Tropical forests are chemical factories

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A new study led by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden has uncovered a surprising layer of diversity in tropical forests. Not only are the forests populated by a dizzying number of tree species, but each of those species takes a different approach to chemistry, increasing the array of natural compounds that provide important functions for the plants — and potentially for humans.

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Treating snail fever and swollen bellies with prawns

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Amit Savaia (left), went to Africa for three months to volunteer after finishing his first degree in science. With four other Israeli students from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, he helped build a computer platform to connect African farmers with their neighbors. What tugged at his heartstrings, though, was the problem of schistosomiasis, the […]

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Arab and Jewish Teenagers Grow Algae for a Greener Future

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Despite the many wounds that cripple cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian governments, Arab and Jewish teenagers work side by side to further algae research in Israel. Established in 2008, the Micro Algae Educational Project packs two important imperatives into one succinct program for high school students: ecology and social healing. Conducted in the Eco […]

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How Medicines Are Contaminating The Earth

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A Tel Aviv University researcher has found that drugs are contaminating the earth in more complex ways than previously thought The dangerous implications of chemicals on our health and the planet entered the public consciousness back in the 1960’s, and was influenced (in part) by campaigners such as Rachel Carson whose groundbreaking book ‘Silent Spring’ […]

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