Seeing the Changes 1127

Maple (Acer sp) colours for Autumn.

Seeing the Changes 1126

Visited, in Loughor, by a Feathered thorn (Colotois pennaria).

Leapers?

It has been confirmed that Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) over all their now minimal UK habitats are infected with the disfiguring leprosy bacterium (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/10/leprosy-revealed-in-red-squirrels-across-british-isles), although there are different strains of the pathogen in the separated populations. It seems that this agent has persisted in these animals for hundreds of years (it cannot be treated as the squirrels would have to be injected with antibiotics 3 times per day). infection of humans is unlikely (the last recorded case in humans on these islands was in 1798) but, obviously, care should be taken when handling them. The beast is by no means as 'cuddly' as it is sometimes portrayed

Seeing the Changes 1125

Late Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) in flower in Loughor in spite of the odd frost.

Put Your Back Into It!

A recent NASA report suggests that the back problems encountered by around 70% of astronauts who have experienced long-term space travel are associated with a wasting of tiny muscles that surround the spine (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/25/long-term-space-flight-gives-astronauts-extra-inches-and-back-problems). The extra 'couple of inches' in height that they return to earth with seem a consequence of a straightening of the spine under reduced gravity and are soon lost. Swelling of the discs between the vertebrae don't appear to be the actual source of their back problems (although they were initially suspected). This suggests that 'manned' flights (obviously long-term) to Mars would be problematic but some experts believe that yoga might help limit the muscle atrophy.

'New' Bioinspiration?

There is an interesting account of 'biotechnology' scientists taking inspiration from the feet of geckos and nematocysts of jellyfish to solve medical dilemmas such as developing to glue to repair a hole in a beating heart or to make a device to 'collect' persisting cancer cells in passing blood of 'cured' patients (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/25/bioinspiration-thrilling-new-science-could-transform-medicine). These are certainly important developments but the idea of finding solutions to human problems in areas of 'pure Biology' is by no means new. Some 40 years ago, I remember sitting through a Swansea lecture by Ernst Chain (a co-recipient of the 1945 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work on the purification and mass production of penicillin) who made exactly the same point (that nature often has developed solutions to problems and, if you know where to look, you can sometimes adapt them for medical problems). I think that the 'take home message' is that pure research, rather than being ivory tower activity, often yields greater advances than applied efforts. 

Seeing the Changes 1124

More fungus in Bynea. This time it's Suillus luteus.