Snehendu Koner’s Post

🚀 Exciting news from Pensoft Publishers! 🎉 The Metabarcoding and Metagenomics (#MBMG) journal has officially been indexed by Clarivate ’s Web of Science. This recognition is a major milestone, and even more exciting is the prospect of MBMG receiving its first Impact Factor as early as June 2025! 📈 With its current Scopus #CiteScore at an impressive 5.4 (placing it in Q1 across five Scopus categories), we can expect a promising Journal Impact Factor (JIF) that reflects the growing importance of metabarcoding and metagenomics research. This is fantastic news for SeDNAs Society members, who are eligible for a 15% discount on publications in #MBMG. If you're not yet a member, now is the perfect time to join and take advantage of this and other valuable perks, including discounted registration for AU-NZ eDNA conferences! 🌏🔬 You can sign-up for SeDNAs membership here 👇 https://lnkd.in/e4dG4E5X #Metabarcoding #Metagenomics #ResearchImpact #SeDNAs #eDNA #WebOfScience #OpenAccess https://lnkd.in/dSqXfXKv

THE 2ND CASEBOOK OF DR. D. R. SLATER No. 112: "Cut It Out!" I often tell my students that arboricultural practice often develops before there is any science that validates it. A good recent example is where some arborists are suggesting that crown reducing an ash tree affected by ash dieback disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) can result in re-invigorating the tree's crown. Well, for that example, let's do a scientific trial - so we know we are not wasting time and resources... Visiting Lithuania's capital city, Vilnius, my host kindly took me to what is probably the oldest oak in the city, growing at the edge of a large and beautiful park. The tree, however, has had a lot of crown treatments to it - so although it's stem is a good size, it does look rather 'battered' (as shown). One obvious aspect of this veteran tree is that it has been treated by an old European tree practice - of cutting out a decayed section of its stem. There is a wedge-shaped gouge-out of the stem, with chainsaw marks evident (as shown) - where someone has, as a treatment, removed a decaying section of this oak stem with a chainsaw in the hope of preventing further decay in the rest of the remaining stem. I know - some of you reading this will be horrified! 😱😱😱 There is some logic associated with this old practice: 🔸That it is analogous to how patients with a severely infected limb or body part are sometimes treated - by removal of that part to save the rest of the body. 🔸That, for sure, a decay fungus builds its strength from the food resources it has available to it - by carving out this decaying wood, one is reducing the resources the fungus is feeding upon, as well as removing much of its mycelium. However, has this practice ever been validated as a good treatment for trees by scientists? No. And some counter arguments are: 🔹You are essentially doing more harm than good - reducing the structural strength of the stem and cutting through any barriers to decay that the tree may have created naturally. 🔹There is no way in which such a crude treatment could remove ALL the fungal mycelium - so the 'infection' will persist. LESSON LEARNT: Sometimes, an idea of how to treat a tree is tried - and if it appears successful, others might jump onboard with it. However, far better to be patient, wait for an objective trial of the technique that finds the pros and cons of it - before treating valuable trees (like this one) in an irreparable way. Tree science needs to get ahead of tree care practice, essentially, so those practices are verified as positive actions for the tree - and not detrimental. #casebookofdrslater #trees #arboriculture #treecare #cutitout #wooddecay #fungaldecay #Quercus #Lithuania #Vilnius #Chainsawcarving #moretreesplease #RespectNature #Science #Research

Daphnia magna in all its beauty! Imaged on a Bruker Luxendo #MuVi-SPIM. KU Leuven Decaestecker & Luc De Meester. 🔹 Tiny but Abundant: Daphnia, also known as water fleas, are tiny aquatic crustaceans, typically ranging from 0.2 to 5 millimeters in size. Despite their small size, they are incredibly abundant in freshwater ecosystems. 🔹 Translucent Bodies: Daphnia are often transparent, allowing you to see their internal organs, beating heart, and even their food-filled guts. This transparency is particularly useful in scientific research. 🔹 Parthenogenesis: Many species of Daphnia reproduce through a process called parthenogenesis, where females can produce offspring without mating with males. This ability allows for rapid population growth under favorable conditions. #SPIM #microcope

🌿✨ An extraordinary week of sharing and growth! Last Thursday marked a milestone as I presented my research project, "From Microbes to Ecosystems: Dissecting the Relationship Between Lake Microbiomes and Environmental Features," at the Undergraduate Symposium. Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to further discuss these findings at the Department of Plant Pathology. Diving deep into the microscopic world of lake microbiomes has been a fascinating journey. Exploring how these tiny but mighty ecosystems interact with their environment has not only broadened my understanding of ecological dynamics but also highlighted the critical role of microorganisms in sustaining our planet. I am deeply grateful to everyone who attended my presentations. Your engaging questions and enthusiasm for the topic have truly enriched this experience. It’s discussions like these that drive the scientific community forward and spark innovative ideas. A very special thank you goes out to my PI, Claudia Solis-Lemus, for her exceptional mentorship and steadfast support. I also owe much of my project’s success to the insightful contributions of Rosa Aghdam, PhD, and the diligent collaboration with brilliant biologists Patricia Tran, PhD, and Karthik Anantharaman. Your expertise and encouragement have been instrumental in navigating the complex interplay of factors influencing lake microbiomes. As I continue on this academic path, I’m excited about what lies ahead and can’t wait to dive deeper into our next discoveries! 🌱 #PlantPathology #Research #Microbiomes #EnvironmentalScience #UndergraduateSymposium #AcademicCollaboration #Gratitude #ScienceCommunication

Exciting breakthrough in longevity research! A recent study published in Nature shows an exciting breakthrough in blocking the inflammatory protein IL-11 that increased lifespan in mice by 25 percent! This groundbreaking work highlights the power of collaboration in bioscience and represents a significant step towards addressing age-related conditions that could enhance both the length and quality of life as we age. At SoBran, we're proud to support innovative research like this through our specialized animal care services. Our work seeks to help enable critical studies like these that lead to potential scientific breakthroughs that could have a positive impact on human health. From maintaining research animal colonies to assisting with complex experimental protocols, our expert team plays a vital behind-the-scenes role in advancing these scientific discoveries and we're honored to be part of the ecosystem that makes this type of impactful research possible. Looking forward to seeing how these findings may translate to human therapies and contribute to healthier, longer lives for all! https://buff.ly/4f0nHCV #SoBran #Bioengineering #MedicalBreakthrough #AnimalCare #Science #MedicalAdvancement #Collaboration

➡️ Come & take a closer look at our partners and their work! 👀 🌊 Our dear colleague, @Laura Rojas, PhD candidate 👩🔬 at the Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover explains her work on assessing the #fish hearing of three different species 🐟🐠🐟 and the effects that anthropogenic #underwaternoise 🔊 can have on their hearing capabilities. 🤓 Thanks for your contribution within the #DIAPHONIA project. 🤝 #EUResearch #JPIOceans

Thanks, American Society of Primatologists, for the feature and supporting my research all these years! If you want to get some sneak peeks into my dissertation findings, check out the presentation below. https://lnkd.in/gtqE3Tqx

➡️ Come & take a closer look at our partners and their work! 👀 🌊 Today we get to know our colleague, Ksenia Orekhova, researcher at the Department of Biomedicine and Food Science of the Università degli Studi di Padova (UNIPD) / University of Padua. 👩🔬 She explains her work within #DIAPHONIA, which is about the connection between #underwaternoise and brain damages 🧠 in both #fish 🐟 and #dolphins 🐬 . Do you have any questions for Ksenia? #EUResearch #JPIOceans

🌟 Celebrating Our Research Journey! 🌟 Our team completed our Final Research Thesis Defense (on 23rd July 2024). Our research topic was, 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘈𝘤𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗭𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 (𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰). Collaborating with the group members Nuwanga, Chamindi, Tania, and Madhushanthi was an enriching experience 🌿🌸 The expert guidance of supervisors Ms. Charuni Dissanayake and Dr. lalinka herath , accompanied us to this success ✨ Gratitude extends to Emeritus Prof. Nazeera Salim, Professor Nimal Punyasiri , Ms. Nirmani Samarakoon, Mr. Hewa Dikkumburage Tharindu Madhuranga and Ms. Pushpa at the Bandaranaike Memorial Research Institute, Nawinna. And heartfelt thanks to our supportive friends—Praneeth, Layan, Channa, Sonia, Kavindu, Dimalsha, and Praween. Here's our study in a nutshell. - We isolated, purified & identified Spilanthol from Acmella paniculata extract. - We determined the effective anaesthetic dose using adult zebrafish. - We studied distress & anxiety behaviors of zebrafish after treating with Spilanthol. Apart from these, we further studied the selected neurobehavioral functions of adult zebrafish in the post recovery period. We performed standard neurobehavioral assays of T test, Mirror biting test, Light-Dark test and Locomotor test. Onward to exciting new horizons! 🚀🔬🎓 #FinalYearUndergraduateResearch #Zebrafish #Neurobehavior #BiomedicalScience

We are proud to announce that our two brilliant scientists dr Jelena Bujan and dr Damir Baranasic have been awarded prestigious EMBO Installation Grants! Dr. Bujan will lead the project "Unravelling insect resistance to extreme heat stress", studying how insects adapt to climate change. Using 3D thermal imaging and high-resolution climate models, her team will investigate survival mechanisms of insects in Mediterranean environments, crucial for biodiversity preservation. Dr. Baranašić's PROSPER project (PROmoter STRucture and Protist Evolutionary Resilience) combines AI with experimental biology to understand how single-cell organisms evolved into complex life forms. His research will identify key DNA regulatory mechanisms, contributing to advances in regenerative medicine and biotechnology. #EMBO will support both scientists with substantial funding over multiple years and integrate them into Europe's leading molecular biology network. Congratulations to Jelena and Damir on this remarkable achievement that puts Croatian science at the forefront of European research excellence. For more details about their projects and the comprehensive support package, visit: https://lnkd.in/dgj-y9yU