What the scientists are saying…
Creating “meat” from thin air
A technology for making “meat” from air could revolutionise food production, says The Times. In the late 1960s, Nasa researchers discovered a class of naturally occurring microbes that can convert CO2 into energy (much as plants do during photosynthesis). The space agency spent time trying to use these microbes to create food from the CO2 breathed out by astronauts – but eventually abandoned the project. Recently, however, it has been revived by Californian start-up Air Protein, which is now cultivating the microbes – known as hydrogenotrophs – in fermentation tanks, and mixing them with CO2 and a blend of “mineral nutrients”. The result is a flour-like powder that is around 80% protein, and which can be mixed with other ingredients to create a meat-like substance, the company claims. “The world is embracing plant-based meat and we believe air-based meat is the next evolution,” said chief executive Dr Lisa Dyson. In theory, the technology could massively reduce the environmental impact of food production – since it doesn’t require any plants to be grown – and dramatically increase yields, as the “meat” only takes a few hours to cultivate. So far, Air Protein has experimented with a version of chicken – but it says its first product might just be a protein powder.
Plant hedges to protect children
Planting hedges around playgrounds adjacent to busy roads can reduce children’s exposure to traffic pollution, a study has found. Various schools have planted hedges around their playgrounds to protect children from toxins, but this was the first study to investigate whether their efforts are worthwhile. The researchers, from the University of Surrey, monitored the air quality on either side of a large hornbeam hedge that shields a children’s park in Guildford. They found that levels of fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) were significantly lower on the non-road side – and more than 50% lower in April, when the hedge was in full leaf. This, they say, suggests more hedges should be planted along busy roads, and in particular evergreen varieties, “to exploit their year-round performance”.
Hope for a nut allergy vaccine
An experimental vaccine for peanut allergy has performed promisingly in early trials. Developed by scientists at Stanford University, the antibody works by inhibiting a molecule known as IL-33 which plays a critical role in triggering allergic responses such as wheezing, hives, and anaphylactic shock. In a small-scale trial, 15 adults with severe peanut allergies were given the antibody as a one-off shot; 15 days later, 73% were able to eat 275mg of peanut protein – one nut’s worth – without suffering a reaction, and even after 45 days, 57% could. For reasons that are not well understood, peanut allergy rates have doubled in recent decades. Currently, the only treatment involves patients eating tiny doses of peanut, which gradually escalate as they develop a tolerance – a process that takes up to a year and can trigger allergic reactions along the way. “What’s great about this treatment is that people did not have to eat the food to get desensitised,” said Professor Kari Nadeau. She and her team are now planning larger trials; they also want to find out if the antibody works for other allergens.
A “killer” cell linked to long life
The secret to an exceptionally long life could be an exceptional immune system. Several studies into supercentenarians – who live past 110 – have revealed that their lives have not only been long, but also unusually healthy: from colds to cancer, they suffer far fewer illnesses than the rest of us. Now a small Japanese study has suggested that this may be because of their “killer” immune cells. The researchers took blood samples from seven supercentenarians and a younger control group, and used an advanced method called single-cell transcriptomics to examine their immune cells. Their standout finding, they said, was that the supercentenarians had an unusually high proportion of a rare kind of T helper cell. Most T helper cells act as sentinals, activating other immune cells when they detect invaders – but the CD4 CTL cell is cytotoxic, meaning it attacks pathogens itself. In the control group, only 2.8% of T helper cells were cytotoxic on average – rising to 25% in the supercentenarians.