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What Star Trek can teach us about genetics and evolution

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What Star Trek can teach us about genetics and evolution. Duke Today, Sept. 13, 2018. Why do Vulcans look so much like us? Could ‘mutations’ induced by breaking the “Warp 10” speed barrier rapidly transform a person into a bizarre man-salamander? And how well does the romance between the different alien races in the Star Trek universe match what scientists know about how one species splits into two, and what keeps them distinct? Duke biologist and die-hard Trek fan Mohamed Noor explores the answers to these and other questions in his new book, “Live Long and Evolve,” a fact-filled guide to some of the real-world scientific principles underlying Gene Roddenberry’s sci-fi franchise.

Waterproof roots

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Waterproof roots. 1,100 Words on Duke Research. September 10, 2018. The glowing yellow rectangles in this Arabidopsis root mark a layer of tightly packed cells that form the root’s inner skin, controlling the flow of water and nutrients into the plant from the soil. In a new study, Duke PhD Colleen Drapek of the Benfey lab identified two interacting genes that can “reprogram” other types of root cells to produce similar waterproofing in outer regions of the Arabidopsis root where they are not normally found. The findings could help researchers understand how such protective barriers in developing plant roots come to be, and eventually improve crop productivity in drought-prone or nutrient-poor soils.

Deadly molecules in motion

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Deadly molecules in motion. 1,100 Words on Duke Research, August 22, 2018. To some, this may look like a disco ball. But to one research team, it represents the elusive dance of a shape-shifting protein, SpA , which helps the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus evade its host’s defenses.

Mapping trees can help count endangered lemurs

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Mapping trees can help count endangered lemurs. Duke Today, August 30, 2018. Putting a figure on the number of endangered lemurs left in the wild isn’t easy, but Duke University researchers say one clue might help: the plants they rely on for food. Bamboo lemur populations in their native Madagascar may have shrunk by half over the last two decades; red-fronted brown lemurs by as much as 85 percent. But numbers for other lemur species may not be as low as feared, new models suggest.

Fossils rewrite story of lemur origins

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Fossils rewrite story of lemur origins. Duke Today, August 21, 2018. Research reveals that a 20-million-year-old African fossil, long thought to be a bat, actually represents one of the earliest branches of the lemur family tree. The reassessment challenges a long-held view that lemurs descended from ancestors that colonized Madagascar in a single wave roughly 60 million years ago, and were the first mammals to get there. Instead, the researchers say two separate lemur lineages may have arrived independently, and much later than previously thought. Picked up by ZME Science, Cosmos Magazine, BBC News, Science News and Gizmodo.

Birds categorize colors just like humans do

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Birds categorize colors just like humans do. Duke Today, August 1, 2018. For a reddish-beaked bird called the zebra finch, sexiness is color-coded. Males have beaks that range from light orange to dark red. But to females, a male’s colored bill may simply be hot, or not, findings suggest. Due to a phenomenon called categorical perception, zebra finches partition the range of hues from red to orange into two discrete categories, much like humans do, researchers report in the journal Nature. Picked up by Forbes, Discover Magazine, BBC News and ZME Science.

Mapping mountaintop coal mining’s yearly spread in Appalachia

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Mapping mountaintop coal mining’s yearly spread in Appalachia. Duke Today, July 25, 2018. A new mapping tool shows, in more detail than ever before, the land laid bare by mountaintop coal mining in central Appalachia each year, going back more than three decades. The tool uses satellite imagery to identify and map the annual extent of mining activity across portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The researchers say the updated maps will make it easier to assess and mitigate mining’s environmental and health impacts. Picked up by Smithsonian Magazine, Gizmodo, UPI, West Virginia Public Broadcasting and NPR affiliate WOUB.

Lemurs can smell weakness in each other

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Lemurs can smell weakness in each other. Duke Today, June 28, 2018. Some people watch the competition carefully for the slightest signs of weakness. Lemurs, on the other hand, just give them a sniff. These primates from Madagascar can tell that a fellow lemur is weaker just by the natural scents they leave behind, finds a study on ring-tailed lemurs led by Duke University researchers. The study reveals that getting hurt dampens a lemur’s natural aroma, and that males act more aggressively toward scents that smell “off.” Picked up by National Geographic.

Nanomaterials could mean more algae outbreaks for wetlands, waterways

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Nanomaterials could mean more algae outbreaks for wetlands, waterways. Duke Today, June 25, 2018. The last 10 years have seen a surge in the use of tiny substances called nanomaterials in agrochemicals like pesticides and fungicides. The idea is to provide more disease protection and better yields for crops, while decreasing the amount of toxins sprayed on agricultural fields. But when combined with nutrient runoff from fertilized cropland and manure-filled pastures, these “nanopesticides” could also mean more toxic algae outbreaks for nearby streams, lakes and wetlands, researchers report.

When cozying up with would-be predators, cleaner shrimp follow a dependable script

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When cozying up with would-be predators, cleaner shrimp follow a dependable script. Duke Today, June 20, 2018. It’s a mystery how cleaner shrimp partner with would-be fish predators — sometimes even climbing in their mouths — without getting eaten. A new study reveals how the shrimp convinces fish not to eat them, and the fish conveys that it’s a friend and not a foe. Picked up by National Geographic.

Birds have time-honored traditions, too

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Birds have time-honored traditions, too. Duke Today, June 20, 2018. By faithfully copying the most popular songs, swamp sparrows create time-honored song traditions that can be just as long-lasting as human traditions, finds a new study. The results show that creating traditions that pass the test of time doesn’t necessarily require exceptional smarts. Picked up by Gizmodo, Mental Floss, Newsweek, the Daily Mail, Science Magazine, National Geographic, The London Economic, News & Observer and New Scientist.

Details that look sharp to people may be blurry to their pets

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Details that look sharp to people may be blurry to their pets. Duke Today, May 30, 2018. Blind as a bat or eagle-eyed? Scientists compared hundreds of species by the sharpness of their sight. They found a 10,000-fold difference between the most sharp-sighted and the most blurry-eyed species, with humans ranking near the top. The researchers also created a series of images showing how different scenes might appear to animals with different acuities. The images reveal patterns that, while easy for some species to see, may be imperceptible to others. Picked up by Wired, EarthSky, Futurity, ZME Science, Smithsonian, Discover Magazine, Inverse and the Daily Mail.

Doctor dolls, coming soon in 3-D

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Doctor dolls, coming soon in 3-D. Duke Today, May 25, 2018. These centuries-old ivory sculptures have sat in storage or behind display glass at Duke since the 1950s, too fragile to handle. Soon, X-ray imaging technology will make them available to view, download, even make 3-D printed replicas.

How turning down the heat makes a baby turtle male

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How turning down the heat makes a baby turtle male. Duke Today, May 10, 2018. Scientists have started to crack the 50-year-old puzzle of how temperature turns baby turtles male or female. In a study in the journal Science, researchers show that cooler egg incubation temperatures turn up a key gene called Kdm6b in the turtle’s immature sex organs. This in turn acts as a biological “on” switch, activating other genes that allow testes to develop without altering the underlying genetic code. Picked up by Science News and BBC News.

Why a robot can’t yet outjump a flea

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Why a robot can’t yet outjump a flea. Duke Today, April 26, 2018. Smashing mantis shrimp. Snapping trap-jaw ants. Stinging jellyfish. Some of the fastest living things — at least over short distances — are also the smallest. A new mathematical model explores how the smallest and speediest things on Earth generate their powerful jumps, snaps, strikes and punches. The model could help explain why robots can’t hold a candle to the fastest-moving insects and other tiny-but-powerful creatures, and how they could get closer. Picked up by Scientific American, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Quartz and Tech Times.

Warming climate could speed forest regrowth in eastern U.S.

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Warming climate could speed forest regrowth in eastern U.S. Duke Today, April 16, 2018. Warming climate could speed the natural regrowth of forests on undeveloped or abandoned land in the eastern United States, according to a new study. Previous research has shown that the succession from field to forest can happen decades sooner in the southeastern U.S. than in the Northeast. But it wasn’t obvious why. A new study points to temperature as the major factor influencing the pace of reforestation.

Mouse lemurs, decoded

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Mouse lemurs, decoded. 1,100 Words on Duke Research, April 12, 2018. Scientists have published a new and improved genome sequence for mouse lemurs, tiny primates that sometimes develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms as they age, just like humans.

How infighting turns toxic for chimpanzees

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How infighting turns toxic for chimpanzees. Duke Today, March 26, 2018. How did a once-unified community of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, end up at each other’s throats? In a new study, researchers mapped the chimps’ social networks at different periods leading up to the split to pinpoint when relations began to fray, and test ideas about what caused the rift. The most likely culprit was a power struggle among three top-ranking males, which was made worse by a shortage of fertile females, results show. Picked up by Quartz, CBC News, Seeker, Futurity and the Daily Mail.

How the color-changing hogfish ‘sees’ with its skin

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How the color-changing hogfish ‘sees’ with its skin. Duke Today, March 12, 2018. The hogfish can go from white to reddish in milliseconds as it adjusts to shifting conditions in the ocean. Scientists have long suspected that animals with quick-changing colors don’t just rely on their eyes to tune their appearance to their surroundings — they also sense light with their skin. But exactly how remains a mystery. A study reveals that hogfish skin senses light differently from eyes. Picked up by Futurity.