Science’s top ten scientific breakthroughs in 2022 (Part 2): EBV virus and a feverish earth
Continuing from the previous article:2022 “Science” Top Ten Scientific Breakthroughs of the Year (Part 1): Continuously Evolving AI and Webb Space Telescope
After seeing the top five of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs for 2022, can’t you wait to see the other five? Let’s read on!
The Culprit of Multiple Sclerosis: EBV Virus
Multiple sclerosis (Multiple sclerosis) is a disease of the central nervous system. The initial symptoms are only blurred vision, numbness of hands and feet, and unsteady walking.
Scientists have long suspected that the culprit of multiple sclerosis is the human herpesvirus type IV virus (EBV). Spread mainly through saliva, almost everyone gets infected at some point in their lives, and the virus then becomes dormant in white blood cells. Although most patients have EBV antibodies, 95% of healthy adults also have EBV antibodies, which is difficult to use as a basis for judgment.
However, published in “Science” in January this yearResearchpointed out that infection with EBV was associated with a 32-fold increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Another “Science”ResearchIt was also found that the virus dormant in the white blood cells may “wake up”, and one of the proteins of the virus will induce the immune system to attack the central nervous cells.
These new findings give scientists a direction in which to develop a vaccine. Currently, there is an EBV vaccine in clinical trials. If the data shows that the vaccine is effective, then in the future, multiple sclerosis may be eradicated like polio.
The United States signs the “Reducing Inflation Act” to rescue the feverish planet
In February this year, the United Nations IPCC Sixth Assessment Report pointed out that if the global average temperature rise exceeds 1.5°C, various extreme climate disasters will occur in various places, and some areas will no longer be suitable for human habitation.
In August, US President Joe Biden signed the “Inflation Reduction Act” (Inflation Reduction Act), trying to solve the problem of inflation from the three major aspects of green energy, medical care, and taxation, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The most important climate bill in U.S. history.
As the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, the United States will allocate 369 billion US dollars in the next 10 years to invest in green energy, electric vehicles, nuclear power generation and other industries, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reduced to 40% in 2005.
At present, the average global temperature increase (compared to before the industrial revolution) has reached 1.2°C, and this year’s greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, with no downward trend. Many climate scientists agree that warming must exceed the 1.5°C limit set in the Paris Agreement, so we all need to do more to protect the planet soon.
The way to escape the black death is genetic?
700 years ago, the Black Death in Europe killed 1/3 to 1/2 of the population. Regarding those survivors, scientists have been curious for a long time, wondering how they escaped in the first place, and what impact the Black Death had brought.
In October this year, an article in “Science”ResearchIt has been shown that survivors may have a genetic variation that boosts their immune response to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The team analyzed ancient DNA from more than 500 remains and found that following the Black Death broke out in London, England, survivors had mutations in 245 genes.
Among the DNA, endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 (ERAP2) caught the scientists’ attention. There are two variants of this protease: one is full-sized and the other is shorter, but both help immune cells recognize and fight viruses. The scientists found that humans who inherited the full size of ERAP2 were twice as likely to survive because they were able to produce more cytokines that help the immune system fight the bacteria Yersinia pestis.
Today, around 45% of the UK population still has the full-size variant of ERAP2, but at the cost of ERAP2 also increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis .
bump! NASA crashed into an asteroid!
For years, NASA has been monitoring near-Earth asteroids with a diameter greater than 0.5 kilometers, and through the Double Asteroid Redirection Test Program (DART) has studied various methods of deviating asteroids.
In September of this year, NASA let the DART spacecraft hit the asteroid Dimorphos at a speed of 22,530 kilometers per hour, bringing Dimorphos closer to another asteroid Didymos that it orbits, shortening the revolution period by 32 minutes, which is higher than NASA’s original goal out 26 times.
So far, astronomers estimate that there are 25,000 near-Earth asteroids whose orbits intersect Earth’s orbit, all large enough to destroy a large city. Although the Planetary Defense system (Planetary Defense) has not yet constructed complete intelligence, regarding the feat of human beings changing the movement of a celestial body for the first time, the NASA administrator stated that “this is a watershed for planetary defense missions and a watershed for human civilization”, which will help reduce the risk of asteroids or The probability of a meteorite hitting the Earth.
Extracting environmental DNA from permafrost to reconstruct ancient ecosystems
In the past, it was generally believed that the shelf life of DNA was regarding 1 million years, but in December this year, scientists extracted environmental DNA fragments that remained 2 million years ago from the permafrost in the Arctic desert. By analyzing these fragments, scientists have reconstructed what the ecosystem of Peary Land in northeastern Greenland looked like regarding 2 million years ago.
University of CambridgeResearchIt shows that, 2 million to 3 million years ago, the average temperature of Pilidi was 11°C to 19°C higher than it is now.41 DNA fragments extracted from 5 sedimentary layers confirmed that there were poplars, birches, thujas and various conifers at that time, as well as hares.、Lemmings, reindeer, rodents, and the mastodon, a close relative of the elephant that went extinct 10,000 years ago. Scientists had never expected that the range of mastodons would extend so far north.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of vertebrate fossils, the exact biome composition is still unclear, but this study proves that it is feasible to use environmental DNA to trace ancient organisms back 2 million years ago, which will also help scientists further explore the biological and the evolution of the environment.
