid division of cells anywhere in the body.  Every day, your body produces many potentially cancerous cells that are later destroyed. Moreover, every year, over 10 million people are diagnosed with cancer. With such a large amount of diagnoses, cancer remains one of leading causes of human death as it is generally incurable due to the metastasis of cancer cells.

Microtubules in breast cancer cells leading to rapid cell division.

Credit: National cancer institute. Downloaded from: Unsplash.com

An article by Ranjita Misra and her research team  describes a new yet promising technique in cancer treatment and early detection known as nanotechnology cancer therapy.  Today, treating cancer through radiation and chemotherapy is the most popular option. Chemotherapy has numerous negative effects like drug resistance and an insufficient amount of drug reaching tumour sites. This can lead to insufferable side effects as both cancerous cells and healthy cells are destroyed. 

The use of nanotechnology in cancer therapy involves the production of small particles called nanoparticles that are effective in transporting anticancer drugs to target cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells. Nanoparticles target cancer cells through active targeting and passive targeting. Examples of nanoparticles approved by the FDA include nanoparticle-liposome and albumin nanoparticles. Liposomes in particular are vital in nanotechnology cancer therapy as drugs transported through nanoparticle-liposomes have shown to have significantly longer half lives, upwards of 55 hours. This is important as the drug is able to stay in the body for a longer time meaning less drug is needed, which reduces damage to healthy cells. Another reason liposomes are favourable is because of their composition. Their hydrophobic composition allows appreciable amounts of anticancer drug  to reach the tumour site as the body cannot destroy the drug . This is important in cancer therapy as damaging healthy cells due to excess drug is the main reason why chemotherapy has numerous side effects.  The mechanisms and benefits of nanotechnology cancer therapy talked about above are explained in more detail by Joy Wolfram (2018) in the video below.

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TEDtalk by Joy Wolfram in 2018 about nanotechnology in cancer therapy.

 

Liposomes and nanoparticles: nanosized vehicles for drug delivery in cancer - ScienceDirect

Liposome nanoparticle structure that is used for cancer therapy.

Credit: ScienceDirect. Downloaded from Unsplash.com

This breakthrough in cancer therapy shows that science is forever evolving and that in the future it is possible there will be a cure for cancer.  Although nanotechnology cancer therapy is a relatively new area of research it shows tremendous potential and over time it is expected that larger advancements in preventing and treating cancer will be seen. Lastly, it is believed by researchers that nanotechnology cancer therapy has the potential to be the main form of treating cancer in the future due to the fact that it has less side effects and is more effective than chemotherapy (Gharpure et al. 2015).

–Balkaran Dhaliwal

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Itching Towards a Solution to Eczema’s Problem

Posted on January 25, 2021 by | Leave a comment

For those who are living with atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, it’s not always fun.

Imagine that one minute you’re going on about your day, then suddenly your skin flares into an itchy, dry and blistering rash. The skin irritation becomes agonizing as soon as you start to feel your skin throb and burn, almost as if a million fire ants endlessly crawl all over your skin.

According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, this is what 17 percent of Canadians deal with throughout their lives. 

Source: flickr.com

Recent Research

A recent study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology examined the relationship between an enzyme known as Granzyme B and the symptoms associated with eczema. According to Dr. David Granville, UBC’s Faculty of Medicine professor and researcher, increased Granzyme B secretion causes the enzymes to “eat away” cell-adhesion proteins that function in holding skin cells together. As a result, the skin barrier is weakened which increases skin sensitivity, thereby introducing symptoms like skin inflammation, dryness and itchiness. 

So what would happen if these enzyme levels were decreased?

Granville and his team discovered that by lowering Granzyme B secretion levels with inhibitors, skin cell layers were more likely to remain intact as fewer cell-adhesion proteins were eaten by these enzymes. Symptoms such as inflammation and lesion growth were shown to be greatly reduced compared to such increasing symptoms associated with high Granzyme B secretion levels. As these observed symptoms contribute to dryness and itchiness, these findings ultimately introduces a newer approach towards treating eczema.

A Step Closer to Newer Treatments

How can these findings be implemented into future treatments for individuals who have eczema?

Former UBC postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study Dr. Chris Turner, suggests that with further research and clinical trials, these findings can potentially introduce topical creams or lotions that can inhibit Granzyme B levels in the future, ultimately reducing symptoms of itchiness and inflammation on affected skin. This potentially brings in treatments that avoid damaging the skin.

“Corticosteroid creams are a common treatment for individuals with AD who experience more severe itching and rashes. However, these can thin the skin when used over a prolonged period of time, which can make skin more prone to damage and infection.” (VCH Research Institute)

Source: med.ubc.ca

As further research opens up more information about eczema and the enzyme that aggravates its symptoms, hopefully it’ll help researchers get closer towards developing potential treatments. Perhaps one day a Granzyme B-inhibiting cream will become available in the market.

After all, no one likes to have itchy, dry skin.

– Tina Huynh

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Catnip Magic was a Protection Against Mosquitoes (old)

Posted on January 24, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Catnip is a plant that can bring about a euphoric state and cause most cats to act unusually as if they are drunk. If you own a cat, you may have used catnip products and witnessed your cat rolling, flipping, and rubbing. Some cats even zone out. The responses to catnip are also observed in other felids such as lions and bobcats.

“For cats, catnip may be a recreational drug but it’s totally harmless. […] After about 10 minutes, the cats come back down to Earth” (Wild At Heart, BBC Earth)

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Credit: Wild At Heart | BBC Earth

Why do cats behave in this way?

Since the first feline response was reported by a British botanist back in 1759, this behaviour remained mysterious for a long time. It was generally thought that the responses were purely driven by the euphoric experience. However, in January 2021, a team of scientists from multiple universities in Japan and The University of Liverpool found that the responses allow cats to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

The team found that in the silver vine plant (which has the same effects as catnip), the significant component that induces the characteristic behaviour is called nepetalactol. The team also found that it has mosquito repellent activity. In catnip, the corresponding chemical is called nepetalactone and has similar properties.

When cats sniff these chemicals, it stimulates the brain system u-opioid. In humans, this system controls the rewarding effects. Researchers confirmed that the stimulation induces cats to rub their bodies and face against the chemical. This rubbing and rolling behaviour transfer the chemical onto their fur, allowing the cat to gain a chemical defence against mosquitoes.

The neurophysiological and functional significance of silver vine response in cats.
Image Credit: Chie Nakayama adapted from Uenoyama, Reiko, et al. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd9135.

Their findings confirmed that the euphoric experience drove the behaviour. At the same time, it showed that what seemed like a crazy behaviour was surprisingly a functional one. The research sheds light on developing new mosquito repellents for humans in the hope of gaining protection from the transmission of malaria and yellow fever.

– Chie Nakayama

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