New Delhi: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope marked its second science anniversary with observations and pictures of Arp 142, a duo of interacting galaxies. Captured in infrared light, which is the telescope’s specialisation, these are two galaxies called the Penguin (NGC 2936) and the Egg (NGC 2937) which are similar in mass and are locked in an ‘embrace’ that started between 25 and 75 million years ago. The images, combining near- and mid-infrared light from Webb’s NIRCam and MIRI, reveal a haze of stars and gas represented in blue, showcasing their interaction.
The Penguin, once a spiral galaxy, now resembles a bird with a beak, head, backbone, and tail due to gravitational pulls from the Egg. New stars form in the Penguin’s gas and dust, visible in the beak and tail regions. In contrast, the Egg, an elliptical galaxy, remains largely unchanged with its older stars and minimal gas and dust. Their interaction will eventually lead to a merger hundreds of millions of years from now. In a similar vein, the Milky Way and its closest neighbour, Andromeda, are also expected to interact in 4 billion years. Read more here.
How harmful respiratory bacteria ‘turn off’ immune response
A study by the University of Queensland looked at the Haemophilus influenza bacteria, known for causing respiratory tract infections and worsening conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Published in the journal PLOS Pathogens on 11 July, the study looks at how this bacterium interacts with the body’s immune system, since it is a threat to vulnerable groups like the elderly in particular. The Haemophilus influenza bacterium acts in a way that ‘deactivates’ the body’s immune response as if it is not a threat.
When the bacteria was made to interact with a reconstructed human nasal tissue in the lab, the scientists saw very little inflammation of molecules, which is a quite uncommon response when foreign agents enter the body. But the Haemophilus influenza is different from other bacteria in this regard, as it is able to lower or ‘turn off’ the natural immunity of the body and is even more dangerous when a human has an already compromised immune system. This research will further enable immune-strengthening responses in treatment for Haemophilus influenza bacterial infections. Read more here.
Lion brothers’ 1-km-plus swim in predator-infested river
Two lion brothers, Jacob and Tibu, made a record-breaking swim across the crocodile-filled Kazinga Channel in Uganda, which was documented by a team led by Griffith University and Northern Arizona University. Griffith University’s Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security led the study using heat-detection cameras on drones and documented the pair swimming across the channel six times over one year. Jacob is a 10-year-old lion known for surviving numerous life-threatening incidents, including an amputation, multiple poacher snares and a wild buffalo attack. Previously recorded lion swims have only been between 10 and 100 m long.
According to the study that was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution on 10 July, the brothers likely undertook the risky swim in search of lionesses, or due to territorial fights with other lions. They also must have been avoiding human presence on a nearby bridge which was the only other route. This remarkable event emphasises the challenging decisions wildlife must make in human-dominated environments, while also reflecting skewed sex ratios in lion populations observed in previous research. Read more here.
3D reconstruction of woolly mammoth genome
An international research team has successfully assembled the genome and 3D chromosomal structures of a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth, a groundbreaking achievement in ancient DNA research. Documented in the journal Cell on 11 July, this feat was made possible due to the accidental preservation of the mammoth’s DNA in a freeze-dried state. This DNA was a million times larger than any other previously found DNA fragments of mammoths.
Led by researchers from Griffith University and Northern Arizona University, the team used high-resolution techniques to reveal the 3D organisation of the mammoth’s genome, providing insights into gene activity in its skin tissue. The study also said the mammoth had 28 chromosomes, the same number as present-day Asian and African elephants.
This research highlights the potential for using well-preserved ancient DNA to gain detailed genomic information, opening new avenues for studying ancient species. Read more here.
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