December 20, 2023: This parasitic worm steals its host's genes, what's behind an uptick in pneumonia cases, and AI identifies a new class of antibiotics. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | If a praying mantis becomes infected with a parasite called a horsehair worm, the parasite will somehow drive the mantis to drown itself in water. Researchers have discovered that to do this, the worm hijacks genes from the mantid that enable it to make proteins that control the bug's nervous system. The scientists found 1,420 of the parasite's genes that resembled those of their hosts, and these genes were most active when the parasite was manipulating the mantid's behavior.
Why this is cool: If confirmed, this would be the most extensive documentation of so-called horizontal gene transfer–where genes move from one organism to another– between two animal species. Such gene transfer is common in bacteria but rare in animals.
What the experts say: "That would be very amazing—to have thousands of genes acquired by horizontal gene transfer from the host to parasites," says Etienne Danchin, a biologist at France's Sophia Agrobiotech Institute. But the researchers need to confirm this observation and HOW the worm might achieve it. | | | Several states are reporting increases in cases of childhood pneumonia (China reported similar increases earlier this month). According to experts, the upticks might be a kind of readjustment back into normal virus patterns that existed before pandemic stay-at-home orders, masking and social distancing threw other illness rates out of whack ( flu all but disappeared the winter of 2020 and 2021). The time of year is most likely the cause, since living in close quarters helps diseases spread. Any kind of virus, be it RSV or COVID, can weaken a person's immune defenses, making them more vulnerable to getting a bacterial infection as well.
Why this matters: Though pneumonia is the number-one cause of hospitalization in children in the U.S., older adults hospitalized with the disease have a greater risk of death than those hospitalized for any other reason. Vaccinations for flu, RSV and COVID are most vital for this group.
What the experts say: "If you're in a high-risk group—you're older, you're frail, you have underlying illnesses, you're immune-compromised—you can get out your mask, and you can be more cautious when you travel or go to the supermarket or any indoor gathering of people," says William Schaffner, an infectious disease physician and a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. | | | • Fiber-optic cables buried in the seafloor off Alaska are helping scientists study the thawing of underwater permafrost, which could release greenhouse gases. | 3 min read | | | • We picked our favorite podcast of 2023 (it was also one of our most popular). This ancient 1,900-lb bird was nearly lost to history. Listen here. | 11 min listen | | | • DNA sequencing, GPS tracking and tailored diets are bringing New Zealand's endangered kākāpō birds back from the brink of extinction. | 4 min read | The kākāpō is a nocturnal, flightless parrot. Credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images | | | • This month, the first treatment using CRISPR gene-editing technology was approved by the FDA for sickle cell disease. As much of an achievement as this is, people with sickle cell, who are mostly Black, are often marginalized in many ways, including in health care, writes Janice Blanchard, professor in the department of emergency medicine at George Washington University. "I hope that we, as health care providers, can start treating people with sickle cell with kindness [and] compassion," she says. | 7 min read | | | • A lovely Q&A with NASA astrophysicist and Nobel Laureate John C. Mather (reading Scientific American inspired him as a kid!). | Aerospace America | | | • English speakers use "lol" or "haha" to express laughter in texts. Here's how other languages do it. | Rest of World | | | • A devastating story about one woman's three-year battle with long COVID--told using innovative graphics and scrolling. | The New York Times | | | If you're in need of some uplifting news this week, our editors stumbled across this Reddit post (Reddit is an online message board) asking others to list good things that are happening in the U.S. right now. Not only will some of the responses cheer your socks off, many are about advancements in science. I found myself googling several answers--apparently Maine is getting a new national park?! | What are the good things happening in your neck of the woods? Let me know at newsletters@sciam.com. And props to reader Cherilynn Morrow who quickly sent in the name of the next Hawaiian island in response to my pop quiz yesterday: Lo'ihi. Although its name was officially changed in 2021 to Kamaʻehuakanaloa (meaning "glowing child of Kanaloa," the sea god, in Hawaiian), it was known as Lo'ihi for more than 60 years. | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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