Close encounters of the furry kind: managing alien squirrel invasion in Japan

Researchers from Japan highlight legitimate ecological concerns on the introduction of non-native sciurine species across multiple prefectures

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FORESTRY AND FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

 

IMAGE: DISTRIBUTION OF TWO NON-NATIVE SQUIRREL SPECIES IN JAPAN: PALLAS'S SQUIRREL (CALLOSCIURUS ERYTHRAEUS; LEFT) AND EURASIAN RED SQUIRREL (SCIURUS VULGARIS; RIGHT). SITES OF INVASION ARE DEPICTED IN ORANGE. THE FOUR SUCCESSFUL ERADICATION SITES ARE SHOWN IN BLACK. view more 

CREDIT: NORIKO TAMURA FROM FORESTRY AND FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, JAPAN

Japan is home to at least three different native sciurine species—squirrels, as we commonly call them—including the Japanese squirrel, the Japanese flying squirrel, and the Japanese giant flying squirrel. In recent time, owing to the intentional and accidental introduction of non-native squirrels, the nationwide distribution of Japan’s native squirrels has shown a general trend of decline. There is a need for concentrated effort to address this growing ecological problem. However, most articles highlighting this issue are written in Japanese, which may hinder collaborative engagement of a wider pool of researchers, conservationists, and policymakers. Therefore, researchers Dr. Noriko Tamura and Dr. Masatoshi Yasuda from Japan’s Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) have recently published a review on this topic in English to highlight their eradication-related accomplishments and aid similar eradication in other parts of the world. This paper has been published in Volume 10 of Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution on 16 January 2023.

Elaborating on the necessity of their study, Dr. Tamura says, “Prior studies confirm the introduction of three species of alien squirrels in Japan: Tamias sibiricus, Callosciurus erythraeus, including the species complex Callosciurus finlaysonii, and Sciurus vulgaris. Japan is home to the endemic squirrel species Sciurus lis, Petaurista leucogenys, and Pteromys momonga in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, as well as to the endemic subspecies Sciurus vulgaris orientis, Tamias sibiricus lineatus, and Pteromys volans orii in Hokkaido. At this point, we need to address the ecosystem damage caused by the alien species and also focus on conserving the endemic Japanese species.”

The alien invasion has historic origins. For instance, Pallas’s squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus) got accidentally introduced in Japan after a typhoon destroyed their breeding cages in the 1930s and also after they escaped from a Gifu City exposition in 1936. However, their population increase may also be attributed to the commercial interests of the Japanese tourism industry and to Japanese citizens who became familiar with the squirrels after visiting tourist parks based in foreign countries.

Masatoshi Yasuda from FFPRI, the coauthor of the study, remarks, “The Japanese squirrel, Sciurus lis, has not been observed in Kyushu for the past 100 years and is likely extinct. In 14 prefectures, especially in western Honshu, the Japanese squirrel has only a small distribution area and even if it is present, its density is extremely low, so it is designated as a regionally endangered species. The Japanese flying squirrel, Pteromys momonga, is considered endangered in most of Japan’s prefectures. The Japanese giant flying squirrel, Petaurista leucogenys, is also categorized as a regionally endangered species in Kyushu.”  

The problem gets further confounded by the fact that neither Japan’s citizens nor its government-appointed officials can easily distinguish between non-native and native sciurine species. Moreover, both entities are significantly unaware of the damage that alien squirrels cause to ecosystems, agriculture, and forestry.

To mitigate the effects of the nationwide alien squirrel invasion, researchers, including the authors of this review, stepped in to share technical advice and initiate action plans. To this end, the participating damage control teams used physical trapping methods and, in some cases, additional chemical control methods.

As part of an initial eradication program, cage traps were fastened on trees and baited with attractants such as chestnuts and peanuts. The captured squirrels were euthanized with an overdose of carbon dioxide in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Japanese government. In some areas, an incentive of 800 yen per animal was announced for promoting the capture of alien squirrels in the early stages with high density.

At the moment, the eradication program includes modern control systems and improved trapping regimes. Consequently, the alien squirrel density is seeing a significant decrease, particularly if the population is at an early stage of up to 5000 individuals.

Citizens—by understanding the importance of prevention—and administrators—by seeking help from trained experts—can play key roles in the eradication program. The authors conclude on a positive note by stating that eradication efforts have been successful in four Japanese locations because of the active involvement of experts and other concerned stakeholders.

In summary, this article shows that early action against invading alien species is absolutely critical for ensuring ecological balance and conserving rare endemic species.

 

About Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan
Inaugurated as a unit for forest experiments in Tokyo in 1905, the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) was largely reorganized in 1988, when it received its current name. During its history of over 110 years, the FFPRI has been conducting interdisciplinary research on forests, forestry, the timber industry, and tree breeding with an agenda based around sustainable development goals. The FFPRI is currently looking to collaborate with more diverse stakeholders, such as international organizations, government agencies, and industry and academic leaders, to conduct much needed forest-related research and make sure we preserve these renewable resources.

Website: https://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/ffpri/en/index.html

 

About Noriko Tamura from Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan
Dr. Noriko Tamura conducts research at the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Japan. She has published several original research articles in internationally acclaimed peer-reviewed journals and authored at least three books so far. Dr. Tamura also holds memberships in professional organization such as The Mammal Society of Japan and The Japanese Forestry Society. Her research group primarily focuses on unleashing new findings pertaining to social constructs/structures, animal-plant interactions, alien species, squirrels, and food storage.

 

Funding information
This study was supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF20204006) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan and JSPS KAKENHI grant number JP18H02247.

 

Media contact:
haya@ffpri.affrc.go.jp

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JOURNAL

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

DOI

10.3389/fevo.2022.1061115 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Distribution and management of non-native squirrels in Japan

Chinese Medical Journal study highlights epilepsy trends in China between 1990 and 2019

Researchers from China analyze significant spatio-temporal variations in epilepsy across China and the corresponding disability-adjusted life-years

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CACTUS COMMUNICATIONS

 

IMAGE: AGE-STANDARDIZED DALY RATES PER 100,000 PEOPLE FOR EPILEPSY IN CHINA AND ITS PROVINCES SHOW A GENERAL DECREASE WITH INCREASING SDI BETWEEN 1990 AND 2019 FOR BOTH, MEN AND WOMEN. DISABILITY-ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS; SDI: SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC INDEX. view more 

CREDIT: DR. GUOGUANG ZHAO FROM CAPITAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, CHINA

Epilepsy—a common neurological disorder characterized by the abnormal firing of neurons in the brain—affects nearly 70 million people worldwide. The disorder manifests itself in the form of recurrent seizures as well as neurobiological, cognitive, and psychosocial consequences. Although researchers have conducted studies on the burden of epilepsy in China, they have mostly focused on the prevalence rate. Now, a research team from China has performed a comprehensive analysis of the temporal and spatial distribution of the burden of epilepsy across China, with respect to gender and age groups. Their findings were published in the Chinese Medical Journal on February 7, 2023.  

The team identified prominent trends from the epilepsy data of China and its provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions between 1990 and 2019. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database from 2019 was used as the primary reference.

Says senior author Guoguang Zhao from Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, China, “The purpose of this study is to comprehensively analyze the time trend of the disease burden of epilepsy by sex and age groups in China and its provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions from 1990 to 2019 so as to provide epidemiological evidence for development of national and local policies to prevent and treat epilepsy.”

Despite the recent advances in medicine, epilepsy, at times, becomes a debilitating condition with serious socioeconomic consequences. It not only affects the physical and mental health of patients, but also adversely impacts families, communities, and society in general. According to estimates, developing nations bear approximately 90% of the global burden of epilepsy. Moreover, owing to its large population base, China has more than 12% of the epilepsy patients in the world. This study, therefore, is of paramount significance.

DALYs—disability-adjusted life-years—associated with epilepsy correspond to the years of life lost due to disability and/or premature death because of this neurological disorder. The study shows that epilepsy resulted in 1,367.51 thousand DALYs across China in 2019. Moreover, for epilepsy, the age-standardized DALY rate—a weighted average of the age-specific DALY rate per 100,000 people—was 99.77 in China. Similarly, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates for epilepsy in China were 24.65/100,000 and 219.69/100,000, respectively.

Quite concerningly, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates increased by 45.00 and 35.72% relative to those recorded in 1990, respectively. However, on the positive side, the DALYs caused by epilepsy in patients below the age of 25 showed a steady decline between 1990 and 2019. The highest age-standardized mortality rates were seen in Tibet (4.26/100,000), Qinghai (1.80/100,000), and Yunnan (1.30/100,000), whereas the lowest mortality rates were recorded in the Guangdong (0.48/100,000), Zhejiang (0.56/100,000), and Shanghai (0.57/100,000). The study also highlights a positive development: The age-standardized DALY rates across China and across its various provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions showed a general decrease with the increasing socio-demographic index (SDI)—a quantitative measure of social development—between 1990 and 2019.

Certain age-specific differences were also noted during the study. For instance, the DALY rate of epilepsy in 2019, relative to the one observed in 1990, decreased for people below 75 years of age, but increased for those aged 75 years and above. This trend was consistently observed for people across both the genders.

The most significant preventable causes for epilepsy include pre- or perinatal brain injury, central nervous system infections, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. These causes constitute a bulk (25%) of the epilepsy cases according to prior studies.

Lead author Mr. Wei Liu from National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention,  Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention concludes, “The disease burden of epilepsy is still heavy in China, especially in the western provinces. The incidence and prevalence of epilepsy increased between 1990 and 2019, and the burden of epilepsy in the elderly increased gradually. This study provides evidence on epilepsy prevention and care of different regions in China.”

In summary, this study will definitely pave the way for future studies and policy improvements across China.  

 

***

 

Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/CM9.0000000000002526

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JOURNAL

Chinese Medical Journal

DOI

10.1097/CM9.0000000000002526 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Burden of epilepsy in China and its provinces, 1990 to 2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Researchers evidence new characteristics of the extinct American cheetah ‘Miracinonyx’

An analysis of its skeleton conducted by the University of Malaga revealed that this feline is more closely related to the cougar than to the living cheetah, making it a unique species

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF MALAGA

 

IMAGE: THE UMA HAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLETE COLLECTIONS OF HOMINID SKULLS IN THE WORLD view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF MALAGA

The Miracinonyx trumani, commonly known as the American cheetah, lived in North America more than 13,000 years ago. Despite its name, recent studies conducted at the University of Malaga have revealed that it is more similar to the cougar than the living cheetah, but with its own characteristics that make it a unique species, of which there is no modern analogous feline today.

Paleontologists at the UMA, together with researchers at the University of Valladolid and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA), have cast light on the characteristics of this extinct feline, mainly by studying its hunting strategy, which has been the subject of discussion in recent decades.

Study of its hunting strategy
This way, by analyzing its skeleton, the experts have proved that the Miracinonyx trumani, despite having long and light legs, was not as prepared as once thought to run after its preys, like the Old World cheetahs.

The results of the study, published in the scientific journal Biology letters, also revealed that the claws of the Miracinonyx were retractable and it had the ability to grapple with its preys, like the rest of the felines, with the exception of the cheetah.

“Although in appearance they were very like modern cheetahs, their way of hunting was more similar to that of a cougar”, says Borja Figueirido, scientist of the Paleontology Area of the UMA, and main author of the study.

The experts focused specifically on the elbow-joint, which allows them to know whether the animal is adapted to hunt by holding its preys with its forelimbs or is able to chase them at high speed.

The humerus of the Miracinonyx was oval and elongated at the end closest to the elbow, which means that its forearm bones were further apart and, therefore, it had the ability to hunt its preys by grasping them, as cougars do.

“The case of cheetahs is really unusual; in a few seconds they can reach nearly 100 kilometers per hour. They are the supercars of the savanna”, highlights Figueirido.

This is not the case of the Miracinonyx. Although it had greater manipulation capacity with its forelimbs, its physiognomy prevented it from reaching a speed similar to that of the living cheetah. It was not, therefore, such a sprinting predator, says Alberto Martín Serra, paleontologist at the UMA, and co-author of the paper.

Analysis of its bones

To reach this conclusion, the scientists examined a skeleton of Miracinonyx found in a chasm in Wisconsin and compared it with the species of other modern felines, such as cougars, lions or lynxes.

“The detailed study of the bones was conducted at the UMA. What we did was to scan in 3D the humerus of living felines and digitalize homologous points to quantify its form. The fossil was scanned using CAT scan at the University of Wisconsin-Madison”, explains Figueirido.

Study of its brain architecture
Another recent study by this research team of the University of Malaga, published in the scientific journal 'Science', corroborates this hypothesis. The paleontologists analyzed if the brain architecture of Miracinonyx was similar to that of cheetahs, and results evidenced, again, clear differences between them.

Using 3D technology, the scientists virtually filled the intracranial space where the brain is housed, obtaining an endocast of the Miracinonyx trumani’s brain surface, which they compared to living cheetahs and cougars.

The Miracinonyx’s brain surface turns out to be more like the cougar’s than the cheetah’s: the Old World American cheetah was not cognitively prepared to hunt by high-speed chasing, among other things, because it had an underdeveloped nasal sinus, like cougars.

"The Miracinonyx was probably an intermediate version between the cheetah and the cougar”, says Figueirido, who highlights that its “particular” way of hunting “is not currently represented in nature”.

After these first two studies, the researchers at the University of Malaga, the University of Valladolid and the University of Wisconsin-Madison want to continue with this R&D line and study the complete forelimbs and the anatomy of the inner ear of the Miracinonyx, in order to answer the questions that remain unresolved around this unique North American fossil feline.

Bibliography:

Figueirido B, Pérez-Ramos A, Hotchner A, Lovelace D, Pastor FJ, Martín-Serra A. 2023 Elbow-joint morphology in the North American ‘ cheetah-like’ cat Miracinonyx trumani. Biology Letters 19 : 20220483. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0483.

  

The paleontologists analyzed through 3D technology if the brain architecture of Miracinonyx was similar to that of cheetahs. The results evidenced clear differences between them.

CREDIT

University of Malaga

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JOURNAL

Biology Letters

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Elbow-joint morphology in the North American 'cheetah-like' cat Miracinonyx trumani

Purple vegetables and tubers have antidiabetic properties

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF TURKU

The red, purple and blue pigments in fruits, vegetables, and tubers called anthocyanins can reduce the risk of diabetes by affecting energy metabolism, gut microbiota, and inflammation. A new review article comparing the research results in the topic shows that the beneficial effect of anthocyanins on type 2 diabetes is increased if the anthocyanin is acylated, meaning that an acyl group is added to the sugar moieties of anthocyanin.

A great amount of acylated anthocyanins can be found in purple potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, radishes, purple carrots and red cabbages, whereas bilberries and mulberries contain mostly nonacylated anthocyanins. Acylated anthocyanins are poorly absorbed in digestion, but they have probiotic properties and reduce the risk of diabetes more efficiently than nonacylated anthocyanins.

“The studies have shown that, in addition to changing physical and chemical properties, the acylation affects how the anthocyanins are absorbed and metabolised,” says Postdoctoral Researcher Kang Chen at Food Sciences Unit, University of Turku, Finland.

The acylated anthocyanins are more effective antioxidants than the nonacylated anthocyanins, and they can also improve the intestinal barrier that enables the absorption of necessary nutrients. Furthermore, the acylated anthocyanins maintain gut microbiota homeostasis , suppress pro-inflammatory pathways, and modulate glucose and lipid metabolisms.

“The plant's genotype defines what kind of anthocyanins they produce. In general, purple vegetables contain many acylated anthocyanins. Also, purple potatoes, especially the Finnish variety called ‘Synkeä Sakari’, is abundant in acylated anthocyanins,” says Chen.

Acylated anthocyanins travel through our bodies from the upper gastrointestinal tract to the colon where they are metabolised by the gut microbiota. Glucose transporters are involved in anthocyanin absorption, but different glucose transporters are responsible for the absorption of acylated and nonacylated anthocyanins. The acylated and nonacylated anthocyanins also have different impacts on the enzymes involved in metabolism.

“The latest research has shown that the acylated and nonacylated anthocyanins can impact type 2 diabetes in different ways,” Chen summarises.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

DOI

10.1021/acs.jafc.2c05879 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

ARTICLE TITLE

Anthocyanins as Promising Molecules Affecting Energy Homeostasis, Inflammation, and Gut Microbiota in Type 2 Diabetes with Special Reference to Impact of Acylation

The faster El Niño decays, the fewer typhoons occur the following summer

Peer-Reviewed Publication

INSTITUTE OF ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

 

IMAGE: IMPACTS OF EL NIÑO EVENTS ON THE GLOBAL CLIMATE IN SUMMER (JUNE–AUGUST) view more 

CREDIT: WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

The faster El Niño decays, the fewer typhoons occur the following summer

As the largest climate signal on the interannual time scale, El Niño has pronounced impacts on typhoon activity. Recently, a growing number of studies have been focusing on the climatic effects of the pace of El Niño decay and the remarkable role this plays in the genesis position and intensity variations of typhoons. However, the response of the frequency of typhoon occurrence to the pace of El Niño decay remains unclear.

In a paper recently published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, Dr Qun Zhou and Dr Lixin Wei from the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, attempt to address this issue. They present new evidence for variation in the pace of El Niño decay having a significant influence on the typhoon frequency in the summer following the mature winter of El Niño.

“Firstly, we classified El Niño cases into two categories: fast decaying [FD] and slow decaying [SD]. Interestingly, the typhoon occurrence frequency decreased sharply in the following summer only for FD El Niño cases. In order to explore the possible reason for this observed typhoon response, we further compared the environmental factors for typhoon development and the related atmospheric circulation processes between the FD and SD El Niño years,” explains Dr Zhou.

Compared with those for SD El Niño years, fewer typhoons occurred in the following summer for FD El Niño years, and the causal mechanism was a stronger anticyclonic anomaly over the western North Pacific forced by tropical Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Therefore, the pace of El Niño decay might serve as an important factor in the prediction of typhoon activity.

“However, the question of how these distinct patterns of tropical SST anomalies establish under FD and SD El Niño conditions needs to be studied in future work from the perspective of ocean dynamics,” adds Dr Zhou.

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JOURNAL

Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

DOI

10.1016/j.aosl.2023.100328 

Travel companies still failing wildlife, say authors of new animal protection guide

Reports and Proceedings

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

A new guide for holidaymakers to help them make better travel choices that don’t exploit wildlife has been produced by researchers at the University of Surrey.  

The University of Surrey and World Animal Protection have launched the Real Responsible Traveller Guide – which provides practical advice for holidaymakers to enjoy a guilt-free break that doesn't inadvertently lead to animal cruelty and exploitation. 

The guide names five travel companies – GetYourGuide, Klook, Traveloka, Trip.com and TUI Musement – who continue to severely fail wild animals by selling and promoting harmful and exploitative circus-style performances and interactions, including elephant riding and bathing, selfies with tiger cubs and swimming with dolphins.   

Professor Xavier Font, research lead on the project and Professor of Sustainability Marketing at the University of Surrey, said: 

"We are all becoming more aware of the impact our actions have on the health of the planet and other living beings we share it with. The biggest driver for this research project is to share knowledge with people who do not want their grand adventure to be ruined by the ethical decisions of their travel company. 

"Some companies claim to offer responsible and sustainable travel, but our research for the guide has found that some prominent companies continue to profit from wild animal exploitation because they fail to address the suffering in their supply chains."   

 

Commissioned by World Animal Protection and undertaken by the University of Surrey, The Real Responsible Traveller Guide independently analysed the public commitments travel companies have and haven't made.   

Companies were scored across four key areas:   

1. Commitment: Availability and quality of published animal welfare policies and how applicable they are to all their brands.   

1. Targets and performance: Availability and scope of published time bound targets and reports on progress towards meeting animal welfare commitments.   

1. Changing industry supply: Availability and quality of engagement with suppliers and the overall industry, to implement wildlife-friendly changes.   

1. Changing consumer demand: Availability and quality of educational animal welfare content and tools to empower consumers to make wildlife-friendly travel choices.  

World Animal Protection then checked to see if the companies offered five groups of common exploitative ‘animal attractions’: 

• Elephant attractions such as rides, shows or 'washing' experiences 

• Primate attractions such as 'petting' or hand feeding opportunities 

• Big cat attractions such as selfies, walk-withs, shows or 'petting' experiences 

• Dolphin attractions such as performances or 'swim with' experiences 

• Wildlife attractions such as shows, rides or any direct interactive experiences with other wild animal species  

Morvah George, World Animal Protection's Campaign Lead for Wildlife, said:  

"Instead of helping to end the demand for these cruel practices, GetYourGuide, Klook, Traveloka, Trip.com and TUI Musement are sustaining them. They are not keeping pace with other global travel companies and industry leaders to protect wild animals, instead choosing to continue to profit from wild animal suffering.   

"We are urging responsible travellers to join us in calling out these laggard travel companies and implore them to do better for animals."   

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

21ST CENTURY ALCHEMY

Mashing molecules: An innovative solution towards greener pharmaceuticals

IMPACTIVE is a project funded by Horizon Europe to study the possibilities of mechanochemistry in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients. This initiative counts on 17 partners in academia and industry working together towards greener chemistry

Grant and Award Announcement

AGATA COMUNICACIÓN CIENTÍFICA SL

 

IMAGE: SOMEONE MASHING INGREDIENTS IN A MORTAR, MUCH LIKE MECHANOCHEMISTRY USES MECHANOCHEMICAL TO DRIVE CHEMICAL REACTIONS WITHOUT SOLVENTS, PROVIDING A GREENER APPROACH TO THE SYNTHESIS OF PHARMACEUTICALS. view more 

CREDIT: IMPACTIVE

The European Commission has awarded IMPACTIVE almost €7.7 million to reinvent and reinforce the pharmaceutical supply chain. Currently, the production of drugs is associated with high levels of carbon emissions, as well as other environmental impacts linked to the excessive production of chemical waste. IMPACTIVE, a collaboration led by the University of Montpellier, in France, envisions an efficient and simple solution: mechanochemistry. 

Mechanochemistry is a method that mashes molecules together, using ball mills. The mechanical force drives the chemical reactions with high efficacy and low cost. The main advantage of mechanochemistry is its independency of solvents, usually the basis of all traditional reactions and often linked to the generation of high quantities of toxic waste. In fact, currently the manufacture of 1 kilogram of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is unavoidably linked with almost 200 kilograms of waste. The elimination of solvents from synthesis and purification could minimise the ecological impact of industrial chemistry.

The most recent results report that mechanochemistry could reduce ecotoxicity and carbon emissions by up to 85% and, at the same time, optimise production costs by 12%. Already studied in small laboratory scales and used in production plants in fields like plastic production and materials’ manufacturing, mechanochemistry is now ready for the pharmaceutical industry. IMPACTIVE will study the synthesis of three families of API, and develop pilot production process ready for scale up. On top with key leaders in the field from academia and industry, the project also counts on two partners in the pharmaceutical industry – Novartis and Merck. This interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate and accelerate the commercial implementation of the technology.

Beyond ball mills, the partners in IMPACTIVE will investigate other mechanochemical methods, more suitable for the scales required by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Among others, this will include twin-screw extrusion, resonant acoustic mixing and spray drying – all of which have showcased an interesting potential in preliminary studies. 

“Overall, mechanochemistry avoids high temperatures and hazardous solvents, providing a more environmentally friendly alternative that reduces waste, and maximizes efficiency,” explains IMPACTIVE coordinator Evelina Colacino, based at the University of Montpellier. “These concepts constitute gold standards of green chemistry and the circular economy, and IMPACTIVE wants to transfer them to the European pharmaceutical landscape,” she adds. 

Moreover, cost reduction and efficient manufacturing could help Europe tackle the current fragility of the supply chain, linked to severe shortages in drugs and pharmaceuticals. Mechanochemistry could become a key tool to improve crisis preparedness and API development during emergencies, thanks to innovative production processes and excellent efficiency. 

IMPACTIVE grows on the success of two previous projects, in particular COST Action CA18112 ‘Mechanochemistry for Sustainable Industry’, also funded by the European Union, which helped establish efficient networks of researchers, innovators and industry leaders working in mechanochemistry. In the future, IMPACTIVE partners plan to become a reference in the field as well, further contributing to cross-collaboration between academia and industry to boost the possibilities of greener manufacturing methods with mechanochemistry.

Mechanochemistry will ensure cost reduction and efficient manufacturing to help Europe tackle the current fragility of the supply chain, linked to severe shortages in drugs and pharmaceuticals. 

 

Several pills on a colourful background. Mechanochemistry could become a key tool to improve crisis preparedness and API development during emergencies, thanks to innovative production processes and excellent efficiency.

CREDIT

Impactive

VIDEO

IMPACTIVE will study the synth [IMAGE] | EurekAlert! Science News Releases

IMPACTIVE is a big project, funded by the European Commission through its Horizon Europe programme. It’s led by the University of Montpellier, in France, and counts on seventeen partners from nine EU countries, as well as Switzerland and Israel. The consortium includes universities, research centres, industry leaders and SMEs, i.e.:

• University of Montpellier, France
• SATT Axlr, France
• Radboud Universiteit, Netherlands
• Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
• Taltech, Estonia
• BAM Institut, Germany
• RWTH Aachen University, Germany
• Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung, Germany
• Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
• Technion, Israel
• Center for Colloid and Surface Science (Universities of Cagliari, Parma and Salerno), Italy
• IST-ID, Portugal
• DES-Solutio, Portugal
• AGATA Comunicación Científica, Spain
• Haute École Spécialisée de Suisse Occidentale (HES·SO), Switzerland
• MERCK, Switzerland
• Novartis, Switzerland

Researchers identify new molecular mechanism key to planarian regeneration

Similarities and differences to other organisms

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA

 

IMAGE: THESE FLATWORMS ARE CAPABLE OF REGENERATING ANY PART OF THEIR BODIES, EVEN THEIR HEADS. view more 

CREDIT: TERESA ADELL - UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA

Planaria are freshwater flatworms that have become a key model for studying regeneration and stem cells, as they can regenerate any part of the body, even the head. But how does the animal know what part of its body is missing and what kind of tissue it needs to regenerate?

Researchers from the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics of the University of Barcelona and the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB (IBUB) have studied the regeneration process of these animals and have identified how the modulation of the intercellular signalling pathway Wnt modifies chromatin, the set of genetic material that cells own in the cell nucleus. A few hours after an amputation, this mechanism lets the wound stem cells know the fate of the new tissue.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, involves researchers from the Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD), the Pablo de Olavide University in Seville and the University of East Anglia (Norwich, England).

Genomic study

The incredible plasticity of planarians occurs due to the presence of a population of pluripotent adult stem cells, the neoblasts, which are capable of reproducing any type of cell in the organism. Right after an amputation, when new tissue has to be regenerated, there is a window of time in which everything is possible for these pluripotent cells, and depending on the signal the cells receive where the cut has taken place, the destination of destination of these cells is decided. One of the first steps in this process is to specify the body axis, such as the anteroposterior axis, which defines the position of the head and tail.

To understand how this phenomenon occurs, researchers have carried out a genomic study of the cells located near the wound that takes place after the amputation of the head and tail. Using ATAC-seq and Chip-seq techniques, the researchers were able to analyse the regions of the genome that are accessible or inaccessible in these tissues at a given time, in this case, twelve hours after amputation. "Only open regions are accessible to transcription factors, which are responsible for the expression of genes. Therefore, these studies allow us to know which set of genes is activated in wound cells twelve hours after the cut, and if they are different between the anterior and posterior part of the planaria", says Teresa Adell, lecturer at the Faculty of Biology and coordinator of the research study.

Inhibition or activation of the Wnt pathway to regenerate the head or the tail

The results reveal that twelve hours after the amputation, chromatin —the collection of genetic material that cells have within the nucleus— changes the conformation depending on whether cells near the wound detect that they need to regenerate a head or a tail. Moreover, they show that the change in chromatin composition, which regulates the cell's gene expression, depends on whether a cell signalling pathway —the Wnt pathway— is activated. "If the head is needed, the Wnt pathway is inhibited; if the tail is needed, it is activated. Moreover, this change in chromatin composition occurs twelve hours after cutting; new tissue has not yet been made, but the cells already know what course to follow", the researcher points out.

Similarities and differences to other organisms

Understanding this regeneration in planarians is important for understanding this process in other organisms, since the molecular mechanisms that allow the correct regeneration of organs and tissues are evolutionarily conserved, i.e. they are very similar in all animals. In this sense, previous studies had already shown that the regulation of the Wnt pathway is responsible for specifying the anteroposterior axis in many organisms —including mammals— during the embryonic development and also in adult animals’ regeneration. "Our study reveals the mechanism by which this is so in planarians, but also in other animals: the Wnt pathway specifies which genes are expressed and, therefore, the cell destination, since they regulate chromatin conformation from the first moment of regeneration", notes Teresa Adell.

Moreover, the findings of the study also highlight the differences with other animals. "Our study validates the idea that organisms as plastic as planarians have highly active intercellular signalling pathways, as if they were embryos, which means that any change of context can change the fate of the cells. This is unlike in mammals, for example, where cell plasticity is much more restricted", says the researcher.

Risks of cell reprogramming

In the case of humans and the possible future biomedical impact of this basic research, the researcher stresses that the implications "are not direct, but of concept": "In this study, we show that regenerative capacity is linked to the ability of cells to reprogram themselves to change their destiny. Therefore, one strategy to improve the regenerative capacity of humans could be to provoke cell reprogramming", says Teresa Adell.

In any case, the researcher is cautious about this strategy and warns that it could have undesirable effects, such as tumour transformation. "In animal models that do regenerate, it has been shown that the signals that must be activated to regenerate, such as the Wnt pathway, are also those that promote tumour processes when they are activated incorrectly. As it is often the case, nothing is absolutely good or bad, it depends on the context in which we find ourselves", she concludes.

Open access data

All the results of the genomic analyses carried out during the study have been integrated into the PlanExp open-access platform, with the aim of sharing the information and facilitating the analysis of the data for the scientific community.

 

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-023-35937-y 

ARTICLE TITLE

Wnt/β-catenin signalling is required for pole-specific chromatin remodeling during planarian regeneration