People with pockets of fat hidden inside their muscles are at a higher risk of dying or being hospitalised from a heart attack or heart failure, regardless of their body mass index, according to research published in the European Heart Journal. This ‘intermuscular’ fat is highly prized in beef steaks for cooking. However, little is known about this type of body fat in humans, and its impact on health. This is the first study to comprehensively investigate the effects of fatty muscles on heart disease. The new finding adds evidence that existing measures, such as body mass index or waist circumference, are not adequate to evaluate the risk of heart disease accurately for all people.

Ecologists from the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) and the Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have identified significant ecological risks associated with the release of hybrid groupers into Hong Kong’s coastal waters, a practice often linked to religious ‘mercy release’ rituals.

Their study highlights how the Tiger Grouper-Giant Grouper hybrid (TGGG), also known as the Sabah grouper, disrupts local marine ecosystems by exploiting unique ecological niches and potentially becoming a dominant predator. This research, the first to use advanced DNA metabarcoding to analyse the diet of this hybrid species, underscores the urgent need for public education and conservation measures to mitigate unintended ecological impacts. The findings have been published in the journal Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.  

A real-life Jurassic Park: that’s perhaps how you could best describe the work of researchers trying to bring extinct animal species back to life. But this time they’re not dinosaurs. Instead, scientists are studying unique zebras, iconic pigeons, gigantic tortoises, and even the woolly mammoth. Researchers at Utrecht University studied the motives that play a role in selecting extinct animals for ‘de-extinction’. Their research shows that only the most ‘charismatic’ species are ever considered for resurrection. That is noteworthy, because the ethical guidelines for de-extinction state that only their positive ecological impact should play a role in the consideration. Time for some clarification.

New research, published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, uncovers the unique dynamics governing the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)’s evolution and addresses the long-standing mystery of just how this organelle sustains life at the cellular level, with implications for understanding disease.