Pronghorns making a comeback in Mexico, pterosaurs in Brazil, and praying for dryland in Panama.

ARGENTINA Argentina’s National University of Río Cuarto has developed an inoculant that hopes to improve sunflower growth under drought conditions. The technology consists of strains of the soil bacteria Bacillus pumilus (SF3 and SF4) and the endophytic (living in the plant) bacteria Achromobacter xylosoxidans (SF2) isolated from sunflowers under drought conditions. After fermenting these bacteria … Continue reading Pronghorns making a comeback in Mexico, pterosaurs in Brazil, and praying for dryland in Panama.

Peruvian mummies had clogged arteries, improving biofuels in Argentina and supporting coffee research in Costa Rica.

ARGENTINA Scientists at the Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires have determined that the use of the herbicide glyphosate is unnecessary for stimulating grass growth in Argentina. Winter is a critical season for grass production on the plains outside Buenos Aires and the period also coincides with calving cows, meaning grass needs to be available. Through … Continue reading Peruvian mummies had clogged arteries, improving biofuels in Argentina and supporting coffee research in Costa Rica.

Monarch butterfly numbers have fallen by 59 percent, Chile inaugurates its ALMA telescope, and Central America expands GMO food production.

ARGENTINA Argentina’s government has created two new marine protected areas in Patagonia: Isla Pingüino Coastal Marine Park and Makenke Coastal Marine Park. Isla Pingüino covers nearly 1,800 square kilometers (720 square miles) of ocean and coastline while Makenke covers 600 square kilometers (230 square miles). The areas will protect red-legged cormorants, sea lions, penguins, and dolphins, among … Continue reading Monarch butterfly numbers have fallen by 59 percent, Chile inaugurates its ALMA telescope, and Central America expands GMO food production.

Developing probiotics in Argentina, using bees to pollinate coffee in Colombia, and the toxic effects of dispersants on coral in the Gulf of Mexico.

ARGENTINA Argentine researchers have developed a probiotic powder which includes bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus. This additive, which can be preserved up to a year with refrigeration, can be added to foods and liquids to “help with the nutritional deficiencies of the most vulnerable such as children and the elderly,” said the scientists from the … Continue reading Developing probiotics in Argentina, using bees to pollinate coffee in Colombia, and the toxic effects of dispersants on coral in the Gulf of Mexico.

Controlling corn pests in Argentina and Mexico, the coffee growers’ strike in Colombia, and orcas beached off Chile’s Patagonia coast.

ARGENTINA Diabrotica, better known as the corn rootworm, is a pest beetle that causes major losses in the corn crop. Because the larvae develop underground, root growth is hindered and yield is affected. To control the pest, researchers have developed Diabrotica-resistant transgenics and rotated crops to disrupt their lifecycle. Scientists from the University of Buenos … Continue reading Controlling corn pests in Argentina and Mexico, the coffee growers’ strike in Colombia, and orcas beached off Chile’s Patagonia coast.

Mexico City taps into one of the world’s deepest aquifers, Peru’s hemorrhaging anchovy fishery and growing diverse crops in Bolivia.

ARGENTINA Argentine scientists have identified hotspots of mosquito breeding in the country’s northern provinces. The research is part of an effort to eliminate populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, famous in Latin America for carrying the dengue virus. Writing in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers created a predictive map that outlined where mosquitoes were … Continue reading Mexico City taps into one of the world’s deepest aquifers, Peru’s hemorrhaging anchovy fishery and growing diverse crops in Bolivia.

Burial chamber discovered in the middle of Machu Picchu, recording sounds for posterity in Mexico, and coffee rust continues to devastate plantations.

ARGENTINA Argentine researchers are part of an international consortium that is developing new drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). The scientists identified a gene, FapR, which inhibits the synthesis of lipids—fats required by bacteria to build new cells. The research was published in the journal PLoS Pathogens. BOLIVIA UPDATE: The story … Continue reading Burial chamber discovered in the middle of Machu Picchu, recording sounds for posterity in Mexico, and coffee rust continues to devastate plantations.

Thursday January 10

Ending hunger in Latin America, Colombia declares a new natural park, and Chile studies pollution and commuters ARGENTINA An individual from a rare species of armadillo was found by scientists outside Bahia Blanca, Argentina, though it died soon after discovery. The pink fairy armadillo is the smallest species of armadillo and is seldom found in … Continue reading Thursday January 10

Thursday December 27

Hunter fined in Argentina for killing endangered marsh deer, loss of microbial diversity in the Amazon, and Nicaragua’s San Cristobal volcano forces evacuations ARGENTINA A hunter has been fined close to $10,000 for killing a marsh deer in northern Argentina. The deer—which is South America’s largest—was shot in Esteros del Ibera, a wetlands in the … Continue reading Thursday December 27

Thursday December 20

Peru’s threatened anchovy fishery, new dinosaur found in Argentina, and Antarctica’s mosquito problem. ANTARCTICA An invasive species of mosquito (Eretmoptera murphyi) has been found in Antarctica and has some scientists worried about its effect on the continent. The mosquito, brought over by tourists and researchers alike, could deposit large amounts of nutrients in the soil … Continue reading Thursday December 20

Thursday November 29

Climate change is affecting Colombian coffee, Brazil struggles with biofuels, and how penguins forage in Tierra del Fuego. ARGENTINA Argentine scientists are studying foraging behavior of Magellanic penguins in the Beagle Channel off the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego. The birds seem to forage in three stages: for the first and third the penguins … Continue reading Thursday November 29

Thursday November 22

Fossils of giant penguin found in Antarctica, fighting citrus greening disease in Brazil, Mexico and U.S. sign water-sharing deal for Colorado River ARGENTINA Argentine scientists have found fossils of a giant penguin in Antarctica. At two meters tall, the researchers estimate that the species is the largest ever found. The fossils date back 34 million … Continue reading Thursday November 22

Thursday November 15

Poisoning rats in the Galapagos Islands, looking for natural antibiotics in Patagonian frogs and dengue fever in Peru. ARGENTINA Scientists in Patagonia are looking at the compounds frogs and toads secrete for antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. With the mounting antibiotic arms race against drug-resistant ‘super’ bacteria, scientists are looking for natural sources of antimicrobials … Continue reading Thursday November 15

Thursday November 8

Patagonian ozone hole affecting forest growth, melting tropical glaciers in Peru, and Venezuela’s sardine fishery collapse. ARGENTINA A hole in the ozone has changed Patagonia’s weather. Less rainfall is having an effect on the region’s forests that is unprecedented in the past 600 years. Writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, an international team of scientists … Continue reading Thursday November 8

Thursday October 25

Scientists study monarch butterflies in Mexico, Brazil has lost 80% of its northern coral reefs, and study finds cholera in Haiti came from Nepal. ARGENTINA Yesterday’s TEDxRiodelaPlata conference in Buenos Aires highlighted the work of several scientists, physicians, and engineers from Argentina and around the world. One highlight: Miguel San Martin, an Argentine aeronautical engineer … Continue reading Thursday October 25