When Three is Not a Crowd

News that the UK Government is supporting IVF technology that involves embryos receiving DNA from 3 parents is very welcome (http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jun/28/uk-government-ivf-dna-three-people). The procedure would be used to eliminate mitochondrial disease (mitochondria are the 'powerhouses' of all our cells, enabling us to breakdown glucose, in respiration, to generate energy fuelling living processes), a condition that is often fatal in childhood. The mitochondria have their own DNA and babies only receive this from their mothers (the egg is much bigger than the sperm). The technologies would involve either placing the mother's nucleus in a donor egg with healthy mitochondria before fertilisation or placing the 2 parent's fertilisation product into the donor egg. There is, of course, an ethical debate about the use of these techniques but there has been little reference to the so-called 'endosymbiosis hypothesis'. One idea suggests that the sausage-shaped mitochondria with their polo-mint like DNA are actually bacteria that have chosen to live inside the cells of animals and plants. In this symbiotic relationship, the bacterium gains a stable environment with plentiful glucose and the host organism gains a much more efficient means of generating energy (ATP) to power life processes. If this is true, the 0.2% of DNA in the mitochondria is not really part of the human genome anyhow!

The Way of the Dinosaurs

So the plaster of Paris model of the American Diplodicus in the atrium of the British Museum of Natural History is to be replaced by an actual skeleton of a Blue whale (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31025229). I suppose that suspending the new addition to the ceiling will give more space in this area for exhibits and folk. It's not a bad move but I will miss the old faker!

Fracking: They Don't Seem Able to Let Go?

Given the arguments e.g. the 1) amount of gas that can be economically (along with the falling oil price) extracted in the UK; 2) possible effects on climate change; 3) potential negative effects on the water table and the organisms dependent on it; 4) occasional seismic events linked to the activity; 5) claimed disturbance to human and animal populations etc, the government (and the drilling industries it seems to be encouraging) seem remarkably resistant to changing their policies in their 'drive for shale gas'. Some of these issues have been explored in the press (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/27/shale-gas-alternatives-environmental-economic-impact-fracking) but the basic 'song' remains the same.

Rats!

The Brown rat eradication project on the Antarctic Island of South Georgia is back in the news (http://www.sgisland.gs/index.php/%28e%29Eradication_Of_Rodents) with coverage of plans to more-or-less cover the island with baited rat poison with the help of 3 helicopters. The rats got to the island via whaling activities in times gone by and have thrived in this location largely by feeding on the eggs and chicks of the ground-nesting (obviously) bird colonies. This anthropogenic effect is decimating the bird populations. The only thing that worries me about this story is that it comes around again and again. I have seen reports, from at least as far back as 2011, suggesting imminent success in the eradication process. Rats are, however, remarkably resilient and seem to be resisting the herculean efforts of the conservationists. The Brown rat is  good at constructing warm tunnels and is a skilled climber (hence their ability to climb the riggings of sailing ships). These features (along with its impressive reproductive rate) enable the species to threaten indigenous  island populations in many parts of the world.

'Wild at Heart' Applies to All Animals?

The new BBC series on the 'natural behaviour' of our companion animals or pets uses several interesting techniques and is quite graphic (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b050d3fx). The remarkable thing, however, is that, if you look carefully, you can see evidence of species-typical behaviour in all domesticated animals including those used in agriculture and laboratories. In deed, such behaviour often gives one a good idea on how to supply the best environments (ones in which they can express as much as possible of their normal behaviour-so long as it is not damaging in other respects-as can be achieved).

Seeing the Changes 929

At Penclacwydd, Hazel (Corylus avellana) revealed both male and female flowers.

Fracking Good Time?

There is a detailed account of the debate that is developing in the NW of England where the first UK fracking sites appear to be on the verge of trialling (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/17/lancashire-fracking-revolution-uk-shale-gas-exploration-cuadrilla-fylde-blackpool). It is clearly an emotive subject with masses of claims and counter claims but I can't help feeling that with a) the bottom falling out of oil prices and b) the claimed need to leave petrochemical reserves in situ if one is to have any chance of limiting global warming, now is not a good time to persist with this development. We will clearly be in a much better position to weigh the pros and cons when we see what has happened in the USA over several years (if they haven't managed to exceed the warming targets for us). Some of the inducements directed to the fracking companies could probably be more effectively directed to encouraging home insulation and developing solar power.