Refugee children with mental health issues can benefit from innovative telephone therapy, new research suggests

University of Surrey

Refugee children with mental health issues can benefit from innovative telephone therapy, new research suggests  

Telephone therapy delivered to refugee children results in a significant drop in mental health symptoms and a far higher completion rate of treatment compared with in-person therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind led by the University of Surrey.  

In a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving 20 refugee children in the Beqa'a region of Lebanon, 10 received in-person treatment as usual (TaU)  and 10 received telephone therapy delivered by local trained lay counsellors, both provided by Médecins du Monde. At the beginning of each treatment session, children's symptoms were assessed with a questionnaire. 

The findings show that there was a strong and consistent decline in mental health symptoms in the group receiving telephone therapy over the course of treatment. Importantly, 60% of this group completed a full course of treatment, with 90% overall receiving some treatment, compared to no children completing treatment in the TaU group and only 60% receiving some treatment. 

Professor Michael Pluess, co-lead of the study and professor of developmental psychology at the University of Surrey, says:  

"The number of forcibly displaced persons due to war and emergencies is rising and refugee children are often left with severe trauma. We need innovative solutions to provide much-needed therapy in humanitarian settings and make treatment as widely accessible as possible. Our findings suggest that telephone-delivered therapy could be an effective form of treatment." 

In Lebanon, which has hosted large numbers of Syrian refugees since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, there is very limited mental health care provision. However, most refugee families own mobile phones, which provide a more accessible means to deliver treatment. The research team sought to establish whether an adapted telephone therapy programme could be effective in reducing mental health symptoms in refugee children compared with in-person treatment. 

The study recruited children aged 8–17 years old from Syrian refugee families living in tented settlements in the Beqa'a region of Lebanon, with consent taken from the parent or primary caregiver and the child. All children met diagnostic criteria for common mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.  

The team used the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a proven cognitive behavioural therapy programme, and adapted it for phone delivery (t-CETA) with the help of locally trained lay counsellors. In phase one, the original CETA manual was modified for t-CETA, tested and refined with 23 children, with 13 receiving face-to-face CETA and 10 receiving t-CETA. Phase two then piloted this adapted approach in the RCT with a different group of 20 children. 

In addition to the key findings, the delivery of t-CETA improved access to treatment, as families did not have to travel to clinics or fit the treatment around working hours. It also demonstrated that local lay counsellors can be successfully trained to deliver t-CETA under the supervision of experienced clinicians. 

The team experienced some challenges when recruiting participants to the study, including families being unable to attend the in-person appointments, perceived stigma of accessing mental health services, and a lack of understanding around what treatment involves. As a result, the sample size was smaller than anticipated; however, the success of the study indicates that t-CETA is a promising, and scalable, treatment option. 

Professor Michael Pluess says:  

"Our study highlights the importance of making mental health services more accessible and culturally relevant in countries where there are barriers to receiving therapy. Despite evidence of mental health problems among refugee children and their families, most individuals do not seek treatment. The results of our trial are an important first step in finding a solution, with a larger trial needed to confirm the positive effects." 

 

The study has been published in the journal Conflict and Health. 

 

[ENDS] 

• Michael Pluess is available for interview, please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange this. 

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Journal

Conflict and Health

DOI

10.1186/s13031-024-00616-2 

Article Title

Delivering therapy over telephone in a humanitarian setting: a pilot randomized controlled trial of common elements treatment approach (CETA) with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon

 

Childhood neglect associated with stroke, COPD, cognitive impairment, and depression

The presence of a supportive adult and adult income and education largely attenuates the relationship between childhood neglect and poor adult health outcomes suggesting promising pathways for future interventions

University of Toronto

Toronto, ON, – New research from the University of Toronto found that childhood neglect, even in the absence of childhood sexual abuse and physical abuse, is linked with a wide range of mental and physical health problems in adulthood.

“While a large body of research has established the detrimental impact of childhood physical and sexual abuse on adult health outcomes, much less is known about whether neglect, in the absence of abuse, has similar negative outcomes,” said first author, Linxiao Zhang, a PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto.  “Our research underlines the importance of health professionals documenting whether their patients have a history of neglect in addition to other childhood adversities.”

The researchers found significant associations between childhood neglect and numerous health problems in adults when controlling for age, sex and race. Examples of poor physical health included stroke, asthma, and COPD. Disabilities such as hearing impairment, vision impairment, cognitive impairment, and mobility issues were also linked with childhood neglect, as was poor mental health, such as depression.

The study, published this week in Child Abuse and Neglect, used a large representative sample of more than 41,000 American adults drawn from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.

Having established a link between childhood neglect and a range of mental and physical health problems, the authors were interested in identifying factors that may promote resilience among those who have experienced neglect. Further research indicated that the relationship between child neglect and adverse health outcomes in adulthood was largely attenuated when controlling for two key factors: adult socioeconomic status and the presence of a supportive adult in childhood.

“It appears that neglected children who manage to remain in school longer and have a reasonable income in adulthood are considerably less vulnerable to health problems in later life than neglected children who are less educated and less financially secure in their adult years.” said co-author Andie MacNeil, a PhD student at University of Toronto’s FIFSW.

Unfortunately, remaining in school longer may can be a challenge for those experiencing neglect. Previous research has found childhood adversity to be associated with leaving school early and earning less in adulthood. In turn, poverty and lower levels of education are often associated with more mental and physical health conditions in adulthood.

Children who have a supportive adult in their lives are also more likely to overcome challenges associated with neglect.

“A protective adult is someone who made the child feel safe and protected in the home,” said co-author Ishnaa Gulati, a recent Master of Public Health graduate of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. “Our findings suggest that this nurturing role may provided critical support to children, even when they were lacking basic necessities.”

The authors are hopeful that these findings can help support the well-being of survivors of childhood neglect.

“Although there are still significant health disparities between those with and without a history of neglect, our findings highlight potential ways forward to help promote better health outcomes among survivors of neglect,” said senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, a Professor at FIFSW and Director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto. “These findings emphasize the importance of mentoring interventions and other community-based supports that may promote feelings of safety and trust among neglected children, and to ensure neglected children have the resources and encouragement to remain in school as long as possible.”

 

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Journal

Child Abuse & Neglect

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107075 

Article Title

What factors attenuate the relationship between childhood neglect and adverse health outcomes? Examining the role of socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and the presence of a protective adult.

 

Study shows broader screening methods help prevent spread of dangerous fungal pathogen in hospitals

Screening high-risk patients for Candida auris allows for early detection and implementation of infection control measures to prevent hospital outbreaks

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Association for Professionals in Infection Control

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Arlington, Va. — October 31, 2024 — A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) describes the outcome of a shift in hospital screening protocols for Candida auris, a dangerous and often drug-resistant fungal pathogen that spreads easily in hospital environments. A comparison of screening results and patient outcomes before and after the change at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, demonstrates the value of broader screening of high-risk patients. As a result of expanded screening, more cases were caught early, enabling infection prevention and control teams to isolate them before they could infect other patients or contaminate shared hospital equipment.

C. auris is an emerging fungal pathogen, first identified in 2009 and now found around the world. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies recommend screening patients admitted to the hospital to identify anyone colonized by the pathogen, there are many different approaches to screening. Broader screening catches more cases, but it requires more resources and can be impractical in healthcare facilities where patients cannot easily be isolated while results are generated.

The study published today in AJIC was triggered by the case of a single patient. The patient was moved from a skilled nursing facility to the Mount Sinai Brooklyn hospital in 2022; after more than two months at the hospital, the patient was diagnosed with a C. auris infection. The patient had not been screened for C. auris upon admission because the hospital’s screening protocols at the time classified the patient as low-risk. After diagnosis, the hospital conducted a full outbreak investigation, testing 118 people who were directly exposed to the patient or shared equipment with the patient. The investigation identified eight additional patients who tested positive for C. auris.

Given the time and resources required for the investigation, the hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control Department adjusted its recommended C. auris screening protocols for new patients, expanding them to include all admissions from skilled nursing facilities or patients who had been in such a facility within the past month. After using the new protocols for one year, they compared outcomes for that year to the nine-month period prior to the screening change.

The study spanned 591 patients who were screened for C. auris; that includes 34 patients with the old screening approach and 557 patients screened under the expanded protocol. The positivity rate increased from 1.8% to 2.4%, indicating that more cases were being detected with the broader screening approach. More specifically, the old criteria would have flagged 53 patients as high-risk, and nine of them would have tested positive for C. auris. The expanded protocol added 538 more patients, five of whom tested positive but would not have been identified through the old screening protocol. Ultimately, the new protocol identified eight cases that would have been missed, representing a significant threat to other patients and the hospital environment. Test results were returned within three days, allowing the team to identify cases quickly and implement appropriate isolation, contact, and disinfection precautions to prevent outbreaks.

“Early identification of patients colonized with C. auris allows us to protect other patients and helps to prevent the spread of the pathogen to the hospital environment and shared equipment,” said Scott Lorin, MD, president of Mount Sinai Brooklyn and an author of the study. “Notably, we saw no spread of this infection from the eight patients identified by the expanded screening protocols who would have been missed by our prior protocol. When you consider how many other people they came into contact with during their hospital stays, that’s a lot of patients kept safer by the implementation of broader screening. This expanded screening protocol has allowed us to detect Candida auris cases earlier, helping us prevent potential hospital outbreaks.”

Additional details from the study include:

• The study was performed at an acute care hospital with 212 beds, where staff members have been caring for patients colonized with C. auris since the pathogen first emerged in New York City in 2016.
• The hospital’s original screening framework called for testing patients with recent previous stays at nine specific skilled nursing facilities known to care for people with C. auris, of whom the highest-risk patients were considered those who were ventilator-dependent or admitted with a tracheostomy.
• Under the new screening guidelines, it was not practical for the hospital to isolate every patient while awaiting test results. Instead, the high-risk patients were isolated while the lower-risk patients (those from a skilled nursing facility but without a tracheostomy or ventilator) were treated using Standard Precautions until results were reported.

“This is a compelling demonstration of the value of broader screening for C. auris among patients admitted to hospitals after spending time at a skilled nursing facility,” said Tania Bubb, PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC, 2024 APIC president. “Expanded screening is an effective infection prevention practice that should be considered at all hospitals, particularly in areas where this pathogen has been circulating.”

 

About APIC

Founded in 1972, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is the leading association for infection preventionists and epidemiologists. With more than 15,000 members, APIC advances the science and practice of infection prevention and control. APIC carries out its mission through research, advocacy, and patient safety; education, credentialing, and certification; and fostering development of the infection prevention and control workforce of the future. Together with our members and partners, we are working toward a safer world through the prevention of infection. Join us and learn more at apic.org.

About AJIC

As the official peer-reviewed journal of APIC, The American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) is the foremost resource on infection control, epidemiology, infectious diseases, quality management, occupational health, and disease prevention. Published by Elsevier, AJIC also publishes infection control guidelines from APIC and the CDC. AJIC is included in Index Medicus and CINAHL. Visit AJIC at ajicjournal.org.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

“Analysis of an expanded admission screening protocol for Candida auris at a New York City hospital,” by Aaron Cheng, Karen Marie Brody, Jordan Ehni, Zachary Gallate, Scott Lorin, Bernard Camins, and Waleed Javaid, was published online in AJIC on October 31, 2024. DOI is: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.08.027. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2024.08.027

AUTHORS

Aaron Cheng, MPH, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Brooklyn

Karen Brody, MSN, RN, GERO-BC, CIC, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Brooklyn

Jordan Ehni, MPH, CIC, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Brooklyn

Zachary Gallate, MS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Scott Lorin, MD, MBA, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Bernard Camins, MD, MS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Waleed Javaid, MD, MBA, MS (corresponding author: Waleed.Javaid@mountsinai.org), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

# # #

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Journal

American Journal of Infection Control

DOI

10.1016/j.ajic.2024.08.027 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Analysis of an expanded admission screening protocol for Candida auris at a New York City hospital

 

Scientists describe how bacteria evade the effects of antibiotics

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague)

 

image: 

From right: Tomáš Kovaľ, Barbora Brezovská, Libor Krásný, Tomáš Kouba, Jan Dohnálek

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Credit: Photo: Tomáš Belloň/IOCB Prague

One of the main challenges of contemporary medicine is posed by the resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. An important step in countering it has now been made by researchers from IOCB Prague, in collaboration with colleagues from the Institute of Microbiology and the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Leveraging advanced cryogenic electron microscopy and biochemical methods, they have managed to describe how mycobacteria defend themselves against the antibiotic rifampicin. Their latest study on the matter has been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

One key component that allows a bacterium to dodge the action of the antibiotic rifampicin is a protein called HelD. It effectively protects bacterial RNA polymerase, which is the enzyme taking care of the transcription of genetic information from DNA to RNA, a process that is crucial for the survival of all bacteria.

“Thanks to advanced cryogenic electron microscope imaging and state-of-the-art biochemical analysis, we have been able to describe in detail how the HelD protein liberates RNA polymerase from the effects of the antibiotic rifampicin,” says Dr. Tomáš Kouba, who leads the Cryogenic Electron Microscopy scientific group at IOCB Prague.

The HelD protein acts as a cellular bodyguard. Whenever there's a snag during the transcription of DNA, HelD comes to the rescue, and this is also what happens after the administration of rifampicin, the role of which is to inhibit RNA polymerase. Without HelD, the whole process would grind to a halt and the bacterium would perish. HelD does not yield even to such a powerful antibiotic as rifampicin, which is used, for example, to treat tuberculosis or severe pneumonia.

“Modern methods of structural biology have enabled us to observe, at the atomic level, how HelD protects bacteria against the effects a whole group of antibiotics,” says Dr. Tomáš Kovaľ from the Laboratory of the Structure and Function of Biomolecules at the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Until recently, researchers had assumed that HelD played a crucial role in antibiotic resistance. However, they have found that it is even more important for bacteria than it seemed. The HelD protein not only sets RNA polymerase free from the effects of the antibiotic but also ensures the ‘recycling’ of this enzyme, which is crucial for the functioning of every organism. It achieves this by actually moving RNA polymerase to the transcription initiation site on DNA, allowing it to resume transcription. The bacterium can thus start multiplying again.

"Understanding the role of the HelD protein is essential for our struggle against antibiotic resistance," explains Dr. Libor Krásný, who leads a research group at the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, adding that "Thanks to our latest findings, it is possible to deploy new strategies in the search for more effective antibiotic treatments."

Antibiotic resistance is a worsening global problem, and the world's most prominent research institutions are focusing on finding weak points in how bacteria evade treatment.

Original article: Kovaľ, T.; Borah, N.; Sudzinová, P.; Brezovská, B.; Šanderová, H.; Vaňková Hausnerová, V.; Křenková, A.; Hubálek, M.; Trundová, M.; Adámková, K.; Dušková, J.; Schwarz, M.; Wiedermannová, J.; Dohnálek, J.; Krásný, L.; Kouba, T. Mycobacterial HelD connects RNA polymerase recycling with transcription initiation. Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 8740. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52891-5

IOCB Prague / Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (www.uochb.cz) is a leading internationally recognized scientific institution whose primary mission is the pursuit of basic research in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, organic and materials chemistry, chemistry of natural substances, biochemistry and molecular biology, physical chemistry, theoretical chemistry, and analytical chemistry. An integral part of the IOCB Prague’s mission is the implementation of the results of basic research in practice. Emphasis on interdisciplinary research gives rise to a wide range of applications in medicine, pharmacy, and other fields.

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-52891-5 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Mycobacterial HelD connects RNA polymerase recycling with transcription initiation

KNOW THYSELF*

Autistic psychiatrists who don't know they're autistic may fail to spot autism in patients

Groundbreaking research exploring the experiences of autistic psychiatrists published today in BJPsych Open

UCD Research & Innovation

 

image: 

Dr Mary Doherty, Clinical Associate Professor at UCD School of Medicine

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Credit: UCD School of Medicine

Groundbreaking research exploring the experiences of autistic psychiatrists has revealed that psychiatrists who are unaware that they themselves are autistic may fail to recognise the condition in their patients. The study, conducted by researchers from University College Dublin, London South Bank University, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, is the first of its kind to delve into the lives of neurodivergent psychiatrists. It was published today in BJPsych Open.

"Knowing that you are autistic can be positively life-changing," said the study author Dr Mary Doherty, Clinical Associate Professor at UCD School of Medicine. "However, more than 187,000 people in England are waiting for an autism assessment. The situation worsens if psychiatrists, unaware of their own autism, misdiagnose patients. Recognition could benefit both psychiatrists and the patients they serve."

The research team, comprised of medical professionals and academics who are neurodivergent themselves, conducted in-depth interviews with eight senior UK-based psychiatrists, six of whom are consultants, working across the NHS. Their specialties ranged from Child and Adolescent Mental Health to adult services, including intellectual disability.

The study explored how these psychiatrists came to realise they were autistic, often through personal experiences such as their child's diagnosis or by recognising similarities between themselves and autistic patients. Remarkably, some were even identified as autistic by their own patients.

Once self-recognition occurred, the psychiatrists began to notice that many of their colleagues—especially those specialising in autism or ADHD—might also be autistic but unaware. This lack of awareness can have serious implications, as psychiatrists may inadvertently miss the diagnosis in autistic patients. However, once aware of their own neurodivergence, the psychiatrists found it easier to recognise autism in others and build strong therapeutic relationships.

The study also revealed that understanding their own autism had a positive impact on the psychiatrists' self-esteem and mental health. However, the researchers pointed out that many patients miss out on this benefit when assessed by psychiatrists who, while sharing their experiences, do not recognise they are also autistic.

Dr Sebastian Shaw, senior author and Lecturer in Medical Education at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, added: "This research not only sheds light on the experiences of autistic psychiatrists but also demonstrates the unique advantages they bring to the field. Through self-awareness, their ability to connect with autistic patients greatly improves."

Future studies are expected to explore why none of the psychiatrists in this study disclosed their autism openly, as well as the broader impact of this recognition on patient care and clinical practice.

The study will be presented at 'Thinking Differently: The Royal College of Psychiatrists Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry Special Interest Group Winter Conference' which takes place in Brighton on December 11, 2024.

The paper is available to read at: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.756

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Journal

BJPsych Open

DOI

10.1192/bjo.2024.756 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Autistic psychiatrists’ experiences of recognising themselves and others as autistic: a qualitative study

*

 

Rice study: Chinese scientists prioritize government service more than global peers

Rice University

In a new study of physicists from the U.S., U.K. and China, Rice University and Santa Clara University researchers found that Chinese scientists feel a greater obligation to serve their government with research efforts than international counterparts.

“Cross‑National Variations in Scientific Ethics: Exploring Ethical Perspectives Among Scientists in China, the U.S. and the U.K.” reveals significant differences in how physicists view their responsibilities as scientists. The research included interviews with 211 physicists and sheds light on how scientists in these three countries approach ethical issues like mentorship, research integrity and public engagement. The research was authored by Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair and Professor of Sociology and director of the Boniuk Institute, and Di Di, an assistant professor of sociology at Santa Clara. 

One of the key findings revealed that physicists who rely on public funding, especially in the U.S. and U.K., feel a strong responsibility to communicate their research in a clear and accessible way. In China, scientists often feel more obligated to serve both the government and society at large than their global counterparts.

Di said that Chinese scientists acknowledge the development of science and technology often involves a degree of conservatism, encouraging scientists to prioritize service to their country and government.

“At the same time, they recognize the importance of using scientific research to benefit humanity as a whole,” Di said. “When considering their social responsibilities, the Chinese scientists work to navigate this tension within the framework of scientific ethics.”

The research also revealed that U.S. and U.K. scientists generally have fewer issues navigating global ethics standards, including when it comes to verifying and publishing results, but their Chinese counterparts often struggle to reconcile their national responsibilities to honor the government with international expectations about research collaboration.

“Scientists in each of the nations felt that publishing results quickly is sometimes at odds with fully verifying results of studies,” said Ecklund, the principal investigator for the project. 

Despite the strong support among scientists from the three different countries, some scientists admitted there are competitive pressures. A U.K. physicist said that being truthful in conducting research means not making claims “that you haven’t verified fully” and waiting “until you are sure of your results before publishing,” but he added that this is easier said than done.

“This is an issue in a very competitive environment where people will get something fairly minor and then oversell it, particularly [to] funding agencies,” the survey respondent said. It is, he believes, inevitable that some scientists will use “buzz words” to exaggerate their results, which he said “in some instances [can] sail close to deceitfulness.”

The study also looked at how researchers balanced mentorship and teaching.

“Mentorship and teaching are seen as crucial roles, particularly in countries with fewer resources, to help develop the next generation of scientists,” said Di, the study’s lead author. However, the study revealed Chinese scientists had mixed feelings about taking a more egalitarian relationship with students.

“I don’t think that students and teachers are equal. Teachers are there to teach students, not to listen to whatever demands students have. I oppose the way it is developing in the U.S. — to assess the teacher’s performance entirely based on the students’ evaluation,” the survey respondent said.

The researchers emphasize the need for ethical guidelines that take into account the different cultural and national perspectives of scientists. The study advocates for including voices from countries with developing scientific infrastructures to ensure that ethical standards are relevant and fair globally.

“Our findings show the importance of considering cultural and national differences when creating ethical standards for science,” Ecklund said. “By doing this, we can build a more inclusive and responsible scientific community.”

The study is online at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11948-024-00505-0. 

Research for this study was supported by the National Science Foundation, “Ethics among Scientists in International Contexts,” Ecklund, PI.

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Journal

Science and Engineering Ethics

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Cross-National Variations in Scientific Ethics: Exploring Ethical Perspectives Among Scientists in China, the US, and the UK

A new piece in the grass pea puzzle - updated genome sequence published

John Innes Centre

 

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Photo taken at the Marchouch Field Station in Morocco, showing grass pea (right) next to a lentil crop (left) planted at the same time, suffering from lack of water.

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Credit: Matt Heaton

An international research collaboration has completed the most detailed genome assembly to date of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus).

This new chromosome-scale reference genome published in Scientific Data offers new potential to accelerate modern breeding of this underutilised legume for climate-smart agriculture.

Nearly twice the size of the human genome, the sequence was assembled from scratch and improves on an earlier draft assembly of the vigorous grass pea line LS007.

“We want to establish this new genome sequence as the reference genome for the grass pea community, and we’re delighted to share this valuable resource for other scientists to use and learn about grass pea,” explained corresponding author of the research Dr Peter Emmrich, a researcher at Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development (NISD) and visiting group leader at the John Innes Centre. 

“At a time of increasing weather shocks, this genome allows us to unlock the secrets of grass pea’s resilience, to further improve this crop for farmers, and inform development of other crops, such as peas,” he added.

Improvements in genome accuracy and completeness also allow researchers to study evolutionary links between species, helping identify gene pathways that could be used to improve the crop or to understand its remarkable drought tolerance. 

Dr Anne Edwards, research assistant at the John Innes Centre, said: “As we prepare for a future of increased climate change, we are going to need crops that can cope with drought, or flooding or inundations of salt water. This new genome sequence means that we are even closer to adding grass pea to the list of climate-smart crops of tomorrow. It’s an exciting time to be in the grass pea research community!”

What is Grass Pea? 

Grass pea is a crop grown in many regions of the world that is high in protein and resilient to drought and flooding. One of the oldest known cultivated plants, grass pea is now grown in Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. It has been used for centuries as an insurance crop, that survives when other crops fail and is safe to eat as part of a balanced diet.  

Grass pea is among a group neglected and underutilised crops that play a key role in local nutrition and livelihoods, but that historically have received little attention from breeders and researchers. However, its resilience to both drought and flooding makes it a promising crop for ensuring food security in a changing climate.

Grass pea’s widespread cultivation has been hampered due to a toxin contained within its seeds and shoots, which can, in malnourished people, cause the disease neurolathyrism, a condition which causes irreversible paralysis. 

Another major barrier preventing crop breeding improvements was the lack of a genome reference for the crop.

The availability of the new genome sequence means researchers could use gene editing and modern breeding methods to develop varieties of grass pea with improved agronomic characteristics or low or zero toxin content. This means that grass pea could be poised to make an important contribution to a more diversified and climate resilient food system in the future. 

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Journal

Scientific Data

DOI

10.1038/s41597-024-03868-y 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A chromosome-scale reference genome of grasspea (Lathyrus sativus)

 

Paradigm shifts from data-intensive science to robot scientists

Science China Press

 

image: 

Introduced the process of paradigm shift in scientific research, outlining the evolution of every stage in the scientific process

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Credit: ©Science China Press

In a recent paper published by Professor Xin Li and Dr. Yanlong Guo from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the authors explore the profound paradigm shift in scientific research driven by big data and artificial intelligence (AI). The study examines how the "correlation supersedes causation" paradigm is increasingly being challenged by the emerging "data-intensive scientific discovery" approach. Additionally, the authors highlight growing anticipation surrounding the "robot scientist" paradigm, which is expected to become a reality as AI technologies mature.

The research systematically analyzes the transition from data-intensive science to the robot scientist paradigm, outlining the evolution of every stage in the scientific process, including observation, data analysis, hypothesis generation, prediction formulation, hypothesis testing, and theorization. The authors argue that while data-driven methods are valuable tools, they cannot replace intellectual and methodological approaches. Instead, they complement and enhance traditional scientific research.

Moreover, the study emphasizes that next-generation Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) algorithms are poised to automate the entire research cycle, ushering in an era where robot scientists autonomously conduct experiments and generate hypotheses. The researchers detail the potential changes in the scientific method, outlining steps such as autonomous ubiquitous sensing and observation, autonomous analysis, hypothesis formation and testing by AI, and autonomous theorization. This transformation, driven by big data and AI, offers a comprehensive framework for knowledge discovery, integrating both hypothesis-driven and data-driven approaches. AI's transparency, explainability, and robustness ensure that the knowledge it generates is trustworthy, accurate, and scientifically sound. While traditional methods remain relevant, incorporating big data and AI significantly enhances research efficiency and automation.

The researchers argue that in the future, robot scientists, equipped with powerful computational and reasoning capabilities, unlimited knowledge scope, and the ability to think creatively, foreshadow a future where scientific analysis is autonomous and profoundly intelligent. They elevate the role of artificial intelligence from a mere facilitator to an active, intuitive investigator, ready to venture beyond the frontiers of contemporary knowledge (Fig. 2).

This study provides valuable insights into the future of scientific research, illustrating how AI and big data are paving the way for unprecedented levels of automation and innovation in the scientific process.

  

Introduced the main capabilities of robot scientists.

Credit

©Science China Press

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Journal

Science Bulletin

DOI

10.1016/j.scib.2024.09.029