Antibiotika aus Fliegenblut, Wundsalben aus Madenspucke, Enzyme aus Käferkotze – Forscher entdecken den Wert der Insekten für Medizin und Ackerbau. Von Philip Bethge Des Totengräberkäfers Geschäft ist Leichenfledderei. Immer wenn etwas stirbt, im Wald oder auf der Flur, krabbelt er heran, gelockt vom Odem des Todes. Aus einigen Kilometer Entfernung kann das kaum zwei Zentimeter […]
Tag Archives | synthetic biology
Sie lebt
Ein Spielfilm feiert Bernhard Grzimek als Naturschützer der ersten Stunde. Die Serengeti in Afrika war der Sehnsuchtsort des Zoodirektors, ihre Rettung war sein Lebenswerk. Was ist aus dem Vermächtnis des großen Tierliebhabers geworden? Von Philip Bethge – DER SPIEGEL 14/2015 – VIDEO Khetho Ncube hat schon viele Könige aus dem Dickicht springen sehen. “Häufig sitzen […]
Lieber naiv
Kommentar: Mit großer Gleichgültigkeit nimmt die Welt die Hiobsbotschaften der 12. Biodiversitätskonferenz im südkoreanischen Pyeongchang zur Kenntnis: Die Vernichtung der Vielfalt geht fast ungebremst weiter. Keinesfalls wird es gelingen, wie geplant bis 2020 den Verlust an Artenvielfalt zu stoppen. Innerhalb von nur 40 Jahren sind die Wirbeltierpopulationen der Erde um die Hälfte geschrumpft, warnt der […]
Hydropower Struggle: Dams Threaten Europe’s Last Wild Rivers
Europe’s last remaining wild rivers flow through the Balkans, providing stunning scenery and habitat to myriad plants and animals. But hundreds of dam projects threaten to do irreparable harm to the region’s unique biospheres — to provide much needed electricity to the people who live there. By Philip Bethge How did Europe’s rivers look before […]
Vultures lured back to Germany
Vultures are slowly returning to Germany, driven out long ago by an unwelcoming populace. At the behest of conservationists, loosened “carcass regulations” in Europe have made the search for food less daunting — but some still wonder if the birds will be able to survive. By Philip Bethge Griffon vulture number 259 is no longer able […]
The Second Cooing: Raising Passenger Pigeons from the Dead
The world has been without passenger pigeons since 1914. Now, scientists want to bring them back. Geneticist Ben Novak has embarked on the project and has begun collecting passenger pigeon DNA from natural history museums. His “de-extinction” efforts are not without critics. By Philip Bethge The eye sockets of the slender pigeon are filled with […]
The Wizard of Stem Cell Science: Robert Lanza and the Dawning of a New Era of Hope
Ethical worries have slowed medical research into applications for stem cells. But scientists like Robert Lanza have developed less controversial ways to derive stem cells from normal body cells rather than embryos and are already launching the first clinical trials. By Philip Bethge Stem cell researcher Robert Lanza hopes to save thousands of lives — […]
SPIEGEL Blog: Surrogate Mother (Not Yet) Sought for Neanderthal
An interview published last week by SPIEGEL with American genetic scientist George Church has sparked frenetic media speculation about a supposed plan to bring the Neanderthal back from the dead. Church feels his remarks were mistranslated, but it was other media outlets that twisted his words. “Wanted: Surrogate Mother For Neanderthal,” screamed an article in […]