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News: May 2020

What our sewage can reveal about Covid-19 infection rates in the community

Scientists at Bangor University are working with Welsh Water and United Utilities to monitor the background levels of coronavirus within different areas. The scientists have shown that tracing the dead virus which is shed naturally, can provide an early warning of when certain areas may be approaching a next peak of Covid-19, as symptoms can take up to two weeks to emerge, and around 20% of the population or more show no symptoms when they are infected.

Publication date: 11 May 2020

Healthy gut microbiomes can influence farmed fish

We’ve all probably heard or read something about how a healthy gut microbiome can affect our overall health. The gut microbiome is as vital to animals and fish as it is to us humans. We have microbiomes in different parts of our bodies, on our skin, for example. Microbiomes are made up of communities of different microorganisms, viruses and germs and these communities play an important role in the way in which we function. There is even evidence to show that a poor gut biome can lead to ill-health or even disease. With around 45% of the fish we buy and eat globally coming from farmed sources, understanding the fish gut microbiome is essential to supply this demand.

Publication date: 11 May 2020

Lockdown challenges – what evolution tells us about our need for personal space

Humans are intensely social creatures. We all need company and social contact. But for many of us, being at home for long periods with a small group of people – even those we love best – can become frustrating. One key to understanding why constant contact with our family feels so unusual comes from looking at how social groups work in other primate species. This article by Vivien Shaw of the School of Medical Sciences and Isabelle Winder of the School of Natural Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

Publication date: 4 May 2020

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