Weekly Science Digest: Ears, Embryos & Energy

A team of scientists from the Medical Research Council have found a potential alternative treatment for ‘Glue ear’, a common condition in children that prevents oxygen from reaching the middle ear. Currently the only treatment is grommet surgery, which involves inserting tiny plastic tubes into the eardrum to improve ventilation during a short operation under general anaesthetic. The possible new cure is non-invasive and will aim to re-purpose existing cancer drugs known as VEGF inhibitors, delivering them directly to the area of inflammation. Although still in very early stages, the research has been deemed ‘groundbreaking’ and will hopefully contribute to a greater understanding of deafness while giving families greater choices in treatment and support.

New York University and University of Iowa biologists have identified a key mechanism controlling the early embryonic development that is critical in determining how structures, such as arms and legs in humans, grow in the right place at the right time. The lead authors found that a protein named Zelda is responsible for switching on groups of genes essential to development in a remarkably coordinated fashion. The researchers used fruit flies to investigate regulatory networks and discovered that when Zelda is absent, activation of the genes is delayed causing a drastic change in body plan such that many tissues and organs are not formed properly, if at all.

The Herschel Space Observatory has provided astronomers with evidence that enough water “to fill thousands Earth oceans” is to be found some 175 light-years away in the Hydra constellation. Using HIFI (Herschel’s Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared), scientists were able to detect a young star surrounded by a water-logged disk. The existence of the disk, which looks set to become a solar system, suggests that water-covered planets like Earth may be commonplace in the universe.

Scientists at the University of Leeds have identified a method by which the brain is able to protect itself when its energy supply runs low. Many regions of the brain constantly consume as much energy as legs muscles require during marathon running. When the energy supply from the blood vessels feeding the brain becomes compromised, the brain is able to trigger a protein that reduces the frequency of electrical impulses. The study could lead to new treatments for those at a high risk of stroke due to problems with these blood vessels.

Saturn’s moons, ice caps on Mars, a planet with two suns, the Southern Lights - The Guardian has taken a look back at some of the best images of space from the past month.

In this video, Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University discusses the future of meat production and his efforts to grow meat from stem cells in the laboratory. Professor Post hopes that his research will help to make factory produced meat a reality, thereby reducing the environmental impact of rearing animals for food production.

The 'Weekly Science Digest' is a compilation of science news from around the world. News suggestions are always welcome: mark.howardbanks (at) researchgate.net