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Human Behavior

Hundreds of fish species, including many that humans eat, are consuming plastic – The Conversation US

Trillions of barely visible pieces of plastic are floating in the worlds oceans, from surface waters to the deep seas. These particles, known as microplastics, typically form when larger plastic objects such as shopping bags and food containers break down.

Researchers are concerned about microplastics because they are minuscule, widely distributed and easy for wildlife to consume, accidentally or intentionally. We study marine science and animal behavior, and wanted to understand the scale of this problem. In a newly published study that we conducted with ecologist Elliott Hazen, we examined how marine fish including species consumed by humans are ingesting synthetic particles of all sizes.

In the broadest review on this topic that has been carried out to date, we found that, so far, 386 marine fish species are known to have ingested plastic debris, including 210 species that are commercially important. But findings of fish consuming plastic are on the rise. We speculate that this could be happening both because detection methods for microplastics are improving and because ocean plastic pollution continues to increase.

Its not news that wild creatures ingest plastic. The first scientific observation of this problem came from the stomach of a seabird in 1969. Three years later, scientists reported that fish off the coast of southern New England were consuming tiny plastic particles.

Since then, well over 100 scientific papers have described plastic ingestion in numerous species of fish. But each study has only contributed a small piece of a very important puzzle. To see the problem more clearly, we had to put those pieces together.

This story is part of Oceans 21Our series on the global ocean opened with five in depth profiles. Look out for new articles on the state of our oceans in the lead up to the UNs next climate conference, COP26. The series is brought to you by The Conversations international network.

We did this by creating the largest existing database on plastic ingestion by marine fish, drawing on every scientific study of the problem published from 1972 to 2019. We collected a range of information from each study, including what fish species it examined, the number of fish that had eaten plastic and when those fish were caught. Because some regions of the ocean have more plastic pollution than others, we also examined where the fish were found.

For each species in our database, we identified its diet, habitat and feeding behaviors for example, whether it preyed on other fish or grazed on algae. By analyzing this data as a whole, we wanted to understand not only how many fish were eating plastic, but also what factors might cause them to do so. The trends that we found were surprising and concerning.

Our research revealed that marine fish are ingesting plastic around the globe. According to the 129 scientific papers in our database, researchers have studied this problem in 555 fish species worldwide. We were alarmed to find that more than two-thirds of those species had ingested plastic.

One important caveat is that not all of these studies looked for microplastics. This is likely because finding microplastics requires specialized equipment, like microscopes, or use of more complex techniques. But when researchers did look for microplastics, they found five times more plastic per individual fish than when they only looked for larger pieces. Studies that were able to detect this previously invisible threat revealed that plastic ingestion was higher than we had originally anticipated.

Our review of four decades of research indicates that fish consumption of plastic is increasing. Just since an international assessment conducted for the United Nations in 2016, the number of marine fish species found with plastic has quadrupled.

Similarly, in the last decade alone, the proportion of fish consuming plastic has doubled across all species. Studies published from 2010-2013 found that an average of 15% of the fish sampled contained plastic; in studies published from 2017-2019, that share rose to 33%.

We think there are two reasons for this trend. First, scientific techniques for detecting microplastics have improved substantially in the past five years. Many of the earlier studies we examined may not have found microplastics because researchers couldnt see them.

Second, it is also likely that fish are actually consuming more plastic over time as ocean plastic pollution increases globally. If this is true, we expect the situation to worsen. Multiple studies that have sought to quantify plastic waste project that the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean will continue to increase over the next several decades.

While our findings may make it seem as though fish in the ocean are stuffed to the gills with plastic, the situation is more complex. In our review, almost one-third of the species studied were not found to have consumed plastic. And even in studies that did report plastic ingestion, researchers did not find plastic in every individual fish. Across studies and species, about one in four fish contained plastics a fraction that seems to be growing with time. Fish that did consume plastic typically had only one or two pieces in their stomachs.

In our view, this indicates that plastic ingestion by fish may be widespread, but it does not seem to be universal. Nor does it appear random. On the contrary, we were able to predict which species were more likely to eat plastic based on their environment, habitat and feeding behavior.

For example, fishes such as sharks, grouper and tuna that hunt other fishes or marine organisms as food were more likely to ingest plastic. Consequently, species higher on the food chain were at greater risk.

We were not surprised that the amount of plastic that fish consumed also seemed to depend on how much plastic was in their environment. Species that live in ocean regions known to have a lot of plastic pollution, such as the Mediterranean Sea and the coasts of East Asia, were found with more plastic in their stomachs.

This is not just a wildlife conservation issue. Researchers dont know very much about the effects of ingesting plastic on fish or humans. However, there is evidence that that microplastics and even smaller particles called nanoplastics can move from a fishs stomach to its muscle tissue, which is the part that humans typically eat. Our findings highlight the need for studies analyzing how frequently plastics transfer from fish to humans, and their potential effects on the human body.

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Our review is a step toward understanding the global problem of ocean plastic pollution. Of more than 20,000 marine fish species, only roughly 2% have been tested for plastic consumption. And many reaches of the ocean remain to be examined. Nonetheless, whats now clear to us is that out of sight, out of mind is not an effective response to ocean pollution especially when it may end up on our plates.

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Hundreds of fish species, including many that humans eat, are consuming plastic - The Conversation US

Human Behavior

Hope in its rawest form: why pandemic literature provides comfort in times of crisis – Observer Online

When COVID-19 began, I was in the final semester of my senior year of high school. After my exams were canceled, I found myself, like many others, with more time on my hands. I turned to literature and the arts, as they gave me a refuge from the outside world. However, I noticed something interesting about the kinds of media being consumed.

For one, the sources of entertainment that seemed to be gaining popularity were those that contained infectious diseases themselves. Outbreak became one of the most streamed films on Netflix at the end of March 2020, andpublishers reported booming sales in novels that featured epidemics. In Italy, Camus The Plague tripled in sales, and Penguin had to rush a reprint in different translations in order to meet the rising demand across the globe.

At first, I didnt quite understand this peculiar phenomenon. For me, literature is a form of escapism, in which I can explore other cultures, backgrounds and lives that are distinct from my own. I am a traveler without a passport, unrestrained by limitations, but rather, boundless in the worlds I may enter.

To read literature that features pandemics themselves seemed counter-productive. We already are surrounded by doomsday themes in our everyday lives. Why would I want to add to the chaos, to the turmoil that is already ensuing? The influx of readership in dystopian and pandemic literature led me to question why we, as humans, gravitate towards books that depict such harrowing experiences, especially when these stories begin to resemble our own.

To answer this question, I began to read literature that featured plagues, including Boccaccios The Decameron.Although the work takes place in medieval Italy, I began to realize that despite the time gap between the setting and the current 21st century, the tendencies of the human behavior are eerily analogous to those of today.

In The Decameron, some of rich enjoy the arts in the comfort of their homes, experimenting with music and other forms of fine arts. The wealthiest of the lot flee to their countryside estates, leaving the middle and lower class to stay in the urban city and work, many of which succumb to the plague.

These class disparities existed long before the presence of the Black Death, but these inequities become amplified as resources become scarcer and more unattainable for many groups of people. Sound familiar?

Pandemics demonstrate the vulnerabilities in human nature, our fears of not being able to provide for our families, achieve our goals, or even survive. Humanity can become amplified by the heroic efforts of frontline essential workers and altruistic neighbors who shop for their immunocompromised friends. At the same time, goodwill can seem bleak, with fights breaking out in stores when inventory runs low.

Although news outlets throw the word unprecedented in every other sentence, I am reminded through reading such literature that we are not alone these same issues have occurred throughout history, both in real life and in the world of fiction. In a strange way, I am comforted by these characters, in that they face similar fears and worries as my own.

Literature and the arts as a form of comfort during times of uncertainty is not an unfamiliar concept. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel features a flu pandemic which devastates the world. In the aftermath of the disease, the main character joins a group that performs Shakespeare plays across the remaining settlements. Instead of surrendering to despair and futility in the obstruction of society as they knew it, groups of survivors form solidarity in performing plays for those who still live.

While the fine arts are not seen as something being essential to physical existence, after experiencing a year full of quarantine and isolation, it is becoming increasingly prevalent that implementing creativity and intellectual curiosity is necessary for ones mental health and well-being.

Art is an expression of what it means to be human. Consuming or producing art, whether it be literary, visual or any other kind, can help people process difficult events and form conclusions about both the world and themselves. It has the ability to heal and provide hope, a form of rehabilitation during a year replete with much trauma and suffering.

While dystopian and pandemic novels do evoke dark themes such as anguish, I believe that this kind of literature also has the ability to portray hope in its rawest form. Hope is not produced in contentment but, rather, when desolation is near. It is during these times of trouble that we hope for a world that is full of literature, books and the arts. In an age where many are silenced, confused and scared, when we find ourselves rooting for the protagonist who is attempting to overcome obstacles, we are truly rooting for ourselves.

Elizabeth Prater is a first-year student with double majors in marketing and Program of Liberal Studies. In her free time, she manages her goldendoodles Instagram account (@genevieve_the_cute_dog) which has over 23K followers. She can be reached at [emailprotected] or @elizabethlianap on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Hope in its rawest form: why pandemic literature provides comfort in times of crisis - Observer Online

Human Behavior

Written Submission to the UN Human Rights Council Intersessional Meeting on the Prevention of Genocide – World – ReliefWeb

This submission was prepared by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect an independent organization that focuses on conducting research, analysis and advocacy in relation to mass atrocity crimes. The Global Centre is the leading international authority on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and since its inception in 2008 it has expanded and deepened global support for the norm. The Global Centre plays a unique role at the United Nations (UN) as the only organization carrying out monitoring, research and advocacy on all current and potential mass atrocity situations around the globe, as well as working with governments, the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council to translate this research into actionable policy responses.

STRENGTHENING NATIONAL CAPACITIES FOR THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE

Modern history demonstrates that genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and/or crimes against humanity can occur almost everywhere. Genocide and other mass atrocity crimes are often the result of long-standing discriminatory practices, the targeting of vulnerable groups, patterns of violations and abuses of human rights and a lack of strong domestic institutions.

Genocide as a crime is distinct from the commission of other atrocity crimes as it includes the intent to destroy, in part or whole, an entire group. As history has taught us, genocide does not happen overnight, but requires planning and organization on the part of the perpetrator. As such, genocide is preventable if warning signs are taken seriously and followed by early action.

On a national level, risk factors for genocide and other mass atrocity crimes must be addressed through holistic policies and processes aimed at countering discrimination and marginalization. This includes strengthening legislative and institutional frameworks to guarantee principles of non-discrimination, ensuring the presence of various communities in political and public offices, and investigating all cases of discriminatory behavior or dangerous public discourse, even when practiced by popular politicians and leaders.

Governments should undertake the following measures to strengthen national capacities for the prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes:

1. Create a national strategy or plan for genocide and atrocity prevention

Genocide and atrocity prevention are domestic policy imperatives. It is a cross-cutting issue that is relevant to the work of various departments and ministries, including national security, justice, human rights, minority affairs, women and child welfare, education, culture, health and beyond. A holistic, government-wide atrocity prevention strategy can aid in assessing national vulnerabilities to atrocities, strengthening societal resilience and building structural mechanisms to prevent or respond to atrocity risks. A national strategy on atrocity prevention can also equip political actors with the necessary contextual knowledge on risks factors for genocide and other atrocity crimes to comprehensively assess policy options and timely and consistent responses aimed at protecting populations and holding perpetrators accountable. Such a strategy should be rooted in the principle of R2P.

2. Enact legislation that facilitates structural atrocity prevention

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) obliges states to take measures to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. Governments should expeditiously sign and ratify the Genocide Convention and enact domestic legislation criminalizing genocide in accordance with the Convention. States should also adopt domestic legal protection for vulnerable groups and communities to help strengthen their capacity to prevent or halt genocide and other atrocities. National legal frameworks should include the protection of minority rights and legislation against hate speech and incitement.

Minority rights protection. Minority groups are often the most marginalized and vulnerable groups within society and are most likely to be exposed to structural discrimination, racism and exclusion from participation in economic, political and social life. In addition to adopting domestic legislation that aims to protect minority rights, states should ratify international treaties that protect and enhance human rights to prevent discrimination, exclusion and hostility against members of minority groups.

Legislation against hate speech and incitement. One of the most important early warning signs of genocide is the proliferation of hate speech and incitement. Hate speech is rhetoric that marginalizes and targets people on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or race. In other words, it is language that demonizes people not for anything that they have done, but for who they are. Such dangerous speech erodes social cohesion and lays the foundation for violence against vulnerable groups. Discriminatory public discourse against communities based on their identity normalizes violence against individuals or groups who are perceived as threats, which may incite its audience to engage in greater violence and acts of genocide. Governments should enact domestic legislation aimed at preventing hate speech and incitement, while guaranteeing the right to freedom of speech. Furthermore, states should utilize the recommendations outlined in the UN Plan of Action and Strategy on Hate Speech to identify gaps and challenges on a national level.

3. Appoint an R2P Focal Point

Governments can strengthen capacities for genocide and atrocity prevention by appointing a senior-level government official responsible for the promotion of mass atrocity prevention at national and international level. Currently, 61 countries from all regions of the world as well as the European Union (EU) and the Organization of American States (OAS) have an R2P Focal Point and are part of the Global Network of R2P Focal Points, which meets annually to exchange best practices and strategies for strengthening atrocity prevention, including on a national level. Members of the Global Network include states that have never experienced mass atrocities domestically as well as states with populations currently experiencing, or at imminent risk of, mass atrocity crimes. The placement of an R2P Focal Point within a particular ministry or office is decided by each individual government, taking into account its structure and priorities, including whether the R2P Focal Points responsibilities are focused on national or international atrocity prevention. More information can be found here.

4. Systematically engage with civil society organizations

Although the prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes is the primary responsibility of the state, civil society organizations can be instrumental in identifying early warning indicators of genocide, providing recommendations for necessary action at a national and local level, and alerting the international community if governments are unable or unwilling to act. Therefore, governments should regularly call on the expertise of civil society, including through regular consultations with national and local human rights defenders and NGOs. Through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, governments should consult national civil society to identify existing risk factors for mass atrocity crimes and ensure that recommendations towards addressing risk factors are implemented across the domestic system.

5. Strengthen atrocity prevention with education

Educating government officials and the wider population is a crucial tool for domestic atrocity prevention. Organizing trainings for public servants and politicians on R2P and mass atrocity prevention raises awareness within institutions and improves their ability to analyze potential risk factors for atrocities, develop comprehensive policies, and identify and strengthen existing local resources to address risk factors. To build resilient societies, states must develop curricula that promote diversity and inclusion, foster social solidarity, prevent prejudice and acknowledge past atrocities. Governments can also strengthen genocide and atrocity prevention by translating the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes into local languages and organize public events to promote it domestically.

PROMOTING PARTICIPATION IN REGIONAL INITIATIVES FOR GENOCIDE AND ATROCITY PREVENTION

Regional organizations play a unique role in preventing and responding to genocide and other mass atrocities, as well as in taking effective collective action to protect civilians. These organizations are often best placed to guide multilateral action on situations emerging in their region. Such organizations may have a better understanding of political dynamics and are composed of neighboring states who may be disproportionately affected in the aftermath of atrocities.

6. Regional organizations should appoint an R2P Focal Point to work collaboratively on atrocity prevention with their member states

The appointment of R2P Focal Points by the EU and OAS were significant achievements that may enable more efficient and collaborative work on atrocity prevention among states in these regions. By appointing a senior diplomat as an R2P Focal Point, regional organizations can further strengthen multilateral action on emerging atrocity situations through its mechanisms and procedures. A regional R2P Focal Point can be crucial to enabling the integration of genocide and mass atrocity prevention within different sectors of the organization, helping to facilitate information sharing and creating linkages between different member states to regularly exchange on best practices and lessons learned. States that have appointed an R2P Focal Point should be encouraged to apply collective pressure on relevant regional bodies to encourage the appointment of a regional R2P Focal Point. Such an appointment would signal that the regional organizations can and will play a key role in responding to emerging crises by systematically applying an atrocity prevention lens to their mandate.

7. Utilize regional mechanisms to share best practices and develop preventive tools

While genocide and atrocity prevention, or a direct reference to R2P, may not be in the founding documents of all regional organizations, many of them operate within the spirit of mass atrocity prevention. For example, institutional mechanisms for providing technical assistance to member states and various regional field operations support the implementation of Pillar II of R2P. Collaboration among member states should be strengthened to regularly share best practices and develop relevant preventive tools. Preventing genocide and other mass atrocities by upholding R2P may also aid in defending the organizations interests in ensuring the stability and security of the region. One example is the EUs Integrated Approach to conflicts and crises, which ensures that all EU foreign policy instruments identify early warning signs and apply appropriate tools to confront emerging risks. Organizations should aim to further develop partnerships with different regional organizations to aid in the development of mutually supportive strategies for the prevention of atrocities, such as the African Union-EU-UN trilateral partnership.

STRENGTHENING EARLY WARNING, EARLY RESPONSE AND PREVENTION MECHANISMS WITHIN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM FOR THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE

Systematic violations and abuses of human rights often serve as early warning for situations at risk of escalation to atrocities. Human rights mechanisms and procedures, including Special Procedures, the UPR and investigative mechanisms, are uniquely suited to address these risk factors at an early stage. They are therefore essential for early warning of situations at risk of genocide and other atrocity crimes and can be vital to mobilize early response within the UN system.

8. Systematically utilize UN Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review to identify warning signs and risk factors

The HRCs special procedures mandate holders constitute key mechanisms for early warning and the identification of atrocity risks. Several of the 44 active thematic special procedures are directly relevant for identifying atrocity risks stemming from ongoing human rights violations, including, but not limited to, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, and the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. Six of the current country-specific special procedures are mandated for situations where populations are experiencing, or are at risk of, atrocity crimes, including Eritrea, Myanmar and the Central African Republic. The regular updates and recommendations by these Special Procedures can be vital to identifying genocide and atrocity risk factors and providing guidance on preventing non-recurrence. UN member states should systematically utilize this information to identify situations at risk and develop prevention strategies. The UPR also provides a unique opportunity for mainstreaming and institutionalizing prevention of genocide and mass atrocity crimes by encouraging states to assess atrocity risks and identify means to build resilience, including through concrete and context-specific prevention and mitigation strategies. The UPR further allows for the mobilization of international support through technical assistance and capacity building. UN member states participating in the UPR process should provide targeted atrocity prevention-related recommendations to other governments and, where applicable, provide assistance for domestic implementation.

9. Establish independent investigative mechanisms to ensure accountability and non-recurrence

Although investigative mechanisms are normally established in the aftermath of grave violations and abuses of human rights, they are not only vital to contribute to justice and accountability, but also contribute to non-recurrence by outlining risk factors that facilitated the commission of atrocity crimes. Investigative mechanisms, including Commissions of Inquiry, Fact-Finding Missions and Groups of Eminent Experts, have proven to be instrumental in providing analysis as to whether international crimes have occurred, supplying actionable recommendations for all relevant actors, and advancing accountability efforts. Some mechanisms have also been successful in the identification of the root causes of human rights violations and abuses. By directly applying an atrocity prevention lens, investigative mechanisms can broaden our understanding of patterns of behavior that enable the commission of genocide and other atrocities and outline necessary institutional reforms to prevent their recurrence.

10. Mandate HRC-mechanisms and procedures to apply the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes

The UNs Framework of Analysis is one tool available to expand comprehension of the early warning indicators of mass atrocities and can help enhance risk assessments, including through the work of Geneva-based mechanisms and procedures. When UN member states establish and renew HRC investigative mechanisms and Special Procedures, they should systematically include the Framework of Analysis in the mandates, asking the relevant experts to conduct a risk assessment of genocide and other atrocity crimes as part of their monitoring, reporting and investigations. The CoI on Burundi and the FFM on Myanmar used such an assessment, which helped alert the international community on existing structural and hybrid risk factors, warning of recurrence of atrocity crimes if they remain unaddressed. This can be vital to mobilize a response that specifically aims to prevent genocide and atrocity crimes. Where relevant, all HRC investigative mechanisms should also actively collaborate with the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect.

11. Support Special Sessions and Urgent Debates of the HRC to respond to deteriorating human rights crises

For country situations where violations and abuses of human rights rapidly deteriorate, the HRC may hold Special Sessions or Urgent Debates to address the escalating crisis and discuss options on how to respond. Yet, far too often, political dynamics in Geneva and beyond impede the holding of such meetings when the risk of atrocities is high. UN member states should respond in a more timely and decisive manner by holding a Special Session or Urgent Debate to increase international scrutiny on a situation at risk, receive relevant briefings by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other stakeholders and formally discuss necessary action to prevent further deterioration.

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Written Submission to the UN Human Rights Council Intersessional Meeting on the Prevention of Genocide - World - ReliefWeb

Biochemistry

Biochemical Clues Reveal How Some Corals Resist Bleaching From Climate Change That Is Killing Coral Reefs – SciTechDaily

A comparison of resistant (left) and bleached (right) corals. Credit: Courtesy of Ty Roach (HIMB)

Climate change is bleaching and killing corals, but researchers from Michigan State and the University of Hawaii are investigating how some can stand up to a warming world.

Coral reefs are beautiful and diverse ecosystems that power the economies of many coastal communities. Theyre also facing threats that are driving their decline, including the planets warming waters.

This threat hit extreme levels in 2015, when high temperatures were turning corals white around the globe. Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii was hit hard; nearly half of its corals bleached.

Hidden in the aftermath of this extreme event, however, were biochemical clues as to why some corals bleached while others were resistant, information that could help reefs better weather warming waters in the future. These clues have now been uncovered by researchers at Michigan State University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

It was kind of horrifying, said coral biologist Crawford Drury, who witnessed 2015s bleaching event from Florida before joining UH Manoas Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology, or HIMB. Its disheartening to watch, but I try to think of it as an opportunity.

How this disturbing event became an opportunity is now clear thanks to a February 8, 2021, report in Nature Ecology & Evolution that showcases HIMBs stewardship and MSUs biochemical expertise.

Coral samples were analyzed by mass spectrometry to investigate biochemical differences. Credit: Courtesy of Ty Roach (HIMB)

The researchers discovered chemical signatures in the corals biology, or biomarkers, that are present in organisms that were most resistant to the bleaching. This previously hidden insight could help researchers and conservationists better restore and protect reefs around the world.

Usually, we think of biomarkers as signatures of disease, but this could be a signature of health, said MSUs Robert Quinn, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This could help us restore reefs with the most resistant stock.

Corals are symbiotic communities where coral animal cells build homes for algae that provide them energy and create their colors. When corals bleach, however, the algae are lost and leave behind skeletons that are susceptible to disease and death.

This symbiosis also plays a role in a corals resistance and resilience to bleaching, which HIMB was in a unique position to investigate literally. The institute sits right next to the reef, enabling experiments in real time.

The reef is about 100 feet away, Drury said. I could be there in 30 seconds.

During the 2015 bleaching event, researchers in the Gates Coral Lab at HIMB had tagged individual corals to keep tabs on them. Because most of the corals recovered, the team could follow them over time.

We think about it as a biological library, said Drury, the principal investigator with the Gates Coral Lab. It was set up by researchers in our lab who knew it would be very valuable.

A view of coral reefs near Hawaiis shores, where bleaching was prevalent in 2015. Credit: Photo courtesy of Ty Roach (HIMB)

Following the bleaching, the team compared and contrasted coral samples in the wild, noting how the organisms responded and recovered, making some surprising observations along the way. For example, neighboring corals could behave completely differently in response to high temperatures. One coral could bleach completely while its neighbor maintained a healthy golden hue.

To understand why, Drury and HIMB postdoctoral researcher Ty Roach, the lead author of the study, sent samples to Quinn at MSU. Here, Quinn and his team could thoroughly analyze the biochemicals of corals collected from this biological library using a method called metabolomics.

Im known more for my medical work, said Quinn, who studies the biochemistry of health and disease in humans. But Ive always loved ocean science. My background is in marine microbiology.

If the coral samples are the books in the library, Quinns lab used sophisticated equipment to reveal the biochemical language within. In particular, his team used tools known as mass spectrometers to understand what set resistant corals apart from susceptible ones.

The corals are completely different in their chemistry, but you cant tell until you run the mass spec, Quinn said. These mass specs are some of the most advanced technology on the planet.

Quinns team found that corals that were resistant to bleaching and those that were susceptible hosted two different communities of algae. The distinguishing feature between these algal populations was found in their cells, in compounds known as lipids.

The researchers metabolomic analysis detected two different lipid formulations. Bleaching-resistant corals featured algae that have what are known as saturated lipids. Susceptible corals had more unsaturated lipids.

This is not unlike the difference between oil and margarine, the latter having more saturated fat, making it solid at room temperature, Quinn said.

This discovery poses all sorts of new questions for researchers: How do the corals get these different algae? Is this difference unique to Hawaiian corals or can it be found elsewhere? How can researchers promote the growth and proliferation of resilient corals in a warming world?

Mass specs are such incredible machines and reveal intricate details of the chemistry involved. The biology is really the hard part. Quinn said. Were working on new grants. There are so many avenues to explore.

This initial project was funded by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

This collaboration has been a great opportunity to ask and answer questions, Drury said. Hopefully, were just getting started.

In the meantime, having this chemical information is promising for coral conservation. When conservationists reseed corals to help restore reefs, they can potentially select more resilient specimens.

We can use natural resilience to better understand, support, and manage coral reefs under climate change, Drury said.

Conservation biology has some of the more successful stories in modern scientific history, Quinn said, pointing to the resurgence of elk in Virginia and bald eagles in Michigan. Someday, maybe we can add corals to that list.

Reference: Metabolomic signatures of coral bleaching history by Ty N. F. Roach, Jenna Dilworth, Christian Martin H., A. Daniel Jones, Robert A. Quinn and Crawford Drury, 8 February 2021, Nature Ecology and Evolution.DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01388-7

Funding: Paul G. Allen Family Foundation

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Biochemical Clues Reveal How Some Corals Resist Bleaching From Climate Change That Is Killing Coral Reefs - SciTechDaily

Biochemistry

Faculty receive grant for heart health research | The Source – Washington University Record

Weikai Li, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at the School of Medicine, along with Michael J. Greenberg, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and Michael L. Gross, professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences, and of immunology and of medicine at the School of Medicine, received a three-year $750,000 grant from American Heart Association for their research titled Interdisciplinary structural studies of iron homeostasis in cardiovascular health.

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Faculty receive grant for heart health research | The Source - Washington University Record

Biochemistry

Global Automatic Biochemistry Analyzers Market 2020 Growth, Latest Trend Analysis and Forecast 2025 KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper – KSU | The Sentinel…

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Biochemistry

U of A Researcher Wins Two Scialog Awards – University of Arkansas Newswire

University Relations

Robert Coridan, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Robert Coridan, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, recently received two individual awards totaling $110,000 at the Scialog: Negative Emissions Science conference, a meeting of Scialog Fellows sponsored by the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement and the Sloan Foundation. Coridan is a principal investigator on two projects honored by Scialog, "Using Electrochemistry to Improve Selectivity of Plasma-Assisted CO2 Reduction" and "Integrated Low-Temperature Electrified Process for CO2 Direct Air Capture and Transformation to Solid Carbon."

The 2020 Scialog Collaborative Innovation Awards were given to eight collaborative research teams, representing universities across the United States and Canada. Coridan is working with researchers from the University of British Columbia, the University of California, Irvine, the University of Rochester and the University of California, Los Angeles.

A Scialog (a combination of the words "science" and "dialog") is meant to help develop a research community to address scientific challenges of global significance. Scialog Fellows participate in annual meetings over the three-year course of the Scialog to develop collaborations and ideas to tackle these challenges. The Collaborative Innovation Awards initiate research into ideas developed at the meetings. The 2020 Scialog for Negative Emissions Science, held virtually in November, was the first to address solutions for the removal and utilization of greenhouse gases. Other Scialogs have considered topics from a broad range of scientific disciplines, including Advanced Energy Storage, the Chemical Machinery of the Cell, and Signatures of Life in the Universe. Funding for the research awards was provided by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Thistledown Foundation.

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U of A Researcher Wins Two Scialog Awards - University of Arkansas Newswire

Biochemistry

Scientists discuss inclusion and equity in biomedical research at virtual event – Vanderbilt University News

Biomedical researchers across Vanderbilt University will convene to discuss the history and impact of Black biomedical scientists on Monday, Feb. 15, at noon CT. The virtual discussion, From Inclusion to Equity: The Story of Black Biomedical Scientists, will be moderated by Dr.Andr L. Churchwell, vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

The discussion will cover discoveries and experiences of earlier generations of Black biomedical scientists, the impact of their discoveries, and existing disparities that the academic biomedical community still needs to overcome to reach its full potential.

Panelists areBreann Brown, assistant professor of biochemistry;Ren Robinson, associate professor of chemistry and Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellors Faculty Fellow, andSteven Townsend, assistant professor of chemistry and Deans Faculty Fellow in the College of Arts and Science.

Participants will be able to submit questions in advance through the registration page.

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Scientists discuss inclusion and equity in biomedical research at virtual event - Vanderbilt University News

Biochemistry

COVID-19 vaccines mostly effective against new strains, researchers say – The Stanford Daily

Following the global and local emergence of COVID-19 variants, Stanford researchers predict that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will continue to be mostly effective in the near future, though each of the new strains responds differently to the current vaccines.

Multiple variants have been identified to date, but the most concerning ones are the B.1.1.7 strain discovered in the United Kingdom, B.1.351 in South Africa and P.1 in Brazil all of which have already reached the United States. Recently, the new L452R strain identified in Denmark caused outbreaks in Santa Clara County.

While the B.1.1.7 variant is fully susceptible to vaccine-induced immunity, B.1.351 is less susceptible but still within the range where we expect some protection, associate medicine professor Catherine Blish wrote in an email to The Daily.

According to infectious disease clinical professor Stanley Deresinski, the Moderna vaccine has a six- to nine-fold reduced potency on the B.1.351 variant but no loss in potency forB.1.1.7. The vaccine efficacy rates for the other variants have yet to be reported.

However, researchers said that even if new mutations do render the current vaccines ineffective, they can easily be updated to block against new strains. Moderna has already initiated its Phase I testing for a vaccine booster dose against B.1.351, according to Blish and Deresinski.

One of the values of mRNA vaccines is that new ones can be produced in the laboratory within weeks, Deresinski wrote in a statement to The Daily. Jennifer Haller received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine 66 days after scientists in the U.S. were able to view the published genetic code of SARS-CoV-2.

Infectious disease clinical professor Jake Scott referred to the mRNA vaccines as nimble and strong to begin with. This offers some wiggle room even if the vaccines were six-fold less active, they would still potentially be effective, he said.

Next in line for approval are the Johnson & Johnson and Novavax vaccines, but recent testing indicated that they experience reduced efficacy against the B.1.351 strain from South Africa, according to sixth-year chemistry Ph.D. student Payton Weidenbacher. Weidenbacher is currently working in biochemistry professor Peter Kims lab to develop a nanoparticle vaccine that can be kept at less extreme temperatures.

While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine demonstrated a 72% efficacy rate in the U.S. but only a 57% rate in South Africa, it still offers complete protection against severe disease and death for those who are infected, Weidenbacher said.

Part of Johnson & Johnsons Phase 3 trial was conducted at Stanford, and the company sent their vaccine in to be considered for emergency use authorization last week.

Shifting the direction of vaccine research

The mutating SARS-CoV-2 virus is not an unexpected development but rather a completely normal progression of the disease, Blish wrote. Many vaccine developers have anticipated the emergence of variants and have already been tackling it in their research, she added.

Associate biochemistry professor Rhiju Das leads the OpenVaccine challenge at Stanford, working to design a highly stabilized mRNA vaccine that could allow the deployment of mRNA vaccines without freezing.

Das said that he and his lab have now started addressing the new variants, figuring out how to rapidly redesign the mRNA sequences in their vaccines to code for the emerging strains.

The real worry, though, is that more variants will arise that will completely escape the vaccines, Das said. Once they see the medicines were deploying, the viruses will be under pressure to evolve resistance.

Meanwhile, in the Kim Lab, Weidenbacher and his colleagues have started investigating the major new strains for their nanoparticle vaccine.

The big question that were grappling with is: what is the best variant to immunize? Weidenbacher said.

To answer this question, the lab is pinpointing the mutations that the variants have in common, which are likely the ones that have an evolutionary advantage and will continue to be found in future strains.

If three independent occurrences around the world have all elicited the same sets of mutations, it seems like those mutations are relevant to include in a new vaccine, Weidenbacher explained.

Looking forward, Weidenbacher said that people dont know if this virus is going to keep on mutating like the flu, or if it will hit some sort of plateau and converge into a single strain.

High mutational frequency is the reason why we need new flu vaccines every year and have not yet developed a vaccine for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Blish said. However, she believes its unlikely that we will require yearly vaccines because coronaviruses simply dont mutate as quickly as influenza.

According to Deresinski, the typical SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates at a rate about half that of influenza and a quarter that of HIV.

The news about these new variants coincided with the rollout of these incredibly effective vaccines, so its basically a kick in the butt to really do everything we can to vaccinate as many people as possible, Scott said.

Contact Athena Xue at axue8 at stanford.edu.

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COVID-19 vaccines mostly effective against new strains, researchers say - The Stanford Daily

Biochemistry

Named positions celebrate the work of Rochester’s faculty – University of Rochester

February 8, 2021

The University of Rochesters Board of Trustees has appointed faculty members to named professorships. An honor designed to recognize the national stature of a professors work, the named positions are part of a long-standing tradition to celebrate the work of Rochesters faculty as researchers, scholars, and teachers.

Recent appointments include the following:

Andrew Ainslie, former dean of the Simon Business School, has been appointed as the Benjamin Forman Professor in Marketing. Ainslies primary research interest is economic and statistical models of heterogeneity in consumer behavior and segmentation.

The professorship was established by an anonymous donor.

Hani Awad, a professor of orthopaedics in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, has been jointly appointed as the Donald and Mary Clark Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedics. The research of Awad, a member of the School of Medicine and Dentistry faculty since 2004, focuses on musculoskeletal tissue engineering.

The position is named for the late Donald Clark and his late wife Mary Clark, who were longtime friends and supporters of the University.

Laura Calvi, a professor of medicine, has been appointed as the SKAWA Foundation Professor in Endocrinology and Metabolism. Calvi retains her joint appointments as professor of neurosurgery, of oncology, of pathology and laboratory medicine, and of pharmacology and physiology. Her lab examines the cellular and molecular mechanisms of microenvironmental regulation of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow.

Established by the Board of Trustees in 2020, the SKAWA Foundation Professorship in Endocrinology and Metabolism is intended to support an endowed professorship in endocrinology and metabolism in the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Christopher Cook, a professor of orthopaedics, has been jointly appointed as the Dr. C. McCollister Evarts Professor in Orthopaedics. Cook, chief of the Orthopaedic Pediatric Division, specializes in pediatric orthopaedics, hip dysplasia in children and young adults, and complex hips.

The position was established by Mac Evarts 57M (MD), 64M (Res), a former Medical Center CEO.

Kathi Heffner, an associate professor of nursing, of medicine, and of psychiatry, has been jointly appointed as the Marie C. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson Professor in the School of Nursing. Heffners research centers on how social, psychological, and behavioral factors promote or impair physiological stress adaptation and immune/inflammatory regulation.

The Marie Curran Wilson and Joseph Chamberlain Wilson Professorship Fund has supported professorships that have historically included disciplines ranging from biology, economics, history, political science, medicine, and optical physics. Heffner and Feng (Vankee) Lin, included below, are the first Wilson Professors in the School of Nursing. The fund, directed by the Universitys Board of Trustees, is named for Joe Wilson 31, founder of Xerox, and his wife, Marie (Peggy) Wilson, a former member of the board.

Benzi Kluger, a professor of neurology, has been jointly appointed as the Julius, Helen, and Robert Fine Distinguished Professor in Neurology. Kluger retains his joint appointments as professor of medicine and as professor in the Center for Health and Technology. Klugers research interests focus on how palliative care approaches can improve the lives of patients and families affected by neurologic illnesses. He is founding director of the of the Medical Centers Palliative Care Research Center and Neuropalliative Care Division.

The professorship, established in 2019 by the Board of Trustees, was created at the suggestion of Paul Fine 57, 61M (MD), 66M (Res) by his nephew, Robert Fine, in his and his parents names.

Feng (Vankee) Lin, an associate professor of nursing, has been appointed as Marie C. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson Professor in the School of Nursing. She retains her joint appointments as an assistant professor of neuroscience, of brain and cognitive sciences, and of psychiatry. Lin is a nationally recognized leader in research on cognitive aging and dementia among older adults.

The Marie Curran Wilson and Joseph Chamberlain Wilson Professorship Fund has supported professorships that have historically included disciplines ranging from biology, economics, history, political science, medicine, and optical physics. The fund, directed by the Universitys Board of Trustees, is named for Joe Wilson 31, founder of Xerox, and his wife, Marie (Peggy) Wilson, a former member of the board.

David Mathews 94, 02 (PhD), 03M (MD), a professor of biochemistry and biophysics, has been jointly appointed as the Lynne E. Maquat Distinguished Professor. The Mathews Lab is interested in predicting RNA structure and developing computational tools for targeting RNA with pharmaceuticals and for using RNA as a pharmaceutical.

This new professorship, established in 2020, was made possible by the support of anonymous donors in honor of Lynne Maquat, the J. Lowell Orbison Professor of Biochemistry & Biophysics in the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Honey Meconi, a professor of music, has been jointly appointed as the inauguralArthur Satz Professor for the Department of Music. Meconi, who is also a professor of musicology at the Eastman School of Music, is an expert on Renaissance music as well as the music of Hildegard of Bingen.

The professorship is named for the late Arthur Satz 51a music major and the late president emeritus at the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID). The Department of Music in the School of Arts & Sciences is also named for Satz.

Huaxia Rui, an associate professor of business administration at the Simon Business School, has been appointed as Xerox Professor of Computers and Information Systems. Ruis research interests include social media, health IT, and optimal contract design.

The Xerox Foundation supports endowed professorships in manufacturing management and information systems management for both senior and junior faculty at the Simon Business School.

Giovanni Schifitto, a professor of neurology, has been jointly appointed as the Esther Aresty Granite Professor in Neurology. Schifitto retains his joint appointment as a professor of imaging sciences. Schifittos major research interests are in the development and implementation of novel neuroimaging biomarkers applied in the investigation and treatment of neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative, and cerebrovascular disorders.

Established in 2018, this professorship was made possible with a gift from Joseph Aresty, and the Catherine and Joseph Aresty Foundation, in honor of Joseph Arestys sister Esther.

Tags: Andrew Ainslie, Arts and Sciences, Benzi Kluger, Christopher Cook, David Mathews, Eastman School of Music, Feng (Vankee) Lin, Giovanni Schifitto, Hani Awad, Honey Meconi, Huaxia Rui, Kathi Heffner, Laura Calvi, medical center, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Simon Business School

Category: University News

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Named positions celebrate the work of Rochester's faculty - University of Rochester