Adventure Ausrama Blog

There may be alien creature "out there" - Well many believe that there is - but some weird things live on this planet. In the ocean depths of Australia odd living organisms have recently been discovered. At first glance they look like floating mushrooms. They are not related to fungi though. The creatures are actually flowering plants and vertebrates. Dendrogramma mostly consist of a stomach surrounded by jelly-like skin. Scientists believe they are the remnants of early life forms which appeared before the life that went on to dominate the Earth. In other words they were a dead end. They are unique, not related in any way to life that eventually became successful across the globe. There are a lot of new things still continuing their existence at the bottom of the oceans. Many are very specialized living off toxic substances that would kill other organisms. Don't bother to look for life in the stars. Much still awaits discovery beneath our feet. ✴ ...

There has always been a belief that Australia's future lies in finding a mineral that is plentiful in the north west of the country. Till now this has not been achieved. Everyone knows that Western Australia is full of iron ore so this is not what they are looking for. Drilling for many years has just made holes in the ground. Companies have gone over ground already explored before. This is how the latest find was made. There is oil there and in vast quantities. Apache Corp. has made the announcement that was greeted with surprise by some people. Apache was searching for gas when it made the discovery. Considering Australia's oil production has fallen to its lowest level for forty years this can only be good news. Income to Western Australia from iron ore has declined due to a fall in Chinese demand. The price for iron ore is down by a third since January. Australia is producing far more ore than it can sell. Coal is not doing well either. The oil ...

A lot of work is going into stem cells research. Anything we can learn about them is important for future human transplants. There have been some claims that have been proved wrong. However, we are moving forward in understanding how organs can be created from them. A significant breakthrough has been made in Australia while investigating zebrafish. Scientists have found out how hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) important in bone marrow and blood are made. The stem cells replenish immune cells in the blood. At present hematopoietic stem cells are used to treat leukemia and myeloma. It will probably be possible to treat other cancers in blood vessels, muscle and bone. Furthermore, diabetes, spinal problems and degenerative disorders cold also be treated. The discovery is important. "Buddy" cells were observed while the hematopoietic stem cell were being created. Ironically, the scientists were investigating muscle development when they noticed the "hel...

Professor Alpha Yap has received the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology President's Medal. That is some title. It is also the scientists real name. His research is very important. It involves the way the body "glues" flesh together. Cells in the body must be able to join together to form separate organs. The gluing must be specific. It cannot be general adhesion because everything would join together and not function property. The substance that controls bonding is cadherin. Diseases such as cancer and even inflammation can stop the gluing action in the body. Lack of cadherin occurs with the onset of cancer. Problems of the intestines like ulcerative colitis and chrohn's disease cause caderin dysfunction which breaks down epithelial barriers. Loss of cadherin could be causal or the result of disease. It is hoped e-cadherin levels in the body can be controlled. This may affect chronic disease and become treatment for seri...

A hormone has been identified that makes a person feel full. This "anti-eating" hormone can be taken orally. It easily gets into the bloodstream. The discovery has been made by a combined team from Murdock University Australia, and Syracuse University in the US. Obese people have less PYY hormone. The treatment is so effective that even naturally thin subjects lost weight. Normally, PYY is absorbed in the stomach. Researches have found a way of attaching the hormone to vitamin B12 that carries PYY through the stomach into the bloodstream. Some is lost but a significant amount gets through. The medication will be made available in tablet form and chewing gum. Patients will have to stay on the treatment for a target period: the PYY dose takes up to four hours to get into the system and begin to have an effect. This would mean that patients will have to take a tablet directly after a meal, lunch for example, for it to suppress appetite at tea or dinner. http://www.advent...