Health

Malaria parasites manipulate mosquitoes

Scientists will attempt to find out how malaria parasites manipulate their mosquito hosts after discovering that smell could be a major factor.

In a study published in PLOS ONE today, a team of researchers led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine show for the first time that female mosquitoes infected with malaria parasites are significantly more attracted to human odour than uninfected mosquitoes. This was demonstrated in a laboratory setting in which infected female Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto mosquitoes were attracted to human odours…

Stem cell renewal process discovery

Scientists have made a fundamental discovery about how the properties of embryonic stem cells are controlled. The study focused on the process by which these cells renew and increase in number. Researchers found that a protein, which switches on genes to allow embryonic stem cells to self-renew, works better when the natural-occurring level of the protein is reduced. Reducing the level of this protein - called Oct 4 - did not result in reduced numbers of new stem cells, as previously believed…

Research reveals trade-offs’ between reproduction and lifespan

Research published today in the journal Evolution reveals how fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) that are subjected to continual competition from mating rivals, mate for longer and produce more offspring in early life. But they pay a high price - a shorter lifespan and reduced mating ability later in life. It is the first study to quantify the consequences of lifetime exposure to rivals. Researchers say that 'trade-offs' between reproduction and lifespan are common across the whole animal kingdom…