Tag: biodiversity

The farming industry could greatly reduce its pesticide use. But using natural solutions such as messengers released by female insects is better still. The Nobel prize-winning founder of a California-based startup has developed a process to produce these messengers, or pheromones, from raw materials and bio-catalysts. When sprayed on plants, these mask the pheromones naturally produced by female insects,...

Algae can be used as cement, and help injuries to heal. Coral reefs, too, could use a little support. Enter a San Diego research team and its enticing new gel, comprising chemicals from crusty, calcareous algae. Their high levels of calcium carbonate attract coral larvae, which are essential for the growth and maintenance of reefs. Encased in nanoparticles made...

Mushrooms can play a vital role in computer technology. And are equally good at dealing with noise pollution. They also form part of an underground network which supplies trees with nutrients, helping them to grow. If trees are felled and uprooted, however, these networks also disappear. Now, an Edinburgh-based startup is restoring this ecosystem by preparing individually-tailored pellets containing...

Cataloguing insects makes sense, as they can be important for the surrounding environment. Not always, however. Which is why a startup from Glasgow is looking to target harmful parasites using biotechnology rather than chemicals. The project, which began life at Glasgow University, relies on lab recreations of natural proteins found within unwanted insects in order to use them as...

Animals don’t have to die for exotic leather products. It is, however, perfectly legal to use tusks from extinct mammoths for making luxury wood carvings, chess figures or jewellery. Since this type of ivory is mostly extracted from permafrost regions or near Polar seas, many elephants fall victim to the illegal ivory trade. It is impossible to make out...

Monitoring the fish population could prevent overfishing. Where industrial fishing is concerned, however, there is still room for improvement. Using satellite images and vessel GPS trackers, a US-based non-profit organisation collated 2 million gigabytes of data spanning the years 2017-2021. Data harnessed, in turn, to train an artificial intelligence that could map vessel activities and offshore infrastructure such as...

Birds use the earth’s magnetic field as their compass. But how do animals perceive their surroundings in general? Tortoises and insects such as bees can differentiate between red, blue and green and see ultraviolet light. Snakes can recognise infrared light. With dogs and cats, meanwhile, it’s only shades of blue and green. Animals also experience different intensities and gradations...

Image analysis can find hidden ruins or save elephants’ lives. But that’s just the start. A female-led startup in Nairobi is using satellite images and artificial intelligence to strengthen the continent’s agriculture industry. After all, around 60% of sub-saharan Africa’s jobs are dependent on it - most of them smallholders significantly impacted by climate change. The machine-based image analysis...