mind Africa's genomes

Africa has been left behind by much of modern biomedical science and biotechnology, so it is always good to see when new initiatives aim to spread the benefits to this continent, as the newly launched NeuroGAP and NeuroDEV programmes for psychiatric genetics do. However, one also has to watch out very carefully, not to create the impression that Western scientists extract samples and scientific insights from the continent in a one-way system. Empowering local scientists and building capacity in situ have to be important parts of any such projects.

I've tried to gain a balanced perspective of all this in my latest feature, which is out now:

Mind the genome diversity gap

Current Biology Volume 28, Issue 7, 2 April 2018, Pages R293–R295

FREE access to full text and PDF download




Sites in South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda are involved in the projects.
Credit : Susanna M. Hamilton, Broad Communications

do protected areas protect species?

My latest feature in Current Biology looks at some protected areas and which measures help to actually protect the threatened species in them. Examples feature Earthwatch research in Madagascar and Belize, as well as the work of Save the Elephants in Kenya.

Full text is freely accessible here (NB: my features remain on free access only until the next issue appears, i.e. normally 2 weeks, sometimes 3, and they return to free access a year after publication) :

PDF file

HTML text

Photo: Earthwatch/Ryan Cox.

mangroves and rainforests

There is a pair of Earthwatch lectures happening today at London, both concerning tropical forests under threat:

Forests: challenged by a changing climate
(follow this link to book free tickets)

Thursday 20 May 2010
The Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR
Chaired by Bernard Mercer,
Chief Executive of Forests Philanthropy Action Network

Speakers:
Dr Mark Huxham, Napier University
Dr Glen Reynolds, Royal Society SE Asia Rainforest Research Programme

6pm - Doors. Cash bar
7pm – Lecture
8.30pm – Cash bar

I have covered Mark Huxham's work on mangroves last summer (see here), and will cover the Borneo work soon, watch this space.

water crisis

Earthwatch is organising a public debate on water & drought today:

From Tsunami to Drought
Thursday 19th November 2009, 7pm-9pm (Doors/Cash Bar open from 6pm), The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR
Chaired by award-winning broadcaster and radio and television presenter, Andrea Catherwood

full details

Comments by four of the speakers have appeared in the Guardian.

Two related article of mine (on Earthwatch-supported research re. water resources in Kenya) have appeared in Current Biology:

Ebb tidings (2006, about Lake Naivasha)

Mapping hidden resources (2007, about a project to map water supplies and thereby reduce human/wildlife conflict)

climate change special

Today's issue of Current Biology is a special issue on "Biology and Climate Change", and very exceptionally I have two pieces back to back in the magazine section at the front.

First there is a news feature on climate change policies and debates in the US, UK, China, and Germany ahead of the climate change summit in Copenhagen:

Climate crunch year
As countries around the world prepare for the crucial climate change conference in December, China tries to boost its green investment, Germany debates the pros and cons of carbon sequestration, the US debate a groundbreaking energy bill, and the UK counts the cost of mitigating climate change in the developing world.
Current Biology, Volume 19, Issue 14, R537-R539, 28 July 2009
PDF file (restricted access)

The second is about an Earthwatch industry partnership to investigate how mangroves in Kenya can help mitigate the effects of climate change:

At the frontline
Mangroves are at the frontline in the fight against the consequences of climate change.
Current Biology, Volume 19, Issue 14, R539-R540, 28 July 2009
PDF file (restricted access)

catching up

A round-up of pieces that appeared while I was travelling (and giving lectures) in Germany:

Fence protection progress Current Biology 19, No. 12, page R465 abstract and restricted access to pdf file
This one is about the electric fence protecting the Aberdare Reserve in Kenya -- originally built for rhinos and elephants, but now mainly protecting woods and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Spinout stories Chemistry & Industry No. 12, 22.6., page 29.
Review of the book Spin outs, by Graham Richards. A snippet:

In this little book, part memoir, part advice to future academic spin-out founders, he very briefly sketches his involvement with Oxford Molecular and with Oxford’s wider technology transfer activities, along with the briefest of mentions of related activities in the UK, such as the British Technology Group, later BTG.

Chemistry & Industry No. 12, 22.6., page 31
Review of the book Origin of life, by Piet Herdewijn and M. Volkan Kisakürek.
Snippet:

Maybe the most original and influential thinker on the origin of life over the last couple of decades is Günter Wächtershäuser, a patent attorney who came to the field as a hobby researcher drawing up new theories in his spare time. His chapter in the book is definitely worth reading, even if it leaves the reader with the frustrating thought that if Wächtershäuser can’t crack the conundrum, nobody can.

sitting on the fence

If this is Tuesday, I'm in Jena today, speaking at the GDCh colloquium.

Today's issue of Current Biology (Volume 19, Issue 12) should contain my piece on the fence around Aberdare Reserve in Kenya, which is being completed this year and has been praised for reducing human-wildlife conflict and protecting not just rhinos and elephants, but also important water resources.