PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New species of pāua found

2024-09-03
(Press-News.org) The naming of a new species of pāua further highlights the importance of biodiversity research in Aotearoa.

Described in a study led by the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the species, Haliotis pirimoana, is only found at Manawatāwhi Three Kings Islands, off the northern North Island.

Lead author Kerry Walton, an invertebrate curator at Te Papa who is undertaking his PhD in the Department of Zoology, says this is one of many species that are only found on Manawatāwhi.

“We are facing a biodiversity crisis. Species around the world are going extinct faster than we can discover and describe them,” he says.

“The Manawatāwhi pāua may not be facing any short-term threats to its survival but it is another indicator of how unique and important that region of Aotearoa is.”

Haliotis pirimoana resembles other small pāua from the North Island but the shell has finer sculpture across its back and a subtly different shape.

Published in the international peer-reviewed journal Molluscan Research, the study aimed to understand how many species of small pāua there are in the country.

To do this, the research team, including the Otago Department of Zoology’s Associate Professor Nic Rawlence and Professor Hamish Spencer, and Dr Bruce Marshall from Te Papa, applied new “ancient DNA” methods to shells from the collections at Te Papa and NIWA.

“These new methods allow short and damaged fragments of DNA to be extracted and sequenced with far greater efficiency than previous methods, unlocking the genetic secrets trapped in these precious specimens,” Associate Professor Rawlence says.

People can now more confidently discuss and interpret relationships between the different forms and populations of small pāua in Aotearoa, he says.

Professor Spencer says that biodiversity is critical, and effective resource and conservation management relies on having a robust underlying understanding of it.

“We need to know what species are restricted to a region and how they might respond to change. This allows decision-makers to identify vulnerabilities and best manage resourcing,” he says.

Mr Walton says while most species will not yield commercial applications, such as the next big pharmaceutical, people depend on biodiversity for new materials and medicines.

“Research in these areas is underpinned by biodiversity research, and it is our responsibility to protect biodiversity for future generations.”

While there is a decent level of understanding of biodiversity in Aotearoa, new species are still being discovered and more than a third of our known marine mollusc species are yet to be named.

“With pāua being the cultural icon that they are, we hope this work will raise a few eyebrows and encourage people to look more closely the next time they are at the coast.”

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

NFL PLAY 60 and the Nation of Lifesavers programs kickoff for 2024 season

2024-09-03
DALLAS, Sept. 3, 2024 — Today at Three Trails Elementary School in Independence, Mo. the American Heart Association, the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League (NFL) kicked off two programs rooted in proven American Heart Association science in advance of the 2024 NFL season kickoff. NFL PLAY 60™ supports students’ mental and physical health reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity are key to immediate and long-term health ...

Newly discovered antibody protects against all COVID-19 variants

2024-09-03
Researchers have discovered an antibody able to neutralize all known variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as distantly related SARS-like coronaviruses that infect other animals. As part of a new study on hybrid immunity to the virus, the large, multi-institution research team led by The University of Texas at Austin discovered and isolated a broadly neutralizing plasma antibody, called SC27, from a single patient. Using technology developed over several years of research ...

Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations may increase care engagement and quality among pregnant and postpartum patients

2024-09-03
Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations May Increase Care Engagement and Quality Among Pregnant and Postpartum Patients A new study found that Medicaid ACOs in Massachusetts were associated with increases in prenatal and postpartum office visits, postpartum depression screenings, and timely postpartum care. Despite recent declines in nationwide maternal mortality, the United States continues to experience a significant maternal health crisis, in part shaped by inequitable access to quality healthcare ...

Researchers discover mechanism that could control longevity, cancer cell production

2024-09-03
Researchers at UC Merced used fruit flies to uncover a cellular process common to many organisms that could dramatically impact the understanding of cancer and aging. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology Professor Fred Wolf, then-graduate student Sammy Villa and Genentech Vice President and Senior Fellow in Physiological Chemistry and Research Biology Vishva Dixit, discovered a mechanism that cells use to tune how much protein they make through the process of translating RNA into protein. “This mechanism may be responsible for changes in protein translation in stress, cancer, and aging,” Wolf said. Their work is detailed in the journal Nature ...

Department of Energy announces $142 million in grants to small businesses

2024-09-03
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced awards totaling $142 million for small businesses in 34 states. The 123 projects to be funded address multiple mission-critical areas important for the nation, including clean energy and decarbonization, cybersecurity and grid reliability, fusion energy, and nuclear nonproliferation.   American small businesses play a critical role in these DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards, which transform DOE-supported science and technology breakthroughs into ...

Re-creations of 1870s railway photos reveal profound change to Kansas, Colorado plains

Re-creations of 1870s railway photos reveal profound change to Kansas, Colorado plains
2024-09-03
LAWRENCE — A fascinating new book chronicling transformation on the plains of Kansas and western Colorado uses repeat photography — contemporary re-creations of 1870s photos — to reveal startling changes to the landscape. Its author isn’t just a photographer and veteran of years of “Kansas-ing” — his term for searching off-the-beaten-path curiosities across the Sunflower State — but also a University Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at ...

Rice lab develops protein assembly road map for gas vesicles

Rice lab develops protein assembly road map for gas vesicles
2024-09-03
HOUSTON – (Sept. 3, 2024) – As far as water gear goes, floaties are not exactly high tech. But the tiny air-filled bubbles some microorganisms use as flotation devices when they compete for light on the water surface are a different story. Known as gas vesicles (GVs), the micrometer-sized bubbles hold great promise for a host of biomedical applications, including imaging, sensing, cellular manipulation and tracking and more. The problem is researchers do not yet know how to make medically useful GV varieties in the lab. Rice University ...

Study: Late start of COVID treatment may still benefit immunocompromised patients

Study: Late start of COVID treatment may still benefit immunocompromised patients
2024-09-03
ATLANTA — Starting antiviral treatment as late as 14 days after infection with SARS-CoV-2 may still be beneficial in hosts with compromised immune systems, who are at greatest risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences.  While best to begin treatment earlier, in immunocompromised hosts, drugs like paxlovid and molnupiravir appear to inhibit replication of the virus even if initiated up to 14 days after infection.  The ...

Assorted, distinctive behavior of molten uranium salt revealed by neutrons

Assorted, distinctive behavior of molten uranium salt revealed by neutrons
2024-09-03
Assorted, distinctive behavior of molten uranium salt revealed by neutrons   The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a world leader in molten salt reactor technology development — and its researchers additionally perform the fundamental science necessary to enable a future where nuclear energy becomes more efficient. In a recent paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers have documented for the first time the unique chemistry dynamics and structure of high-temperature liquid uranium trichloride ...

NASA's mini BurstCube mission detects mega blast

NASAs mini BurstCube mission detects mega blast
2024-09-03
The shoebox-sized BurstCube satellite has observed its first gamma-ray burst, the most powerful kind of explosion in the universe, according to a recent analysis of observations collected over the last several months. “We’re excited to collect science data,” said Sean Semper, BurstCube’s lead engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s an important milestone for the team and for the many early career engineers and scientists that have been part of the mission.” The ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

From camera to lab: Dr. Etienne Sibille transforms brain aging and depression research

Depression rates in LGBTQIA+ students are three times higher than their peers, new research suggests

Most parents don’t ask about firearms in the homes their kids visit

Beer-only drinkers’ diets are worse than wine drinkers

Eco-friendly biomass pretreatment method yields efficient biofuels and adsorbents

How graph convolutions amplify popularity bias for recommendation?

New lignin-based hydrogel breakthrough for wound healing and controlled drug release

Enhancing compatibility and biodegradability of PLA/biomass composites via forest residue torrefaction

Time alone heightens ‘threat alert’ in teenagers – even when connecting on social media

Study challenges long-held theories on how migratory birds navigate 

Unlocking the secrets of ketosis

AI analysis of PET/CT images can predict side effects of immunotherapy in lung cancer

Making an impact. Research studies a new side of helmet safety: faceguard failures

Specific long term condition combinations have major role in NHS ‘winter pressures’

Men often struggle with transition to fatherhood amid lack of targeted information and support

More green space linked to fewer preventable deaths in most deprived areas of UK

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab improves outcomes for patients with soft tissue sarcoma

A formula for life? New model calculates chances of intelligent beings in our Universe and beyond

Could a genetic flaw be the key to stopping people craving sugary treats?

Experts urge complex systems approach to assess A.I. risks

Fossil fuel CO2 emissions increase again in 2024

Winners of Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2024 announced

A toolkit for unraveling the links between intimate partner violence, trauma and substance misuse

Can everyday physical activity improve cognitive health in middle age?

Updated guidance reaffirms CPR with breaths essential for cardiac arrest following drowning

Study reveals medical boards rarely discipline physician misinformation

New treatment helps children with rare spinal condition regain ability to walk

'Grow Your Own' teacher prep pipeline at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette funded by US Department of Education

Lab-grown human immune system uncovers weakened response in cancer patients

More than 5 million Americans would be eligible for psychedelic therapy, study finds

[Press-News.org] New species of pāua found