naturalnews--2019-11-21--Thinking, feeling insects? Study reveals paper wasps are capable of a form of logical (deductive) re

Thinking, feeling insects? Study reveals paper wasps are capable of a form of logical (deductive) reasoning

(Natural News) The paper wasp has become the first invertebrate animal that proves capable of transitive inference – the same form of logical reasoning that humans and other, more complex animals use for deduction.  Transitive inference leverages known links to reason out unknown relationships. An animal capable of such logic knows that if A is greater than B, and B is likewise greater than C, then A is greater than C.  Besides humans, vertebrate animals capable of using transitive inference include birds, fish, and monkeys.  A 2004 study by researchers from CNRS and Université Paul-Sabatier evaluated the ability of honeybees to use transitive inference. They reported that the insects failed the logic test – one theory was that the bee’s small nervous system hampered it.  A paper wasp’s nervous system is roughly the same size as a honeybee. However, the wasp follows a different type of social behavior than a bee.  University of Michigan (UM) researcher Elizabeth Tibbetts believed that the social skills of paper wasps might help them solve the transitive inference test that perplexed honeybees. Her team ran an experiment with two common species of paper wasp. (Related: Bugs for green thumbs: 7 Beneficial bugs that you need in your garden.)  “We’re not saying that wasps used logical deduction to solve this problem, but they seem to use known relationships to make inferences about unknown relationships,” Tibbetts clarified. “Our findings suggest that the capacity for complex behavior may be shaped by the social environment in which behaviors are beneficial, rather than being strictly limited by brain size.”  Support our mission to keep you informed: Discover the extraordinary benefits of turmeric gummy bears and organic "turmeric gold" liquid extract, both laboratory tested for heavy metals, microbiology and safety. Naturally high in potent curcuminoids. Delicious formulations. All purchases support this website (as well as your good health). See availability here.  The UM researchers took paper wasp queens and trained each insect to discriminate between “premise pairs” of colors. The training linked one color in each pair to a mild electric shock while the other did nothing.  To Tibbetts’ surprise, the wasps quickly and correctly figured out which color of a premise pair produced the shock.  Next, her team presented new sets of premise pairs to the trained wasps. The insects had to determine which color produced an unpleasant shock.  The wasps proved capable of organizing data into a hierarchy. Drawing from their experience, they used transitive inference to pick which member of a premise pair might be less likely to shock them.  “I thought wasps might get confused, just like bees,” remarked Tibbetts. “But they had no trouble figuring out that a particular color was safe in some situations and not safe in other situations.”  Both wasps and honeybees have tiny brains. Despite similar brainpower, they achieved different results.  While they are both social insects, honeybees and paper wasps live in different societies. A honeybee colony houses a single queen that rules over many equally ranked female workers.  In comparison, a paper wasp colony has multiple founders. The reproductive females compete with each other, leading to the establishment of linear hierarchies.  The rank of an individual determines its shares of food, reproduction, and work. If a sudden change – such as the weakening or death of a founder – took place in the hierarchy, the wasps need to figure out the new pecking order quickly.  The cognitive abilities associated with transitive inference may help paper wasps make quick deductions about new social relationships. The skill set may also help female paper wasps to organize data spontaneously during the transitive inference tests.  The UM study did not find out the specific method by which paper wasps developed and manipulated an implicit hierarchy of data. However, earlier studies by Tibbetts’ team noted that the wasps identified individuals of their species based on facial markings.  Visit Discoveries.news for more news and studies on animal behavior and cognition.


newyorkpost--2019-07-06--How insects have played a role in the worlds most significant creations

How insects have played a role in the world’s most significant creations

When Naoko Takahashi won the gold medal in women’s marathon running at the 2000 Summer Olympics, she had assistance from an unexpected source: hornet juice.  The new book, “Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects,” by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson (Simon & Schuster), out now, shows us that however annoying they may be, insects have done much to better our world.  Hornet juice — specifically, a jelly-like substance produced by hornet larvae — is believed to increase endurance.  Adult hornets feed their larvae small chunks of meat, after which the larvae “regurgitate a kind of jelly that the adults then slurp up.”  In time, it was discovered that the jelly “was crucial for the adult hornet’s endurance — they can fly 60 miles a day at a speed of 25 miles per hour,” Sverdrup-Thygeson writes.  Some companies have seized on this, marketing the jelly substance as “a miracle product to boost sporting endurance and performance.”  “Today,” she writes, “you can buy sports drinks containing hornet larva extract in Japan and similar products in the United States.”  Here are a few other ways insects are changing the world:  Flies have been helping catch criminals since medieval times.  “There is a pattern to when species come to a corpse, and this can be used to help solve crimes,” Sverdrup-Thygeson writes, noting that the first instance of insect-assisted crime-solving was in 1235 in China.  “A man was brutally murdered with a sickle, and the local peasants were called into a meeting [and] instructed to bring their sickles with them,” she writes.  “The investigator made them wait and since it was a hot, sunny day, it wasn’t long before flies appeared. When all the flies landed on the same sickle, the owner was so shocked he confessed on the spot. With their peerless sense of smell, the flies were drawn to the traces of blood even though the sickle had been cleaned.”  These same instincts make insects a valuable crime-solving tool to this day.  “Insect species appear in a dead body in a given order and follow a particular logic,” Sverdrup-Thygeson writes. “This fact can be used to calculate time of death and may, in some cases, tell you something about the cause of death.”  If you enjoy the writing of Shakespeare or the music of Beethoven, you have the gall wasp to thank. Without it, 700 years of documents may have been lost to history.  Early carbon-based inks were impermanent, easily erased or washed away. It wasn’t until around 1100 that the more permanent iron gall ink, taken from the oak-tree-dwelling gall wasp, became commonly used.  The gall wasp creates tumor-like growths on oak leaves known as galls, which are “stiff with a form of tannic acid.” This, mixed with iron salt and gum arabic, was used to create ink that was “non-soluble: it ate its way into the parchment or paper it was written on.”  “From the 1100s to well into the 1800s, oak gall ink was the most commonly used kind in the Western world,” Sverdrup-Thygeson writes.  “If it hadn’t been for the little oak gall wasp, it is far from certain we would have so many well-preserved and legible documents from the great artists and scientists of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.”  Without this critter, we would have had to wait decades before being able to listen to music at home.  Early 78 rpm records, from the late 1800s through the 1940s, were made with shellac, a substance derived from the lac bug which is also used for everything from varnishing wood to making apples shinier.  Found in great numbers on “the branches of various tree species in Southeast Asia,” lac bugs by the thousands congregate on a twig and slurp down plant sap, which they then excrete as “an orange resin-like liquid, which hardens when it comes into contact with air.” This is then scraped from the branches, giving us shellac.  These little creatures seem to have a native intelligence regarding the creation of climate-controlled dwellings, a superpower copied by architects.  “The enormous termite mounds of Africa can tower several yards above the ground,” Sverdrup-Thygeson writes. “Despite the baking heat outside, it is always pleasantly temperate inside the mound.”  “It turns out that an ingenious system of air channels use temperature oscillations outside the mound to create a draft that runs through the construction. This ‘artificial lung’ ensures that cool, oxygen-rich air is drawn down while warmer air, rich in carbon dioxide, is driven out.”  The system is so efficient that architects have copied their designs, including for the building of Eastgate Center, one of the largest malls in Zimbabwe.  “It doesn’t have any regular air-conditioning or heating; instead it uses passive cooling, applying the principals used by termites,” she writes.  “As a result, the building uses only 10 percent of the energy that would be consumed by an equivalent-sized building with standard mechanized air-conditioning systems.”


npr--2019-02-13--Bugs Vs Superbugs Insects Offer Promise In Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

Bugs Vs. Superbugs: Insects Offer Promise In Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance  Nobody likes a cockroach in their house. But before you smash the unwelcome intruder, consider this: that six-legged critter might one day save your life.  That's right. Insects—long known to spread diseases—could potentially help cure them. Or rather, the microbes living inside them could. Scientists have discovered dozens of microorganisms living in or on insects that produce antimicrobial compounds, some of which may hold the key to developing new antibiotic drugs.  They can't come too soon. More infections are becoming resistant to common antibiotics, and the pipeline of new antibiotic drugs has slowed to a trickle.  "There is a growing demand [for antibiotics], and a diminishing supply," explains Gerry Wright, who directs the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University.  Most antibiotic drugs have been discovered from bacteria living in the soil. But Cameron Currie, professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that searching the soil for new antibiotics has become increasingly futile.  "They keep finding already known antibiotics," Currie says. "There's a common sentiment that the well of antibiotics from soil... is dry."  Fortunately, there may be another well. Currie and a team of 28 researchers recently published a paper in Nature Communications showing that some of the bacteria living in insects are really good at killing the germs that make people sick.  "There's an estimated 10 million species [of insect] on the planet," Currie says. "That implies a huge potential for a lot of new [antibiotic] compounds."  Each insect contains an entire ecosystem of microorganisms, just like the microbiome found in humans. And there's one quality that many of those insect-associated microbes have in common, says Jonathan Klassen, assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of Connecticut and an author on the study.  They don't get along with each other very well.  And by don't get along, he means they're constantly trying to kill each other through biochemical warfare. Many of the microorganisms in insects make compounds that are toxic to other microbes—essentially, natural antibiotics.  Some of those natural antibiotics attracted Currie's attention while he was a student, researching leaf cutter ants.  Leaf cutter ants are among nature's most prolific gardeners. They actually don't eat the leaves they cut — instead they use them to cultivate a special type of fungus for food. Still, it's not easy being a fungus farmer.  "Like human agriculture, the ants have problems with disease," Currie says. "I found a specialized pathogen that attacks their fungus garden."  Fortunately, the ants have a tool to deal with the problem. A species of bacteria living on the ants' exoskeletons produces a toxin that kills the pathogen. Like the pesticides a gardener uses, the toxin keeps the ants' garden disease-free.  The discovery inspired Currie's curiosity. If ants could use these bacterial compounds to treat disease in their fungus gardens, could doctors use them to treat disease in people? If so, what other insects might also be carrying disease-fighting microbes?  To answer those questions, Currie and his team spent years collecting thousands of insects, including cockroaches, from Alaska to Brazil.  "Every few months somebody would be going out somewhere to collect something," remembers Klassen, who was working at the time as a postdoctoral researcher on the project.  The team tested bacteria from each insect to determine if they could kill common human pathogens, such as E. coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). They then compared the results from strains of insect bacteria to strains drawn from plants and soil.  "We were really surprised that [insect strains] were not just as good, but apparently better at inhibiting [pathogens]," Currie says.  Once a scientist has discovered that a strain of bacteria can kill germs, the next step in drug development is to determine what bacterial compound is responsible for the antimicrobial activity—like a cook searching for the secret ingredient in a particularly delicious soup.  Currie's team had found dozens of promising bacterial strains in insects. And each could yield a secret ingredient that might be a new antibiotic compound.  That in itself was a big accomplishment. But the researchers went a step further. They isolated one compound from one particularly promising bacterial strain and showed that it could inhibit fungal infections in mice, an important step in drug development.  The compound, cyphomycin, is found on Brazilian fungus-farming ants, close relatives of the ants Currie studied as a PhD student. Though it's far from becoming an approved drug, the research shows that antibiotic compounds new to science can be isolated from insects.  Wright, an antibiotic researcher who did not participate in the study, says that previous research has shown that single insect species contained antimicrobial compounds. But this is the first study to comprehensively demonstrate that insects as a group are a promising source of new antimicrobials.  "No one's ever done something on this scale before," Wright explains.  Currie is hopeful that cyphomycin may one day be approved to treat yeast infections in people. But before that happens, it must undergo years of further testing.  "It [cyphomycin] is a million miles away [from approval]," Wright says. "That's the reality of drug discovery."  Still, Wright says the researchers have already overcome one of the toughest hurdles in drug development by demonstrating that the compound works in mice.  For Klassen, the stakes are too high not to try.  "Efforts such as this study are crucial to keeping the antibiotic pipeline flowing so that disease doesn't gain the upper hand," he says.  In the end, the consequences of a world without antibiotics are enough to make scientists look for new drugs in unconventional places—even if that means looking in a cockroach.  Paul Chisholm is a freelance science writer in Rapid City, S.D. You can reach him on Twitter: @PaulJChisholm.


sottnet--2019-03-20--Small Wonders Scientists Reveal the Secrets of Amazing Little Insects and Crustaceans

Small Wonders: Scientists Reveal the Secrets of Amazing Little Insects and Crustaceans

In biology, the most amazing designs are often found in small things. In fact, it often seems that the closer you need to look, the greater the wonder. It's as if someone set it there to hide, waiting for us. Here are some little guys worth knowing about, from among the insects and the crustaceans."Froghopper insects can perform explosive jumps with some of the highest accelerations known among animals," say three scientists in PNAS . The little hemipterans. They belong in a different suborder and family from the planthoppers that Evolution News wrote about in 2013, whose nymphs have gears on their legs to store elastic energy for their leaps.Anything with "hopper" in its name is a good place to look for design. These scientists wanted to know how froghoppers take off from smooth plant surfaces. How do they get a grip on the slippery surface? The researchers discovered a previously unreported mechanism. It got them thinking about potential applications for engineering.The researchers wanted to know why froghoppers use a different mechanism than leafhoppers, which are members of a different family of hemipterans. Leafhoppers use soft pads, but they have shorter legs, which might make piercing leaf surfaces more difficult. Froghopper spines, enriched with zinc in the cuticle to make them strong, are very effective at piercing without deforming the leaf. Yet they are also finely tuned not to pierce too deep, which would inhibit rapid removal from the surface during takeoff. This track has potential payoffs in the grocery store:Another remarkable insect is the click beetle, able to quickly right itself without using its limbs if it falls upside down. In a class project at the University of Illinois College of Engineering , students went into the woods to collect four species of click beetles and study this unusual mechanism, thinking. Watch the video clip of their class project (but turn off the mismatched epic music; just watch the text). One student is clearly fascinated watching the bug flip high into the air and back down onto its feet. How does it work?The students made a robotic prototype based on the hinge-snapping design. It won second place at "the international BIOMinnovate Challenge, in Paris, France - a research expo that showcases biologically-inspired design in engineering, medicine and architecture."Another paper in PNAS about the "Morphogenesis of termite mounds" finds inspiration for architectural design. Termites exhibit impressive social organization, acting almost like a distributed organism. There's an uncanny feedback between animal and environment.The mounds of different species "display varied yet distinctive morphologies that range widely in size and shape," possibly due to adaptation to different environments.So-called "compass termites" always orient their mounds north/south, indicating a magnetic sense as found in salmon, sea turtles, and other very different animals. "Termite mounds are one of the most remarkable examples of self-organized animal architectures," the authors say, "and the range of shapes and sizes that they exhibit have excited the imagination of scientists for a long time."These tiny crustaceans control the world, in a way. Found in all the world's oceans, they migrate upward at night to feed, and downward in the daytime. A video by the National Science Foundation, posted by Phys.org , shows how vast numbers of krill add up to a mighty force to mix up ocean water, perhaps as significant as winds and tides.Stanford researcher John Dabiri and team studied them in the lab. Because krill are phototactic (moving toward light), the team could control the direction of their motions, and measure the forces they produce in a water column. The individual swimmers generate eddies that are much larger than their body sizes, and those currents add up. They concluded that millions "or trillions" of these tiny organisms, swimming together, "are playing a significant role in ocean mixing, that should impact future calculations about ocean circulation and the global climate."ID proponents might look into this, and consider whether a watery exoplanet would be less habitable without this living stirring machine.You could call them "sea fireflies." Scientists at UC Santa Barbara , wanting to understand the "dazzling light displays" of ostracods, found two mechanisms at work.Reporter Harrison Tasoff remarks, "Evolution is a rich and dynamic process." Yes, indeed. Since Darwin Devolves , as Michael Behe shows in his new book with that title, the ancestors of these animals must have been even better designed!These are just a few among hundreds of examples of biological designs that are inspiring research at labs and universities. Complex, efficient design is found throughout the biosphere, from the tallest mammals and largest whales down to these miniature insects and crustaceans, and all the way down to the molecules in cellular nanomachines. Biomimetics is a cross-disciplinary windfall of an opportunity for mammalogists, marine biologists, botanists, entomologists, ornithologists, cell biologists, and engineers, to name a few.As usual, evolutionary speculation in these reports varied inversely with detailed analysis into the mechanisms behind these little animals' capabilities. Biomimetic research is also attracting funding and winning awards.


sputnik--2019-02-11--Scientists Predict Catastrophic Consequences for Mankind as Insects Die Out

Scientists Predict 'Catastrophic Consequences' for Mankind as Insects Die Out

Insects, which make up two-thirds of all life on earth, could be extinct within a century, according to the first global scientific review published by the Biological Conversation journal.  The review, which looked at 73 studies conducted around the world, claimed that more than 40 per cent of insect species are currently declining, adding that the rate of extinction is about eight times faster than the respective rate for birds, mammals and reptiles.  "The [insect] trends confirm that the sixth major extinction event is profoundly impacting life forms on our planet. The repercussions this will have for the planet's ecosystems are catastrophic to say the least," the journal warned.  Review author Francisco Sanchez-Bayo told The Guardian that if insect species loss cannot be halted, it will also have catastrophic consequences for the survival of mankind.  "It is very rapid. In 10 years you will have a quarter less, in 50 years only half left and in 100 years you will have none," he said, referring to the forecast rapid decline in insect populations.  "Agricultural intensification" as well as the use of pesticides and herbicides are the main factors driving this decline, according to the expert.  He also stressed that the review's unusually strong language aims to "really wake people up", adding that "when you consider 80 per cent of biomass of insects has disappeared in 25-30 years, it is a big concern".


sputnik--2019-07-01--Insects Are Dying Off in Europe in Apocalyptic Wildlife Omen New Study Suggests

Insects Are Dying Off in Europe in Apocalyptic Wildlife Omen, New Study Suggests

The Amateur Entomology Society of Krefeld, located in northern Germany near the Dutch border, has conducted research in the Rhine countryside which suggested that the total biomass dropped by drastic 76 per cent over the recent 30 years. The enthusiasts, who gathered over 80 million bugs and various insects, caught them with single traps over certain periods, putting every catch in a certain box.  "Since 1982, the traps we manufacture ourselves have been standardised and controlled, all of the same size and the same material, and they are collected at the same rate at 63 locations that are still identical," the society's president Martin Sorg told the website Phys.org.  The entomologist illustrated the disturbing trend comparing the haul from 1994 and the recent catch: while the earlier collections from one of the traps weighed 1,400 grams, the newest one weighs a mere 300 grams.  "We only became aware of the seriousness of this decline in 2011, and every year since then we have seen it get worse," the enthusiast told the media.  The website points at the disturbing findings by ecology professor Hans de Kroon from the neighbouring Netherlands that he made around this time. He has studied the decline of birds, and suggested that this was a result of food shortages, and Krefeld’s enthusiasts offered him their data for the analysis.  Although he admits that the exact cause for the alarming trend was not determined, he expressed his belief that "the cause is anthropogenic”.  "It is our greatest fear that a point of no return will be reached, which will lead to a permanent loss of diversity," Kroon concluded, pointing at agriculture fields in Western Europe, which are very hostile to insects, which lack food and get poisoned.  Scientists from the Australian universities of Sydney and Queensland have used Krefeld’s data in their synthetic research on entomological fauna around the globe. They warned that the planet is facing "the most massive extinction episode" since the dinosaurs vanished.  According to them, 40 percent of insect species might die out in a few decades, with one percent added each year. According to them, the process is driven by intensive agriculture, typified by the use of pesticides and fertilisers, as well as urbanization, pollution, the arrival of invasive species and climate change.


theblaze--2019-01-12--Massive locust swarm strikes Mecca insects cover mosque and Muslim worshipers

Massive locust swarm strikes Mecca, insects cover mosque and Muslim worshipers

Huge swarms of locusts recently descended on Mecca — Islam's holiest site — filling the air and landing on worshippers. Special cleaning teams were brought in to drive out the insects, according to published reports.  ### What happened?  Videos and pictures posted on social media show the bugs descending on the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where millions of Muslims gather every year.  One of the images shows the insects flying at night, illuminated by lighting from the mosque. They are also seen flying in every direction and landing on people. Another picture shows the locusts covering the walls of the mosque, the Daily Mail [reported](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6577871 /Huge-swarm-locusts-descends-Mecca.html).  Clean-up crews were seen wearing face masks and spraying insecticide as they worked to sanitize the site. The scale of the infestation required 138 people working in 22 teams with 111 pieces of equipment to clean it up, according to reports. Most of the cleanup effort centered on breeding areas near open water drains.  Various reports called the bugs "black grasshoppers" or "night cockroaches." Some social media users asserted that they believe the locusts were "not" a message from God. Locust swarms are viewed as a divine punishment in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  ### Is it a health hazard?  Newsweek [reported](https://www.newsweek.com/mecca-grand-mosque-holiest- muslim-site-attack-locusts-swarm-1288391) that the locusts are primarily a nuisance:  > While potentially a major nuisance, locusts themselves are not known to carry diseases transmittable to humans, nor do they bite or sting. Hazal bin Mohammed al-Zafar, the head of Plant Protection Department at King Saud University's Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, told the local Sabq newspaper Monday that the "field cockroaches" were actually in the Gryllidae family, and actually more closely related to grasshoppers and crickets than domestic cockroaches.   >   > Zafar told the outlet that locals should refrain from eating or selling the insects, while stressing that they "do not transmit diseases" and that swarming was a natural phenomenon, likely related to recent rains. He estimated that around 30,000 locusts had descended on Mecca, noting that larger swarms can reach into the hundreds of thousands.   >  VIDEO


thedcclothesline--2019-07-02--Insect Species Are Rapidly Going Extinct Across The Globe All Insects Could Be Gone In 100 Years

Insect Species Are Rapidly Going Extinct Across The Globe – All Insects Could Be Gone “In 100 Years”

Even though most people don’t seem to realize it yet, we are in the midst of a major extinction level event.  And even though it is happening in slow motion, given enough time we would see most life on this planet completely wiped out.  Insects are absolutely critical to the global food chain, and right now we are literally on the brink of an ecological Armageddon.  All over the world insect populations have been declining precipitously in recent years, and this has already been causing a chain reaction among birds, reptiles and others that eat insects.  Species after species is going extinct, and as you will see below, one environmental scientist is now warning that at our current pace all insects could be completely gone “in 100 years”.  This is a true environmental crisis, and yet it is getting relatively little attention from those that call themselves “environmentalists”.  But hopefully people will start to wake up, because this is extremely serious.  Over in Germany, the Amateur Entomology Society of Krefeld is telling us that the population of flying insects in their area has plunged by 76 percent over the last 37 years…  This warning comes from German entomology enthusiasts, or bug catchers, who have collected 80 million insects in the Rhine countryside over the last 37 years. Their collection is now a world-class scientific treasure and also evidence of what is described as one of Earth’s worst extinction phases since the dinosaurs vanished. The total annual biomass of flying insects collected has plummeted by 76 percent since the insect-lovers began their meticulous studies.  According to the president of the society, Martin Sorg, they have been using the exact same traps and have been collecting insects in the exact same locations for the past 37 years.  So there have been no changes on their end that would explain the dramatic change in the numbers…  Interestingly, Sorg says that the decline in the insect population has been getting much worse since about 2011…  The iPhone was invented in 2007, and the global use of cell phones has absolutely exploded over the past decade.  Many believe that there could be a direct link between the disappearance of the insects and our use of cell phone technology, because without a doubt all of the electromagnetic pollution that we are producing is not good for the bugs.  Others point out that pesticide use around the world is far greater than it has ever been in all of human history, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for insects to find habitats that are not affected in some way.  We are dumping massive amounts of this poison wherever food is grown, and many of us use it very heavily on our lawns and gardens as well.  If we do not do something, species after species is going to continue to go extinct.  Earlier this year, a “synthesis of 73 studies” that was published by Australian researchers Francisco Sanchez-Bayo and Kris Wyckhuys came to the conclusion that we are facing “the most massive extinction episode” in the history of our civilization…  At this point, we are losing approximately 2.5 percent of all insects each year.  That may not sound like a lot to you, but over a number of decades it is absolutely catastrophic.  In fact, according to Sánchez-Bayo, it is likely that we only have about 100 years before all the insects are gone…  And for some critical insect populations, the end may come a whole lot sooner than that.  As I noted yesterday, an astounding 37 percent of all honeybee colonies in the United States died off last winter.  So what you are going to do when they are gone?  Are you going to go out and start pollinating our crops by hand?  In addition, the loss of insects is absolutely disastrous for all of the animals that eat them.  According to Sánchez-Bayo, we could see billions of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish starve to death…  Are you starting to get the picture?  Unless something truly miraculous happens, our planet is doomed, and the clock is ticking.  A lot of people out there keep waiting for a “collapse” to happen, but the truth is that “collapse” is already happening all around us.  If we stay on the path that we are currently on, there is no future for our civilization.  Unfortunately, right now most people are simply not listening to those of us that are trying to sound the alarm.  About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.


theguardianuk--2019-04-01--Insects have no place to hide from climate change study warns

Insects have ‘no place to hide’ from climate change, study warns

Insects have “no place to hide” from climate change, scientists have said after analysing 50 years’ worth of UK data.  The study found that woodlands, whose shade was expected to protect species from warming temperatures, are just as affected by climate change as open grasslands.  The research examined records of the first springtime flights of butterflies, moths and aphids and the first eggs of birds between 1965 and 2012. As average temperatures have risen, aphids are now emerging a month earlier, and birds are laying eggs a week earlier. The scientists said this could mean animals were becoming “out of sync” with their prey, with potentially serious ramifications for ecosystems.  Researchers are increasingly concerned about dramatic drops in populations of insects, which underpin much of nature. In February it was said that these falls could lead to a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, and in March there was further evidence of widespread loss of pollinating insects in recent decades in Britain.  Other studies, from Germany and Puerto Rico, have shown falling numbers in the last 25 to 35 years. Another showed butterflies in the Netherlands had declined by at least 84% over the last 130 years.  James Bell, at Rothamsted Research institute, who led the woodlands research, said: “Under global warming you would expect woodlands to have some protection for insects, a buffer against change. But we didn’t see that. It is the major surprise and is disturbing. There is really no place to hide against the effects of global warming if you are an insect in the UK.”  Another surprise was that insects and birds living in farmland are emerging later in the spring, not earlier as expected. “We can only assume this is to do with other, non-climate factors,” Bell said. The loss of wild areas and changing crop types could be among the factors, he said, along with declining food availability leading to delayed breeding.  James Pearce-Higgins, of the British Trust for Ornithology, said: “Birds are at the top of many food chains and are sensitive to the impacts of climate change on the availability of their insect prey.”  A separate new study found that populations of birds that rely on insects for food fell by 13% across Europe between 1990 and 2015, and by 28% in Denmark, which the scientists used as a national case study. The omnivorous birds assessed did not show a decline.  The UK research, published in the journal Global Change Biology, found that the shift to earlier emergence or egg-laying varied considerably according to the type of habitat and how far north the species lives. Aphids breed very rapidly and can adapt to changing temperatures quickly. Their first flight is now an average of 30 days earlier than 50 years ago. Birds, butterflies and moths are appearing one to two weeks earlier.  Bell said the changing timings were affecting farming, with aphids arriving earlier but potato crops being planted later due to wetter winters. This combination meant the aphids, which transmit viruses, were attacking much younger plants. “Plants are just like babies, with very poorly developed immune systems, so when a virus is transmitted into a young potato plant it has a much greater effect,” he said.  Jon Pickup, of the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture division of the Scottish government, said: “As pests, it remains a concern that aphid migrations are getting earlier at a dramatic rate and this piece of work shows us that signal across the UK very clearly.”  Bell said timing mismatches were also affecting wildlife. “For example, the leafing date of the oak tree determines when the caterpillars will appear, and that determines when blue tits that feed on caterpillars lay their first egg,” he said. “If they become desynchronised, it has cascading effects through the food chain, leading to fewer eggs, and this has been seen.”  During February’s exceptionally warm weather there were sightings of rooks nesting, ladybirds mating and dozens of migratory swallows arriving along the south-west coast, all more than a month ahead of schedule.


theindependent--2019-01-20--Turn off street lights at night to help pollinating insects scientists say

Turn off street lights at night to help pollinating insects, scientists say

With streetlights throwing the nocturnal wildlife into disarray, scientists say turning them off late at night could stop this pervasive pollution from harming UK wildlife.  Moths pollinating plants, bats hunting prey and spiders that emerge under cover of darkness are all suffering under the glare or artificial lights.  Sky brightness is increasing at a rate of around 6 per cent every year around the world, and scientists have warned this disruption of natural dark and light cycles is damaging the health of everything from cells to whole ecosystems.  Meanwhile, in a bid to cut energy use and save money, many councils in Britain have begun turning off streetlights as the night progresses.  While there are social issues, such as safety, associated with such a decision, a growing body of research suggests it could be having a positive knock-on effect for the environment.  A new study published in the journal Ecosphere suggests keeping the lights off between midnight and dawn is enough to prevent the disturbance to animal behaviour that they trigger.  Researchers have only recently begun to realise the important role moths play in pollinating plants – potentially including vital crops like peas and oilseed rape – after bees and other daytime pollinators retire for the evening.  Past studies have suggested street lighting prevents moths pollinating as they end up flying into the glare instead, exhausting themselves and leaving them vulnerable to predators.  To their surprise, the scientists undertaking the new study found pollination actually increased on areas of fields where lights shone throughout the night as moths flocked to there.  While this result may seem positive, the scientists emphasised the importance of keeping any disruption to natural systems to an absolute minimum.  “Under any environmental change, some things are going to do well and some are going to do badly – but that has the consequence of throwing things out of balance,” Dr Callum Macgregor from the University of York told The Independent.  Fortunately, the scientists noted that when lights were switched off for part of the night flower pollination remained normal, indicating minimal harm to the habitat.  Given their findings, they suggested the decision being taken by some councils to turn lights off may actually be giving local wildlife a boost.  “We have street lighting for a reason, and even as ecologists we are not saying we should turn off all streetlights tomorrow permanently – but where we can reduce the use of them… then it will have a positive impact,” said Dr Macgregor.  “Our study suggests that turning off street lights in the middle of the night is a win-win scenario, saving energy and money for local authorities whilst simultaneously helping our nocturnal wildlife.”


theindependent--2019-08-05--Thousands of fish and insects killed as unidentified substance pollutes Somerset river

Thousands of fish have died after an unknown source polluted a 9.3-mile stretch of the River Sheppey in Somerset.  The Wessex branch of the Environment Agency said it had tracked the pollution to a “probable source” and were working to protect the lower end of the river.  “But the pollution has likely killed thousands of fish and invertebrates,” the agency wrote in a Facebook post.  The agency also thanked an unnamed local child, who had noticed the dead fish and alerted them to it.  It said in its Facebook post: “We are very grateful to a 12-year-old boy who removed fish from a small stretch of the river, put them in his bucket, then staged a photograph for us.”  The agency was spraying hydrogen peroxide and aerating the water in an effort to clean up the river and rejuvenate its oxygen supply.  The latest pollution incident is the second such incident in a week.  On Thursday, more than 6,000 fish died after a pollution incident on the River Mole in South Molton, Devon.


theonion--2019-03-01--Ecologists Urge Birds To Avert Global Decline Of Insects By Adopting Seed-Based Diet

ITHACA, NY—In an effort to preserve a critical component of the global ecosystem, ecology experts urged the planet’s birds Friday to help avert the rapid, worldwide decline of insects by adopting a seed-based diet. “It is absolutely vital that bird populations wean themselves off of insects in favor of more sustainable options,” said researcher Marcus Drysdale, who has worked at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to develop seed-based avian diets that are high in protein and include options reasonably similar in taste to beetles and grubs. “If these birds don’t change their lifestyle, we could soon have a disaster on our hands. Even if they can’t completely excise bugs from their diet, they at least need to cut down their intake to one or two servings of earwig per week. I realize they’re not all going to become strict granivores overnight, but they can still reduce their overall larvae consumption in the short-term.” Drysdale added the he and his colleagues have launched an “Insectless Sunday” campaign in an attempt to raise awareness in the bird community.


thesun--2019-05-08--Florida invaded by millions of love bug insects turning skies black as locals say its never been

Florida invaded by millions of ‘love bug’ insects turning skies black as locals say ‘it’s never been this bad’

MILLIONS of lovebugs have descended on Florida in what locals there are calling the worst ever swarms of the insects.  The insects get their name because they usually fly around in mating pairs and are particularly attracted to the Sunshine State’s warm, moist weather.  Around this time of the year and again in August and September, the insects go on a mating frenzy.  Lovebugs are from the same family as flies and hurl themselves toward traffic in suicidal swarms, covering vehicle windshields and bonnets.  The insects are oddly attracted to vehicle fumes and hot asphalt, research has shown.  The swarms often force outdoor restaurants to close and car washes are busy with drivers anxious to get rid of lovebug remains to stop them corroding paint.  While they also congregate in Mississippi they are particularly attracted by Florida’s heat and decomposing plant debris, where they lay their eggs.  Across social media, Florida residents are proclaiming this the "worst lovebug year ever", it was reported.  A video taken by Shelby Maness showed a swarm so thick that they were turning her blue house black.  “This love bug season here in Sebring is no joke. They are bad this year,” she told Fox13.  Lovebugs emigrated into Texas and Louisiana from Central America in the 1920s  But they didn’t show up in Florida until the 1940s, University of Florida expert Norman Leppla told USA Today.  He explained that while this year is particularly bad, there have been larger numbers in the past.  “It seems that there are more lovebugs than last year but not nearly the number we have seen in decades past,” he said.  Lovebugs live just three or four intense days and their larvae lie dormant for months until the weather is warmer and drier than normal.  Males swarm to places where they know females will soon emerging from and up to eight males compete for each female.  The females fly into swarms of the hovering males usually from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 5 p.m, when many are driving to and from work.  We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.'


wakingtimes--2019-02-11--Insects Could Go Extinct Within a Century With Catastrophic Consequences for Life on Earth

Insects Could Go Extinct Within a Century, With ‘Catastrophic’ Consequences for Life on Earth

More than 40 percent of the world’s insects could go extinct in the next few decades, according to a report that lead author Francisco Sánchez-Bayo told CNN was the first global review of the threats facing the class that makes up 70 percent of earth’s animals.  A third of insects are endangered species, and they are going extinct at a rate eight times that of birds, mammals and reptiles. That amounts to a loss of 2.5 percent of insect mass every year over the last three decades.  “It is very rapid,” Sánchez Bayo told The Guardian. “In 10 years you will have a quarter less, in 50 years only half left and in 100 years you will have none.”  Sánchez-Bayo, from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, worked with Kris Wyckhuys of the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing and the University of Queensland on the report, published in Biological Conservation. Together they examined 73 reports looking at the global decline in insect biodiversity in order to assess its main causes.  The chief drivers of the decline are, in order of magnitude:  Intensive agriculture has been particularly deadly for insects, Sánchez-Bayo told The Guardian, because it usually leads to the clearing of trees and shrubs surrounding fields. In addition, pesticides like neonicotinoids and fipronil developed in the last 20 years kill all of the grubs in the soil they are used on, effectively sterilizing it.  A rapid decline in insect populations would be “catastrophic” for the rest of life on earth, the report authors wrote. Insects are essential as pollinators, food sources and nutrient recyclers in many ecosystems.  “It should be of huge concern to all of us,” University of Sussex professor Dave Goulson, who was not involved in the study, told The Guardian, “For insects are at the heart of every food web, they pollinate the large majority of plant species, keep the soil healthy, recycle nutrients, control pests, and much more. Love them or loathe them, we humans cannot survive without insects.”  The report calls for a major overhaul of the world’s agriculture system in order to save insects and the rest of the earth’s ecosystems.  “A rethinking of current agricultural practices, in particular a serious reduction in pesticide usage and its substitution with more sustainable, ecologically-based practices, is urgently needed to slow or reverse current trends, allow the recovery of declining insect populations and safeguard the vital ecosystem services they provide,” Sánchez-Bayo and Wyckhuys wrote.


drudgereport--2019-02-05--Gut feeling Depression linked to digestive bacteria

Gut feeling: Depression linked to digestive bacteria...

Anti-depressants are now the most widely-used prescription drug in many countries  Anti-depressants are now the most widely-used prescription drug in many countries  Bacteria in the gut may affect our mental well-being and could be linked to depression, researchers said on Monday after conducting the largest study of its kind so far.  The World Health Organization says an estimated 300 million people suffer from depression, and there are known links between a patient's physical and mental health.  Scientists in Belgium now believe that a wide range of gut bacteria can produce chemicals that significantly impact the brain, including several microorganisms linked -- positively or negatively -- to mental health.  The experiment, known as the Flemish Gut Flora Project, examined depression data and stool samples from more than 1,000 people and found that two types of bacteria were "consistently depleted" in those who suffered from depression. This held true even if patients were on anti-depressants.  Scientists' understanding of how the gut and brain are linked is in its early stages, and the researchers acknowledged that their findings, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, could be considered controversial.  "The notion that microbial metabolites can interact with our brain -- and thus behaviour and feelings -- is intriguing," said lead researcher Jeroen Raes, from the department of Microbiology and Immunology at KU Leuven University.  "Until now, most of the studies were or in mice or in small-scale human studies, with mixed and contradictory results," he told AFP.  The team repeated the study on 1,063 people from the Netherlands and a third group of clinically depressed patients in Belgium, and got similar results.  Raes stressed, however, that while the experiment showed a clear link between the levels of certain bacteria in the gut and an individual's mental well-being, that didn't mean that one thing directly caused the other.  The two microbe groups, coprococcus and dialister, are know to have anti-inflammatory properties.  "We also know that neuro-inflammation is important in depression. So, our hypothesis is that somehow these two are linked," said Raes.  Depression -- a treatable but debilitating condition that affects how an individual behaves and feels -- is sometimes referred to as a "silent epidemic", and is a major driver of the some 800,000 suicides that occur each year worldwide.  Anti-depressants are now the most common prescribed drug in many countries and Raes said his team's research could pave the way for new, smarter treatments for the illness.  "I really think there is a future in this: using cocktails of human-derived bacteria as treatment ?- bugs as drugs, as they say," he said.  The team behind the research studied the genomes of more than 500 types of gut bacteria and analysed their ability to produce a set of neuroactive compounds -- chemicals shown to affect brain function.  They found several that could produce compounds linked to a variety of mental processes.  Raes said recent technological and medical advances had allowed researchers to zero in on the gut when looking into possible causes of mental health issues.  "The field went for the obvious diseases first -? obesity, diabetes, colon cancer, irritable bowl syndrome," he said.  "But then evidence started coming in from animal studies," he added. "The last few years, the gut-brain axis field really exploded. It's really, really exciting at the moment."


fortruss--2019-11-13--STUDY: Bacteria May Accelerate Climate Change

LONDON – As bacteria adapt to hotter temperatures, they speed up their respiration rate and release more carbon, potentially accelerating climate change. By releasing more carbon as global temperatures rise, bacteria and related organisms called archaea could increase climate warming at a faster rate than current models suggest.  The new research, published today in Nature Communications by scientists from Imperial College London, could help inform more accurate models of future climate warming. Bacteria and archaea, collectively known as prokaryotes, are present on every continent and make up around half of global biomass — the total weight of all organisms on Earth.  Most prokaryotes perform respiration that uses energy and releases carbon dioxide — just like we do when we breathe out. The amount of carbon dioxide released during a given time period depends on the prokaryote’s respiration rate, which can change in response to temperature.  However, the exact relationship between temperature, respiration rate and carbon output has been uncertain. Now, by bringing together a database of respiration rate changes according to temperature from 482 prokaryotes, researchers have found the majority will increase their carbon output in response to higher temperatures to a greater degree than previously thought.  Lead researcher Dr. Samraat Pawar, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial, said: “In the short term, on a scale of days to hours, individual prokaryotes will increase their metabolism and produce more carbon dioxide. However, there is still a maximum temperature at which their metabolism becomes inefficient.” “In the longer term, over years, these prokaryote communities will evolve to be more efficient at higher temperatures, allowing them to further increase their metabolism and their carbon output.” “Rising temperatures, therefore, cause a ‘double whammy’ effect on many prokaryote communities, allowing them to function more efficiently in both the short and long term, and creating an even larger contribution to global carbon and resulting temperatures.”  The researchers compiled prokaryote responses to temperature changes from across the world and in all different conditions — from salty Antarctic lakes below 0°C to thermal pools above 120°C.  They found that prokaryotes that usually operate in a medium temperature range — below 45°C — show a strong response to changing temperature, increasing their respiration in both the short term (days to weeks) and long term (months to years).  Prokaryotes that operate in higher temperature ranges — above 45°C — did not show such a response, but since they operate at such high temperatures to begin with, they are unlikely to be impacted by climate change. The short-term responses of medium-temperature prokaryotes to warming were larger than those reported for eukaryotes – organisms with more complex cells, including all plants, fungi and animals.  The team built a mathematical model that predicted how these respiration rate changes would affect the carbon output of prokaryote communities. This revealed that short- and long-term changes to respiration rate would combine to create a larger-than-expected rise in carbon output, which is currently unaccounted for in ecosystem and climate models.  Lead author of the new research, Ph.D. student Thomas Smith from the Department of Life Sciences, said: “Most climate models assume that all organisms’ respiration rates respond to temperature in the same way, but our study shows that bacteria and archaea are likely to depart from the ‘global average’.” “Given that these micro-organisms are likely to be significant contributors to total respiration and carbon output in many ecosystems, it’s important for climate models to take into account their higher sensitivity to temperature change at both short and long timescales.” “Importantly for future climate predictions, we would also like to know how the numbers of prokaryotes, and their abundance within local ecosystems, might change with increasing temperatures.”


naturalnews--2019-01-22--This medicinal plant from Iran exhibits significant antibacterial properties and may be a good natur

This medicinal plant from Iran exhibits significant antibacterial properties and may be a good natural antibiotic

(Natural News) A study from the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman in Iran has found that Semenovia suffruticosa, a member of the parsley family and a plant native to the region, contains significant antibiotic potential. In their study, which was published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, the team investigated the essential oil of S. suffruticosa, in particular, its antibiotic properties against certain multidrug-resistant bacteria.  The team looked at the essential oils of S. suffruticosa that have been grown in different parts of Kerman province in Iran, evaluating each for its ability against the following bacteria:  In addition, they also looked at the physicochemical properties of the essential oil of S. suffruticosa, as well as its minimum inhibitory concentration, that is, the lowest concentration of a chemical for preventing bacterial growth.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  Their results found that environmental conditions can impact that amount of yield and the chemical composition of the essential oil. For instance, the greatest yield came from S. suffruticosa grown in the mountainous regions of Laleh Zar in Kerman province. However, the main component for each was different, ranging from Z-beta-ocimene, linalool, and beta-pinene, depending on where it was grown. In particular, this essential oil had a MIC value of 1.25 mg/mL against S. aureus and S. pneumoniae, while that from Bidkhan, another region in the province, had significant antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae.  “The results of this study confirm that the significant antibacterial effects of S. suffruticosa and make it a valuable compound in essential oils for pharmaceutical use and a good replacement for chemical antibiotics,” the researchers concluded in their report. “Environmental conditions can result in a difference in yields and components; this can be considered [a] significant potential for this plant.” (Related: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the rise; what can you do NOW to stay healthy?)  It’s not just antibiotic resistance that people should be worried about when it comes to using antibiotics. According to the National Health Service, the public health agency of the U.K., at least 10 percent of people taking antibiotics experience an adverse reaction after taking them. In addition, at least one in 15 people are allergic to at least one type of antibiotic.  Here are just some natural antibiotics that you can readily use. (h/t to MedicalNewsToday.com.)  Learn more about other essential oils with antibiotic properties at EssentialOils.news.


naturalnews--2019-02-22--Bacteria samples from all over the globe found to have antibiotic resistance genes says research

Bacteria samples from all over the globe found to have antibiotic resistance genes, says research

(Natural News) Researchers warn that infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria will continue to increase each year, especially since these acquire more resistance genes from other bacteria. The effects of such a genetic delineation prompted scientists from the Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden to evaluate large numbers of bacterial DNA. Their study looked at DNA sequences of bacterial samples from people and environments from all over the globe.  The results of their study, published in the journal Microbiome, concluded that there are at least 76 new types of antibiotic-resistant genes, several of which can give bacteria the ability to degrade carbapenems, the most powerful class of antibiotics used against multidrug-resistant bacteria.  “Our study shows that there are lots of unknown resistance genes. Knowledge about these genes makes it possible to more effectively find and hopefully tackle new forms of multi-resistant bacteria,” said Erik Kristiansson, lead investigator of the study and a professor at Chalmers.  He added that identifying a resistance gene is difficult, especially if it has not been known in the past. To identify a resistance gene, Kristiansson and his team developed a new computational method to determine patterns in DNA that are linked with antibiotic resistance. Then, they tested the genes they identified in the laboratory to confirm their predictions.  “Our methods are very efficient and can search for the specific patterns of novel resistance genes in large volumes of DNA sequence data,” said Fanny Berglund, one of the researchers of the study.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  The researchers plan to identify the genes that influence the resistance of bacteria to other forms of antibiotics. Kristiansson said that the novel genes that they found are “only the tip of the iceberg” and there a still a lot of unknown antibiotic-resistant genes that could lead to major global health problems in the future.  People have treated antibiotics as the silver bullet when it comes to treating infections since the 1940s. Yet, recent studies show that bacteria have become antibiotic-resistant: These strains can cause infections that are harder to treat compared to non-resistant bacteria.  This is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today, according to the World Health Organization. Ever year, drug-resistant infections end the lives of at least 700,000 people. If not acted on immediately, this number is expected to increase tenfold by 2050. Drug-resistant infections not only lead to increased deaths, but also higher medical costs, and longer stays in the hospital. One of the primary causes of antibiotic resistance is the overuse of antibiotics to treat conditions that do not require antibiotics. Misuse of antibiotics is also common in agriculture, where at least 240 million kilograms of antibiotics are used in livestock every year. (Related: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in hospitals likely came from industrial livestock farms.)  Infections, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, gonorrhea, and foodborne disease, are continually becoming more difficult or impossible to treat because antibiotics are becoming less effective. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year in the U.S., at least 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with over 23,000 dying as a direct consequence of these infections. Some of the bacteria resistant to medications are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) gut bacteria.  Find out more scientific breakthroughs at Research.news.


naturalnews--2019-04-08--Can Lactobacillus fermentum a good bacteria address glutathione deficiency

Can Lactobacillus fermentum, a "good" bacteria, address glutathione deficiency?

(Natural News) A shortage in glutathione is bad news for the many protective processes of the body that rely on this antioxidant. However, it is possible to replenish the levels of glutathione by taking the Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 strain (ME-3) as a probiotic supplement.  ME-3 is a type of good bacteria that can produce glutathione. This antioxidant is involved in the detoxification of cells, the proper functioning of bodily systems that require a lot of metabolic activity, and the aging process.  A deficiency in glutathione has been linked to faster aging. It also increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other ailments. It is also associated with the steady decline of mitochondrial function due to the degradation of mitochondrial DNA (mDNA).  In addition to synthesizing this vital antioxidant, ME-3 can also restore oxidized glutathione to its active state. It can also produce and recycle another important antioxidant – manganese superoxide dismutase. Its recycling abilities also apply to lipoic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, and other oxidation-preventing compounds. (Related: Glutathione could become a major player in the battle against obesity and chronic disease.)  Me-3 also reduces the risk of heart disease. A 2011 study by Tartu University researchers said that participants who supplemented with the probiotic bacteria displayed lower levels of oxidized bad cholesterol and triglycerides.  At the same time, the concentrations of good cholesterol and paraoxonase enzymes also increased. Paraoxonases perform double duties as antioxidants and detoxifiers for chemical pesticides called organophosphates.  The power of the elements: Discover Colloidal Silver Mouthwash with quality, natural ingredients like Sangre de Drago sap, black walnut hulls, menthol crystals and more. Zero artificial sweeteners, colors or alcohol. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store and help support this news site.  Organophosphates are widely used as insecticides and pesticides. They are also used in plasticizers, antifoaming agents, hydraulic fluids, and flame retardants. Most humans have been exposed to these chemicals at one point or another. Heavy exposure is believed to affect the mental development of children.  Paraoxonase enzymes can break down these organophosphates into harmless substances. ME-3 encourages the production of one such detoxifying paraoxonase, PON1.  The Lactobacillus strain also supports the health of the gut microbiome. It produces metabolites that ensure a healthy balance of gut bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.  ME-3 helps manage the levels of inflammatory molecules. Furthermore, it decreases the production of glycated hemoglobin, which is linked to inflammation, and increases the release of inflammation-fighting adiponectin.  The probiotic bacteria can withstand the acidic conditions of the stomach and the small intestine. This toughness makes it well-suited for living in the highly acidic environs of the gut.  A deficiency in glutathione is linked to higher chances of chronic degenerative diseases. Conversely, higher levels of this antioxidant are connected with good health and longer lifespans.  Many studies provide evidence in support of a Glutathione Deficiency Hypothesis. The theory suggests that a lack of glutathione is one of the main biochemical mechanisms that cause aging.  Glutathione levels can therefore be used as an accurate and reliable way of evaluating aging. Furthermore, glutathione deficiency can be reversed by increasing the amount of the antioxidant in the body, which can slow down the aging process and increase the lifespan of a person.  Various tests have shown that L. fermentum ME-3 can improve the amounts of glutathione and other antioxidants in the body. The probiotic bacteria can increase the ratio of active glutathione to its inactive version by nearly half.  When combined with its other benefits, such as reducing concentrations of oxidized bad cholesterol by 16 percent and harmful free radicals by 20 percent, ME-3 could be a good way to increase glutathione levels. Supplementing with the antioxidant-producing good bacteria could be the key to living longer and healthier lives.


naturalnews--2019-07-01--Scientists study efficient photosynthetic bacteria to boost crop yields

(Natural News) The current population of the world is now at least 7.7 billion, based on the latest data from the United Nations, and it is increasing every single day. It takes a tremendous amount of logistics to feed that many mouths and keep society afloat. While earlier civilizations were built on the abundance of food, humans today have to play catch up due to the sheer amount of people. To cope with this problem, scientists are now trying to find new ways to increase agricultural production.  In a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a group of researchers from Canada reported on how bacteria could help boost crop yield by improving an enzyme called RubisCO. This enzyme uses light energy to incorporate carbon dioxide into organic molecules that the plant can use to form sugar.  RubisCO is an enzyme found in plants and photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria. Scientists believe that the enzyme, which is made of protein sub-units that help with photosynthesis, is a callback to ancient geological times when carbon dioxide was one of the most abundant gases on the planet. These days, the Earth’s condition is different: Oxygen is now the most abundant gas, and carbon dioxide is not as ubiquitous. This makes RubisCO became incredibly inefficient in plants since it cannot differentiate oxygen and carbon dioxide. As a result, it captures both gases. The plant needs the latter to function, but as it processes the former, it generates compounds that plants cannot use. It then has to use extra energy to recycle those compounds.  Support our mission to keep you informed: Discover the extraordinary benefits of turmeric gummy bears and organic "turmeric gold" liquid extract, both laboratory tested for heavy metals, microbiology and safety. Naturally high in potent curcuminoids. Delicious formulations. All purchases support this website (as well as your good health). See availability here.  In contrast, cyanobacteria work efficiently by trapping carbon dioxide in compartments called carboxysomes. The protein shell of the carboxysome does not allow carbon dioxide to escape. This helps RubisCO in the bacteria to do a better job at performing its function since it only has access to carbon dioxide.  The potential of cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic bacteria to boost crop growth does not stop with the study of its enzyme. Researchers are also investigating the effect of using photosynthetic bacteria directly on agricultural products. In a study published in the Journal of Plant Nutrition, researchers from Northeast Forestry University in China studied the effect of spraying photosynthetic bacteria on the growth of Chinese dwarf cherry seedlings. They found that the bacteria had a positive impact on the growth of the plant.  Horticulturists, meanwhile, add beneficial bacteria to soil or other grow mediums to help plants grow faster. These microorganisms are capable of breaking down large organic matter into smaller compounds that plants can readily absorb as a nutrient source.  Food security is becoming a serious problem every year. A billion people across the world experience the effects of limited food availability. The international community takes extensive measures to ensure that humanity can feed itself in the future. New developments, like those mentioned above, can help humans cope with the explosive population growth. If the agricultural industry can effectively use microorganisms to increase the production of crops, then humanity is one step closer to solving the world’s food security issues. (Related: Global food security at risk as biodiversity is lost.)  Over the years, it has become common knowledge that bacteria come in all different sorts: There are good bacteria, and then there are virulent strains. In this case, bacteria can genuinely serve a greater good – food security is an issue of enormous scale if left unchecked. Historically, hunger, malnutrition, and starvation have killed millions of people and decimated many early civilizations; research such as these, applied collectively and cooperatively by all stakeholders, give humanity a fighting chance as it continues to populate the rest of the planet.  To learn more about microorganisms and their interaction with the environment, visit Ecology.news.


naturalnews--2019-07-02--Scientists have found ANOTHER major problem with the plastic pollution in the oceans It harbors bac

Scientists have found ANOTHER major problem with the plastic pollution in the oceans: It harbors bacteria that can be transferred up the food chain

(Natural News) Experts predict that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish within the next century — a serious problem, considering there’s still a lot to be explored in their depths. The adverse effects of plastic pollution have been the subject of many studies, but according to marine scientists from the National University of Singapore, their impact reaches even higher up the food chain. In their study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, they revealed that the microplastics that pollute the ocean harbor microbial communities, including potentially pathogenic ones.  “Microplastics form a large proportion of plastic pollution in marine environments. Marine organisms may consume bits of microplastics unintentionally, and this could lead to the accumulation and subsequent transfer of marine pathogens in the food chain,” explained Dr. Sandric Leong, a fellow at the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute and the lead researcher of the study. “Hence, understanding the distribution of microplastics and identifying the organisms attached to them are crucial steps in managing the plastic pollution on a national and global scale.”  The NUS team conducted a six-month field survey and collected microplastic samples along the coastline of Singapore. To determine the relationship between human activity and the microplastic abundance, the team collected samples frpm three types of beaches: a pristine beach on a secluded island (Lazarus Island), a beach located in a seaside park (Sembawang Beach), and a densely populated beach beside the jetty of a sailing club (Changi Beach). After testing the samples, the team found over 400 different types of bacteria across all the areas where microplastics were collected. Some of the bacterial strains found include:  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  Despite the presence of putatively toxic bacteria in the samples, the researchers also found some species that can be used to combat plastic pollution. Erythrobacter, the dominant genus in densely populated Changi Beach, can degrade plastics, while Pseudomonas veronii is used for cleaning up oil spills, thanks to its ability to degrade harmful compounds like toluene and benzene. For co-researcher Emily Curren, who is also a doctorate student at NUS, the presence of these beneficial bacteria is promising in the fight against plastic pollution.  “Given the predicted increase in plastic waste contamination in oceans, the discovery of such bacteria provides important nature-friendly alternatives for the mitigation of plastic pollution and toxic pollutants such as hydrocarbons,” she added.  The study demonstrated that despite microplastics being less than 5 millimeters long, they could be home to diverse bacterial communities — some beneficial and some toxic. Further studies, according to the team, will look at where these bacteria come from and how they end up in the microplastics.  The NUS study primarily focuses on the bacterial community found in each piece of microplastic. However, it’s worth noting that these bits of plastic don’t just remain in the oceans — often, they find their way into the creatures that live in those waters, and ultimately, onto dinner tables. Many factors come into play when it comes to how plastics end up in food — sunlight, bacteria, wave motion, and seasonal changes are some of the processes that affect degradation. These factors, collectively called weathering, not only lead to the breakdown of plastics, they also impact how plastics are distributed and ingested by marine animals.  “Microplastics can get stuck in the gills, mouth, stomachs and the digestive system, making it hard for fish to breathe and eat,” explained Hans Peter Arp, a principal engineer at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute.  Arp, together with his international team, is conducting tests as part of their research to understand the distribution and influence of microplastics in the oceans. The project, called WEATHER-MIC, aims to improve environmental risk assessment, especially when it comes to microplastics. In particular, the project will study how microplastics affect oceans over time and the risk they pose to the ecosystem and the environment.  So, how much of these bacteria-laden microplastics make their way onto dinner plates? The estimates may vary, but experts agree that people are still exposed to microplastics from seafood to some degree. In Europe, a portion of consumer-grade mussels may contain around 90 pieces of microplastics, while a serving of canned fish can have up to five microplastics a portion. Sea salt, often touted as healthier than table salt, fares worse. Getting the recommended daily sodium intake from sea salt means eating at least three microplastics (of course, a lot of people eat more than the recommended amount).  These figures may look grim; that is, until you find out that bottled water has anywhere between two to 44 microplastics per liter. On average, a person can be exposed to double the amount considering we should all drink at least two liters of water a day, say health experts.  These days, plastic might feel like an invasive species, especially in our waters. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce plastic use or, even better, replace it with more sustainable options.  Remember, when it comes to plastic pollution: Out of sight should never be out of mind.


naturalnews--2019-07-07--Some bacteria can go into a zombie state to survive starvation

Some bacteria can go into a “zombie” state to survive starvation

(Natural News) A common species of bacteria demonstrated the ability to assume a “zombie” state when faced with inhospitable conditions. This survival strategy might explain why other microorganisms still reappear despite seemingly getting eradicated by antibiotics, starvation, or other factors.  Formally called “oligotrophic growth,” the state differs from normal dormancy. The bacteria remain active, but their cellular processes slow almost to a crawl.  Although simple unicellular organisms, bacteria possess a lot of complicated abilities. For example, many strains respond to harsh living conditions by forming an endospore around the bacterial body.  A coat made of durable materials, the endospore provides protection against antibiotics, cold temperatures, ultraviolet light, and other external factors that may harm or kill the bacterium.  Within the protective confines of the endospore, the bacterium enters a dormant state that doesn’t expend energy or needed nutrients. It remains asleep until its surroundings become more benign. Upon sensing a safer environment, the microbe emerges from its spore.  The ability to form endospores allows disease-causing bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment. A bacterial infection might subside after a patient took antibiotics, but the disease can return once the remaining microorganisms come out of their spores and begin increasing in number. (Related: Scientists study efficient photosynthetic bacteria to boost crop yields.)  Overseen by the University of Amsterdam professor Leendert Hamoen, an international team of researchers studied Bacillus subtilis. A benign strain of soil bacteria, B. subtilis is often used as a model organism.  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  The researchers picked a mutant variant that lost the ability to form endospores. As a result, they couldn’t retreat into a dormant state when faced with deadly conditions.  For their experiment, the researchers starved the B. subtilis variant and took note of the results. To their surprise, some bacteria survived the lack of food for long periods.  Deprived of nutrients and unable to form protective endospores, the bacteria used a different method to protect themselves. They throttled down cellular processes to low levels but didn’t completely shut down.  “We saw clear differences between the active state, the dormant state and this state,” explained Hamoen. “Normally, Bacillus is rod-shaped; but the starved bacteria shrank until they were almost spherical.”  Dormant bacteria enclosed within their spores did not display any signs of activity. But the mutated B. subtilis continued those activities at much slower speeds.  The B. subtilis variant underwent cell division once every four days. In comparison, a normal bacterium reproduces once every 40 minutes.  In the research paper published in the science journal Nature Communications, the team described this capability as oligotrophic growth. The zombie-like state allowed B. subtilis bacteria to continue growing in nutrient-poor conditions.  “The big question now is: do bacteria other than Bacillus know this trick too?” Hamoen brought up. “If so, this fundamentally changes our outlook on bacteria.”  Experts previously thought that bacteria relied on spores to protect them from antibiotics. But the act of creating an endospore uses up a lot of energy. A nutrient-starved bacterium might not be able to pay that steep initial cost.  Furthermore, bacteria are not guaranteed to emerge from their spores. Going into a dormant state is a risky option, although it is still better than perishing outright.  In contrast, bacteria entered and exited oligotrophic growth with much greater ease. The microbes also had an easier time producing new colonies after ending the zombie state.  B. subtilis was the first strain confirmed to undergo oligotrophic growth. If other bacteria possess this ability and use it to survive antibiotic treatment, researchers may need to reconsider the conventional treatment for recurring bacterial infections like cholera.


naturalnews--2019-08-19--Bacteria may travel around the world using air bridges explaining how superbugs share genes

Bacteria may travel around the world using "air bridges," explaining how superbugs share genes

(Natural News) Bacteria do not need animal or human carriers to spread. A Rutgers-led study suggests that microbes take advantage of natural air currents and use them as bridges to travel from one remote location to another.  The genes that encode antibiotic resistance in bacteria appear in many seemingly unrelated bacterial species. Even microbes separated by thousands of miles rely on the same DNA to protect them from antimicrobial agents.  Rutgers University researcher Konstantin Severinov oversaw a new study on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He and his colleagues suspected the existence of a natural transportation method that allows bacteria to move across the planet.  “Because the bacteria we study live in very hot water — about 160 degrees Fahrenheit — in remote places, it is not feasible to imagine that animals, birds or humans transport them,” Severinov explained. “They must be transported by air and this movement must be very extensive so bacteria in isolated places share common characteristics.”  The results of their study were published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. (Related: Yes, you can be TOO clean – and it’s making you prone to superbugs.)  The Rutgers-led study examined the DNA of Thermus thermophilus, a heat-loving bacteria that live in extremely hot areas like geothermal springs. The researchers studied the molecular memories of these microbes from their encounters with bacteriophages.  Bacteriophages are viruses that target bacteria. As the most numerous and widespread life forms on Earth, they exert considerable influence on the populations, communal organization, and evolution of bacteria.  In their experiment, Severinov and his colleagues took samples of T. thermophilus from different sites around the world — the gravel and hot spring on two different volcanoes in Italy, widely separated geothermal springs in northern and southern Chile, and the Uzon volcanic caldera in Russia.  When these bacteria get infected by bacteriophages, they store molecular memories of the viral infection in CRISPR arrays. These highly-specialized DNA regions hold tiny samples of viral DNA so that the cell will remember the event. If a bacterial cell survives a viral infection, it passes those molecular memories to its offspring.  By looking at the arrangement of these molecular memories in a bacterial species, researchers are able to follow the bacteria’s history of interaction with bacteriophages over time.  The researchers chose T. thermophilus because the heat-loving bacteria live in inhospitable environments found in remote locations. Therefore, the different bacterial colonies present in those environments are completely isolated from each other and have no way of directly exchanging molecular memories.  The researchers initially predicted that each isolated bacterial colony will possess unique memories of their previous encounters with viruses. Bacteria that came from the same colony might share the same history, but each colony obtained from separate locations should have different viral-related histories.  The researchers also believe that bacteria evolve at a rapid pace and should therefore be quite different from one another.  “What we found, however, is that there were plenty of shared memories — identical pieces of viral DNA stored in the same order in the DNA of bacteria from distant hot springs,” Severinov said. “Our analysis may inform ecological and epidemiological studies of harmful bacteria that globally share antibiotic resistance genes and may also get dispersed by air instead of human travelers.”  To get further evidence of their “air bridge” hypothesis, Severinov and his team plan to get air samples at various altitudes and locations around the world. He and his team will then identify and compare the molecular memories of the airborne bacteria.


naturalnews--2019-09-18--Intestinal bacteria help regulate allergic responses Researchers say certain microbes can prevent a

Intestinal bacteria help regulate allergic responses: Researchers say certain microbes can prevent allergic reactions

(Natural News) The good bacteria living in the gut of humans play essential roles in keeping their hosts safe from food allergies. A recent international study showed that gut microbiota taken from human babies and given to mice protected the recipients from developing allergy to milk.  The results of the animal experiment suggested that probiotic treatments may be able to stop the development of food allergies in humans. Furthermore, they identified the bacteria Anaerostipes caccae as the species responsible for the protection.  An earlier study conducted by The University of Chicago researcher Cathryn Nagler and her colleagues reported that the gut microbiome of healthy human babies do not resemble the gut microbiome of babies with allergy to cow’s milk. They followed up on their finding by looking for a causal relationship between intestinal bacteria and food allergies.  “These findings demonstrate the critical role of the gut microbiota in the development of food allergy and strongly suggest that modulating bacterial communities is relevant to stopping the food allergy disease burden,” explained University of Naples Federico II researcher Roberto Berni Canani, who served as a co-author alongside Nagler. “These data are paving the way for innovative interventions for the prevention and treatment of food allergy that are under evaluation at our centres.” (Related: Natural remedies for allergies.)  In their latest experiment, Nagler, Canani, and their colleagues acquired gut bacteria from healthy and cow’s milk-allergic human babies. They transplanted these microbes to germ-free mice raised in a sterile environment. To assist the bacteria in colonizing the gut of the animals, the researchers fed them the sources of nutrients, that is, the same formula as the infants before eventually exposing them to cow’s milk.  When the mice that received gut microbes from allergic infants drank cow’s milk for the first time, they experienced a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Germ-free mice that did not receive any bacteria and served as controls also had the same reaction.  On the other hand, mice transplanted with gut bacteria from healthy infants did not have any severe reactions to cow’s milk. The researchers noted that the mice appeared to be protected from cow’s milk allergy.  The results of the experiment led Nagler and her colleagues to surmise that gut bacteria regulate allergic responses to food antigens. They believe that therapies involving the modulation of gut bacterial communities offer a potential natural treatment for food allergies.  As part of their follow-up, they analyzed the microbial population in the gut of the mice. They looked for differences in gene expression between the healthy and allergic mice.  They identified Anaerostipes caccae as the species of bacteria responsible for protecting the mice from allergic reactions.  A. caccae belongs to the Clostridia class which are common gut bacteria. In 2014, Nagler and her colleagues found that other members of the Clostridia class offer protection against food allergies by promoting immune responses that stop food allergens from reaching the blood.  “What we see with this work again is how, in the context of all of the different types of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract, one single organism can have such a profound effect on how the host is affected by dietary components,” remarked Dionysios Antonopoulos, who was also a co-author of the study.  “We also get a new appreciation for the distinct roles that each of these members play beyond the generalization that the ‘microbiome’ is involved.”


naturalnews--2019-09-19--How can a relatively harmless gut microbe be dangerous to good gut bacteria

How can a relatively "harmless" gut microbe be dangerous to good gut bacteria?

(Natural News) Gastrointestinal health relies on maintaining plenty of beneficial bacteria while keeping the numbers of harmful ones in check. Singaporean researchers warned about a particular gut microbe that might disrupt the composition of good bacteria.  The gut contains trillions of microorganisms. Bacteria comprise most of the gut microbiota, but single-celled organisms and viruses are also present in considerable numbers.  Also called single-celled eukaryotes (SCE) and protozoans, single-celled organisms don’t draw much attention from researchers. They’re generally considered harmless.  However, a recent study by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) showed that the protozoan Blastocystis might be harming good bacteria. By doing so, the eukaryote undermines gut health and health in general.  Blastocystis is a common protozoan and a parasite. It enters the human body either through the consumption of tainted food or water, or via physical handling of infected animals.  In the past, several experts hypothesized that Blastocystis can cause infections in the intestinal tract. However, some patients who have the parasitic protozoan still manage to remain healthy.  Hence, the NUS researchers focused on a local subtype of Blastocystis designated as ST7. Unlike its relatives, ST7 harms gut bacteria, including beneficial strains that contribute to good gut health. (Related: The “missing link” between gut health and undernutrition: Fermentable carbs and protein.)  For their experiment, the researchers took samples of Blastocystis ST7 from the stools of a patient with gastrointestinal issues. They kept two separate cultures of the protozoan: one with benign bacteria like Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus brevis, and the other with bad bacteria like Escherichia coli.  The Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains count as good bacteria. They help maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining.  Bifidobacterium helps break down dietary fiber and prevents infections. Meanwhile, Lactobacillus releases lactic acid that kills harmful bacteria in the intestine.  Both strains are popular choices for probiotic supplements. People often take them to improve their gut health.  Published in the scientific journal Microbiome, the NUS study reported that the presence of Blastocystis ST7 affects the balance of gut microbiota. The protozoan encourages the growth of some bacteria and kills off beneficial strains.  Mixing good gut bacteria with Blastocystis ST7 led to the death of both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. This took place in both cell cultures and in animals.  The NUS researchers attributed the demise of the good bacteria to the production of reactive oxygen species. These harmful molecules are toxic to cells and bacteria.  The body releases reactive oxygen species when it experiences oxidative stress. This kind of stress occurs when free radicals outnumber the natural antioxidants that usually scavenge them.  The researchers also reported that Blastocystis ST7 supports the growth of E. coli, a strain of harmful bacteria that can cause deadly infections.  In addition, the protozoan damages the intestinal lining. Besides killing off good bacteria that protect this lining, ST7 triggers inflammatory responses in the gut. This leads to ulcers and further weakens the gut lining.  “This is the first detailed study to show a causal link between Blastocystis, a common [SCE] of the human gut, and the host microbiota,” stated NUS researcher Kevin Tan. “We reveal how it reduces the numbers of beneficial bacteria, which may, in turn, lead to an unbalanced gut microbiome and poorer gut health.”  Blastocystis ST7 infections mostly occur in Singapore, but some cases have also been reported in Denmark and Japan. The NUS researchers recommend more studies to figure out if this harmful protozoan subtype exists in other areas.  Conventional treatment involves taking the pharmaceutical drug metronidazole. However, the ST7 subtype resists the effects of the antibiotic. Researchers are now looking for alternative treatments.