Author: Aleszu Bajak

Posted on

The Nicaragua Canal Conundrum

by Rohan Chatterjee Earlier last year one of the most iconic civil engineering projects in modern history, the Panama Canal, celebrated its centennial. Observers have lauded the US-built megastructure’s role, now officially under the auspices of the Panamanian State, in transforming the national economy into the region’s most prosperous.  Where Panama once led Nicaragua now … Continue reading The Nicaragua Canal Conundrum

Posted on

Five impressive scientists we met in 2014

Ezequiel Petrillo in Argentina Ezequiel Petrillo (pictured above) is an Argentine biochemist studying how chloroplasts behave differently depending on the amount of light exposure. He is trying to understand how a plant self-regulates and adapts to different environmental conditions by employing alternative RNA splicing, a process by which a single gene can give rise to … Continue reading Five impressive scientists we met in 2014

Posted on

Surveying São Paulo’s drought, monarch butterflies in danger, and is the chia fad sustainable?

  The chia fad   Chia is one of the next “superfoods,” high in omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. It’s cultivated in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico and Peru. But does it pay off for farmers? According to new research out of Tufts University Global Development and Environment Institute, “farmers in Mexico, Peru, … Continue reading Surveying São Paulo’s drought, monarch butterflies in danger, and is the chia fad sustainable?

Posted on

Latin America: More than 50,000 kilometers of coastline of offshore wind potential

  by Luis Armando Pagan Quinones In recent years, Latin America has experienced sustained economic and population growth. Due to this growth, energy demand in Latin American countries continues to rise and governments will need to develop a strategy to meet their energy needs in sustainable ways. The World Bank and the International Energy Agency … Continue reading Latin America: More than 50,000 kilometers of coastline of offshore wind potential

Posted on

With close to a quarter million cases, chikungunya disease is surging through the Caribbean. Is South America next?

by Félix Moronta Tropical diseases are just some of the multitude of problems that beset us the people of Latin America and the Caribbean. The hot and humid climate throughout the year is conducive to insects that carry parasites, bacteria or viruses. Diseases such as malaria, Chagas, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, dengue and many more are endemic to these … Continue reading With close to a quarter million cases, chikungunya disease is surging through the Caribbean. Is South America next?

Posted on

A Colombian supercomputer to work on biology, new bacteria found in the Atacama and fighting malaria in Argentina

Colombia Scientists have installed Colombia’s largest computer for genomic studies.  Chile An international team of scientists has found communities of cyanobacteria in the Atacama desert. Argentina Argentine scientists have found some antimalarial properties in a plant. Continue reading A Colombian supercomputer to work on biology, new bacteria found in the Atacama and fighting malaria in Argentina