BBC_Knowledge_2014-06_Asia_100p

Compared to their land-based

cabbage-bothering cousins, aquatic

cone snails are tough guys. They hunt

by firing harpoons laced with toxins

into fish or marine worms before

drawing them into their mouths.

However, this venom, known as

conotoxin, could be developed into

an effective treatment for chronic

neuropathic pain, an excruciating

condition often triggered by diabetes

or multiple sclerosis that can last for

months or even years.

The substance is 100 times more

potent than treatments such as

morphine.

Snail venom

painkiller

Silk to repair

broken bones

It may be prized by the fashion

industry for its floaty elegance and

natural shimmer, but now scientists

at Tufts University, USA, have found

a new use for silk: fixing broken

bones.

The team successfully repaired

injured lab rats using screws and

plates made from protein derived

from silkworm

cocoons. Unlike

the metal alloys

traditionally used,

silk can be absorbed

by the body over

time, reducing the

likelihood of infection

and the need for

further operations.

We all feel stomach pangs brought on

by hunger, but some feel them more than

others. But scientists at Harvard University

may be able to help. They previously

found that a group of nerves in the brain,

known as agouti-related peptide-expressing

neurones, cause mice to eat voraciously

when triggered. They have now linked these

neurones to the paraventricular nucleus,

a part of the brain that governs the feeling

of fullness. The discovery could lead to

treatments for eating disorders and obesity.

Controlling your hunger

Along with rising sea levels, extreme

weather, and changes in temperature,

light and rainfall, climate change

could also wreak havoc on the Earth’s

plant life. Researchers at London’s

Queen Mary University have produced

a method that enables them to

determine how light-sensitive plants

are by measuring the fluorescence

of the sunlight-absorbing chlorophyll

stored in their leaves. The team says

the findings

could help

farmers to breed

hardier crops.

Light-proof

plants

What do you look for in an ideal

partner? Well, dialogue expert Molly

Ireland has found that meeting

someone who talks like you may be

the best way to find love. She studied

40 speed dates and found that couples

who used ‘function words’ such as

‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘but’ in the same way

were more likely to go on a second

date. The findings could improve the

effectiveness of online dating services.

The language

of love

A plant’s fluorescence

is measured

One of the silk

screws used

A fish succumbs

to the deadly

cone snail

hehe

nnfefectioction n

ddfforor

nsns..

THAT WILL SHAPE THE FUTURE