The rush to edit the first human genome

Human genome editing – the process of changing a human’s genetic makeup to cure or remove genetic conditions – is an issue fraught with controversy. There are scientific concerns that genetic changes can give unpredictable results, while the ethics of selectively changing human genomes are also problematic. Recent advances in the technologies used for genome…

Rediscovered plant species: Telipogon jucusbambae

What is it? Telipogon jucusbambae, a rediscovered species in the orchid family. Where was it found? It’s endemic to northern and central Peru in South America, where it grows in Andean cloud forests. Local people call the plant ushun. And it’s been rediscovered? Yes. A type specimen was collected in 1965 by researchers from the…

The naked mole-rat that just keeps living

Ageing, whether we like it or not, is a fact of life. For most animals, including humans, all we can do to enhance our longevity is to hope for the best and live as healthily as we can. But the naked mole-rat, the longest-lived rodent species on the planet, didn’t get the message. New research…

Honeybees: natural wildlife or farmed livestock?

Ask someone to conjure up an image of nature, and a few things will probably come to everyone’s mind – a stream, some trees, maybe a little plant, and a bee working hard to pollinate its flowers. But scientists at the University of Cambridge are urging people to think again, and not to consider honeybees…

New plant species: Primula zhui

What is it? Primula zhui, a new species in the primrose family. Where was it found? It’s endemic to the south of Yunnan, China’s most biodiverse province. How did it get its name? It’s named after Professor Zhu Hua, a plant taxonomist, “for his great contribution to botanical research in tropical areas,” according to Yang…

The bird and the golf ball

A video has been making the rounds recently of a bird on a golf course, where it appears to be ‘playing’ with a golf ball. It’s an amazing sight, and something I’d never heard of before. It turns out that the bird in question is a red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata), a species native to South…

Dodgy sausages and the dangers of owning a cat: the 2014 Ig Nobel prizes

The Ig Nobel prizes, which celebrate “research that first makes people laugh, and then makes them think”, were awarded in a ceremony at Harvard University last week. 2014 marks the 24th time the prizes have been given. Past rewards have included a bra that doubles as a protective face mask and work on finding the…

The wrong plant?

Many of us at the John Innes Centre and the Sainsbury Laboratory use the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana for our research. Its small size, simple genome and rapid lifecycle make it an ideal model in many disciplines within plant science. From leaf development to interactions with pathogens, the wealth of resources available to Arabidopsis researchers…