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Kyushu University researchers have identified the gene behind orange cat coats: Arhgap36, as published in a pre-publication article. While other animals have protein that controls color, cats’ color patterns are controlled by the physical location of the gene (or gene locus) which blocks black pigment (eumelanin), revealing orange tones. This discovery helps further our understanding feline genetics.
Rats are smart enough to be wary of a new robot trying to act as one of them. However, a robot rat can be programmed to make the real ones react which is useful for social behavior studies. Thanks to enhanced AI, a robo-rat developed by the Beijing Institute of Technology was more socially acceptable to the real rats. Covering the robot in the rats’ smell (by using urine) also helped it to blend in.
The gut microbiome is increasingly being implicated in many disease pathways. Now research from Singapore National University Hospital has seen that disrupting the gut-brain axis through long-term antibiotic may raise Parkinson's risk. The study looked at almost 300,000 people and found that exposure of more than 120 days was linked to a 29-37% higher risk of developing the neurological disease.
Plastic pollution is not only unsightly but can harm coral reefs by weakening their skeletons. National Sun Yat-sen University scientists who studied the damaged corals compared it to osteoporosis in humans. Tiny plastic particles in seawater penetrate and damage coral's structure, making them fragile.
