Tag: colombia science news

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Dolphins slaughtered off Peru’s shores, leukemia therapy in Brazil and tree species in the Amazon.

PERU Activists videotape the slaughter of dolphins off the coast of Peru. t.co/GRXDLE7mrw Corruption in Peru Aids Cutting of Rain Forest here. ARGENTINA AP finds deadly consequences of pesticide use in rural Argentina, dangerously close to schools here. BRAZIL Researchers in São Paulo develop nanoparticles to detect leukemia here. A fire in Brazil’s largest port burns … Continue reading Dolphins slaughtered off Peru’s shores, leukemia therapy in Brazil and tree species in the Amazon.

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Fighting dengue in Paraguay, climate change in the Brazilian Amazon, and ancient microorganisms in Antarctica.

ANTARCTICA

A team of scientists has determined that a major cause of melting corresponds to the bottom of submerging ice shelves.

Climate change could raise the temperature in the Brazilian Amazon by six degrees and convert 45% of rain forest areas into savannah. Credit: WikiCommons.

Researchers drilling to the bottom of Lake Hodgson of Antarctica have found microorganisms that date back 100,000 years. DNA studies will soon determine whether these findings are an unknown species.

ARGENTINA

A University of Mendoza study has demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of progesterone and their possible application as treatment for Parkinson’s disease. This research was commended by the Society of Biology of the Cuyo.

A team of researchers from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral has isolated bacteria from infant feces and breast milk for use in probiotics. The team’s intention is to grow up these microorganisms to commercial quantities so they can be incorporated into the daily glass of milk in low-income schools.

Continue reading “Fighting dengue in Paraguay, climate change in the Brazilian Amazon, and ancient microorganisms in Antarctica.”

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An alpaca biotechnology center in Peru, combating Chagas disease in Latin America, and the effects of intensive agriculture in Brazil.

ARGENTINA The Pan American Health Organization has approved a drug manufactured in Argentina against the parasitic disease Chagas. Benznidazol will be produced by two private laboratories with additional government funding. It’s the first line of treatment for Chagas disease and cures 80-90% of cases, according to the WHO. Argentina’s Leloir Institute recently discovered an enzyme, … Continue reading An alpaca biotechnology center in Peru, combating Chagas disease in Latin America, and the effects of intensive agriculture in Brazil.

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Endangered deer have rebounded in Patagonia, Chevron allowed to resume drilling offshore Brazil, and new research says Patagonia was a separate continent.

ARGENTINA More than 320 million years ago, Patagonia was a separate continent that collided into Gondwana at the same time as Chilenia—present day Chile, according to scientists from the University of Buenos Aires. After conducting field tests in paleomagnetism, the researchers concluded that the deformations found along the southwestern margin of the Gondwana continent were … Continue reading Endangered deer have rebounded in Patagonia, Chevron allowed to resume drilling offshore Brazil, and new research says Patagonia was a separate continent.

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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.

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Thursday January 17

Global demand for quinoa triples its price in Bolivia, Paraguay struggles to contain spread of dengue, and the superears of a Colombian grasshopper. BOLIVIA Global demand for quinoa has tripled the price of the Andean grain, forcing Bolivian and Peruvian farmers to rely on other staples for food. “It’s worth more to [the producers] to … Continue reading Thursday January 17

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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

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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

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Thursday September 20

Bolivia passes law to save pink freshwater dolphins, scientists want an ecological corridor to protect jaguars in Mexico, and more evidence that Patagonia was a landmass adrift 500 million years ago. ARGENTINA Argentine scientists have found more evidence that Patagonia was once a separate landmass from South America. The discovery of 500 million-year-old Archaeocyatha, small reef-building animals … Continue reading Thursday September 20

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Thursday August 23

Cropdusters found guilty of illegal spraying near Cordoba, Argentina, Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano spews lava and ash, and Chile to open up lithium mining. ARGENTINA UPDATE: In a landmark trial, a farmer and a pilot have been convicted of illegally cropdusting too close to a neighborhood in Cordoba, Argentina. This is the first time in Latin … Continue reading Thursday August 23

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Thursday July 19

Patagonian penguins wash up dead on Brazil’s shores, climate change affects citrus farmers in Argentina and extreme microbes found in the Atacama desert’s highest volcanoes. ARGENTINA Argentine citrus farmers are seeing production plummet 50 to 70 percent following alternating periods of intense heat and freezing temperatures. The producers are salvaging what they can, but the … Continue reading Thursday July 19

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Thursday June 28

A new dinosaur found in Patagonia, a giant Galapagos tortoise dies and another Chilean energy project is delayed ARGENTINA Argentine paleontologists announced this week the discovery of a new genus and species (Bicentenaria argentina) of carnivorous dinosaur found in the country’s Neuquen province in northern Patagonia. The dinosaur measured 3 meters from tip to tail … Continue reading Thursday June 28