Wednesday, March 05, 2025

Giant clone of seaweed in the Baltic Sea

University of Gothenburg

Bladderwack-clone in the Baltic — image:
The clone of bladderwrack in the Baltic Sea was long assumed to be a separate species, which was called narrow seaweed.
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Credit: Lena Bergström

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered that what was previously thought to be a unique seaweed species of bladderwrack for the Baltic Sea is in fact a giant clone of common bladderwrack, perhaps the world's largest clone overall. The discovery has implications for predicting the future of seaweed in a changing ocean.

In the brakish waters of the Baltic Sea, bladderwrack is the dominant seaweed species as it is one of the few seaweed species that can tolerate low salinity.

The seaweed forms large forests from the surface down to a depth of 10 metres. Fish fry, snails and crustaceans thrive here, and the kelp forests also provide an important habitat for larger fish. This makes it an interesting species for researchers to study. Using genetic mapping of marine species is one way to understand how these species should be managed.

Falsely mistaken for an own species

“The Baltic Sea is entering a period of warmer and probably even fresher seawater. In new conditions, all species must try to adapt in order to survive, including the important bladderwrack,” says Kerstin Johannesson, Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Gothenburg and one of the lead authors of a new study in the journal Molecular Ecology.

Through DNA sequencing, the researchers have found that a small, bushy form of seaweed in the Baltic Sea that was previously thought to be a separate species (called narrow wrack) is a clone of bladderwrack. The clone has formed new populations by dispersing fragments of an original female plant with the water currents and growing into new individuals of wrack. The clone spreads over more than 500 km of the coast of the Bothnian Sea, from Öregrund in Uppland to just south of Umeå, and may be the world's largest clone of any organism.

Millions of individuals in one clone

Bladderwrack has separate male and female plants that normally form new individuals after sexual fertilisation.

“This clone comprises millions of individuals, and in some areas, it is completely dominant, while in other areas it grows alongside sexually propagated individuals of bladderwrack. We have found a few more large clones in the Baltic Sea, but the female clone off the Swedish Gulf of Bothnia is by far the largest clone – a real super female,” says Ricardo Pereyra, researcher in the group who led the genetic analyses.

Uncertain future for clones

Seaweed clones face an uncertain future as the Baltic Sea is affected by climate change. Without constant sexual reproduction, there are few genetic changes and adaptations in the genetic material of the stocks.

“A clone almost completely lacks the genetic variation that otherwise means that there are individuals in a population that can handle the changes and make the species survive,” says Kerstin Johannesson.

New species in Estonia

During the survey, the researchers from the University of Gothenburg also identified a new species of seaweed on the Estonian coast which, like the small seaweed clone, is small and bushy, but has both males and females and reproduces only sexually. This seaweed is very closely related to bladderwrack but is currently reproductively isolated from bladderwrack in the area.

Bladderwrack is the dominant seaweed species in the Baltic Sea because it can withstand low salinity in the water.

Credit

Kerstin Johannesson

Journal

Molecular Ecology

DOI

10.1111/mec.17699

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

An Evolutionary Mosaic Challenges Traditional Monitoring of a Foundation Species in a Coastal Environment—The Baltic Fucus vesiculosus

Hidden dangers and myths: What you need to know about HPV and cancer

the virus is actually more common among men than women and is associated with rising rates of other cancers that directly impact men.

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

COLUMBUS, Ohio – While the human papillomavirus (HPV) is most associated with cervical cancer risk and women, a new survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) shows that the majority of people are unaware that the virus is actually more common among men than women and is associated with rising rates of other cancers that directly impact men.

The consumer survey sought to understand the public’s knowledge of the lesser known but common virus – specifically how it is spread and its impact on cancer risk.

Survey results were clear: most respondents didn’t know much about HPV and its long-term cancer risk, and they have misperceptions of how the infection is spread. That lack of knowledge, says Electra Paskett, PhD, a cancer control researcher at the OSUCCC – James, leaves many people at unnecessary risk for preventable cancers.

“We have a vaccine that has been shown to reduce the risk of HPV infection by up to 90%,” said Paskett. “This is a powerful tool for cancer prevention that has only been available to us in the past few decades, and we are seeing the impact of those vaccines now through the scientific data.”

Debunking myths about HPV

For this survey, respondents were asked if they agree or disagree with some basic statements about HPV to gauge public knowledge. Survey results showed that many people think this is an infection that impacts women more than men.

“This is concerning because more men are infected with HPV than women and they could unknowingly spread it to their partners,” said Paskett, who also serves as Marion N. Rowley Professor of Cancer Research and professor in The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Specific results from the survey include:

Nearly half of respondents (45%) did not know if HPV was linked to cancers beyond cervical. FACT: It is the primary risk factor for cervical cancer but is also linked to rising rates of cancers that affect the tonsils, base of tongue, throat, neck, esophagus, anus and genitals according to peer-reviewed scientific data.
42% believed HPV was more common in women. FACT: HPV is more common in men, but because there is only a test for women, people mistakenly think HPV only affects women, according to the CDC.
40% believed that if you are infected with HPV, you will have symptoms. FACT: Many do not have symptoms until after they have cancer.

Power of prevention

Paskett noted that while the HPV vaccine is recommended between the ages of 9 and 12 for maximum effectiveness (prior to potential HPV exposure), it is now available to adults up until age 45.

Although the vaccine has been available since 2006, the lack of awareness that it can prevent cancer later in life has slowed progress in preventing these cancers. The CDC estimates that timely HPV vaccination could prevent 90% of cervical cancers alone, and only about half (56.9%) of children who qualify for the vaccine have received it. Among them, more girls and women are being vaccinated than boys and men.

HPV-related oropharyngeal (tonsil and tongue base) cancer cases rising rapidly

Right now, about 42 million people are infected with HPV, and most Americans (98%) have been exposed. The virus spreads through sexual contact (saliva or ejaculatory fluids) and can spread through childbirth. If the immune system can’t kill the virus, however, the cells can change into cancer.

OSUCCC – James head and neck surgeon Matthew Old, MD, cites concerns about rapidly rising rates of HPV-related oropharyngeal (tonsil and tongue base) cancers, noting that if this trend continues, they could quickly be among the most common forms of cancer in adults between the ages of 45 and 65.

Recent estimates suggest that oropharyngeal cancer may become one of the top three cancers among middle-aged men in the United States by 2045, and the most common form of cancer among elderly men in the next 10 years.

“It can take years or even decades for the genetic changes caused by HPV to take effect and transform into cancer,” said Old “Once exposed, there are currently no treatments for HPV infections, and many who are unvaccinated unknowingly carry and spread high-risk strains of the virus. That’s why vaccination is so important.”

To learn more about treatment and research at the OSUCCC – James, visit cancer.osu.edu or call 1-800-293-5066.

Survey Methodology
This study was conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. Data collection was conducted from February 7-9, 2025, among a sample of 1,005 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=975) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English. The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.

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Graphene production method offers green alternative to mining

KTH, Royal Institute of Technology

image:
Researcher Richard Olsson, seen here in the lab holding two sources of graphene, a spool of carbon fiber and a piece of mined graphite.
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Credit: KTH

Researchers in Sweden report a green alternative to reduce reliance on mining graphite, the raw source behind the next wonder material, graphene.

In the latest volume of the scientific journal Small, researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology say they have developed a reproducible and scalable method for producing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets from commercial carbon fibers, marking a breakthrough in sustainable nanomaterial synthesis.

The process involves exfoliating carbon fibers with nitric acid, which provides high yields of one-atom-thick sheets of graphene oxide with characteristics comparable to commercial GO sourced from mined graphite.

Graphene oxide is a widely studied nanomaterial that can be used in car batteries when its thin sheets stack together, forming layers similar to graphite. It is also useful in high-performance composites, water purification and electronic devices. However, synthesis from mined graphite requires harsh chemicals and often results in material inconsistencies due to variations in graphite purity.

Richard Olsson, professor in polymeric materials at KTH, says the proof of concept was carried out with carbon fibers derived from polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a widely available polymer that undergoes high-temperature oxidation and graphitization. He says the method could be duplicated with other raw sources, such as raw sources such as biomass or forest industry sidestreams.

Olsson points to the electric vehicle battery market as one that can benefit from the new technology. “The core of graphite battery functionality can be found in the layered graphene inside, which can be harvested from commercial carbon fibers using this method,” he says.

“The future of auto manufacturing will build on battery-based power, and the question is where the graphite will be sourced? They are going to need alternatives.”

The method consists of transforming the carbon fibers using the process of electrochemical oxidation in a bath of water and nitric acid. The bath acts as a conductor and when an electric current is sent through carbon fiber, the material begins to lose electrons which transforms the surface much the same way that oxidization appears as rust on a car. In this case, the transformation causes layers of nanoscale graphene oxide to peel off from the carbon fibers' surface.

The study discovered a window in which just 5 percent nitric acid was perfect for creating these tiny nanosheets, ranging from 0.1 to 1 micrometer in size, with a uniform thickness of about 0.9 nanometers. Notably, the GO nanosheets synthesized this way emerged in circular and elliptical shapes, in contrast to the polygonal shapes typical of GO synthesized from natural, mined graphite.

Compared to existing synthetic methods, the new approach delivers a high yield of 200 milligrams of GO per gram of carbon fiber. This efficient conversion rate makes it viable for large-scale production, addressing a key challenge in nanomaterial synthesis, he says.

To ensure the nanosheets met quality standards, the researchers examined and measured the properties and structure of the material with a number of advanced techniques.

The study also explored methods to remove protective polymer coatings from commercial carbon fibers before oxidation, heating at 580°C for two hours and shock-heating to 1200°C for three seconds—both proving effective. The research demonstrated that the nature of electrical conduction within the fibers plays a crucial role in the electrochemical exfoliation process.

Olsson says the next steps for the researchers include investigating biobased sources for carbon fibers, delving deeper into how the process works.

An overview of the process, from commercial carbon fibers to graphene sheets.