Earwig wing design awes engineers

Mechanical engineers at ETH Zurich and Purdue University are trying to mimic God’s design of the wing folds of the humble earwig, a folding structure superior to anything made by humans.

The rigid, straight folds of paper origami can stretch and break, but the earwig’s elastic wing folds are flexible and self-folding. Rather than lacking stability, they lock into specific shapes, allowing the wings to both extend and rotate.

The scientists noted that anyone who has ever wrestled with repacking a tent or refolding a map will see the usefulness of an automatically self-folding apparatus. “Once you’ve unfolded these things, it’s often impossible to fold them back to their original shape. If, on the other hand, they simply refolded automatically, this would save a lot of hassle,” Jakob Faber, one of the researchers, said in a statement.

The earwig wings contain more folds than any other organism in the animal kingdom. They expand to 10 times larger when open, allowing the insect to fly with stability and ease, yet can retract into a compact formation that allows the bug to tunnel underground without damage.

Scientists used what they learned from studying the earwig to create an artificial structure that works on the same principle and mimics the same design. In a study published in Science, they explained many possible applications, including foldable electronics and solar sails for satellites or space probes that could be transported in very small spaces and then unfurled to full size when ready for use.

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Got platypus milk?

Milk of the unusually designed platypus may help fight superbugs.

The platypus, one of God’s more unusual creatures, is a duck-billed, beaver-tailed, egg-laying mammal that nurses its young even though it has no nipples. Now researchers discovered that this odd creature might also help them learn how to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria known as superbugs.

A mother platypus feeds her young by secreting milk onto her belly for the babies to suckle, a method that exposes the mother’s milk to more bacterial contamination than milk expressed through nipples. But God provides for even the most unconventional of creatures.

In 2010, researchers discovered that platypus milk contains antibacterial properties that likely prevent the babies from acquiring infections. Recently, scientists in Australia found that the milk owes its potency to a special protein with a unique, ringlet-like fold dubbed the “Shirley Temple fold,” referring back to the child star’s signature curly hair.

“Platypus are such weird animals that it would make sense for them to have weird biochemistry,” Janet Newman, lead researcher, said in a statement.

In the study, published in Structural Biology Communications, the researchers expressed hope that the discovery of this new protein could lead to new medications to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Each year in the United States, according a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2 million people become infected with drug-resistant superbugs, and 23,000 people die. —J.B.

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Outer space DNA drift?

NASA has corrected recent erroneous reports that nearly a year in space changed 7 percent of astronaut Scott Kelly’s DNA. Kelly spent 11 months at the International Space Station in 2015 participating in a study of how the harsh environment of space affected his biological makeup. NASA hoped to understand the effects of extended time periods in space in preparation for a future manned flight to Mars.

Scientists compared Kelly’s physiological changes with those of his identical twin brother, Mark, who stayed on Earth. They found most of the changes Kelly experienced in space returned to normal within hours or days of returning. But researchers noted that 7 percent of the genes that changed their expression in space stayed that way six months after his return. When the analysis became public, many media outlets reported that 7 percent of Kelly’s genes changed and that his DNA no longer matched that of his brother.

Kelly’s DNA did not fundamentally change, NASA said. The 7 percent reflects changes in gene expression, or how the DNA produces proteins, not the DNA itself. The minimal change in gene expression relates to longer-term changes in Kelly’s immune system, DNA repair, bone formation, oxygen deficiency, and elevated carbon dioxide in the blood stream. According to the study, spaceflight affects gene expression through oxygen deprivation, increased inflammation, and shifts in nutrition. NASA will publish a final, more detailed report later this year. —J.B.

A calorie-counting tooth-bot

Researchers at Tufts University just developed a miniaturized sensor that mounts directly on a tooth and, using radio frequency signals, wirelessly sends information about glucose, salt, and alcohol intake to a mobile device.

When the sensor comes in contact with any one of the three substances, its electrical properties shift, causing it to change color and transmit a different spectrum of radio frequency waves depending on which substance it detects.

The researchers noted that future adaptations could allow the sensors to identify a wide range of nutrients and chemicals from a variety of surfaces. “We have extended common RFID [radio-frequency identification] technology to a sensor package that can dynamically read and transmit information on its environment, whether it is affixed to a tooth, to skin, or any other surface,” researcher Fiorenzo Omenetto said in a statement. —J.B.

A ruff Easter

As Easter approaches so does an increased risk of chocolate poisoning for our canine friends, according to a study published in Vet Record.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool analyzed data from 229 veterinary practices between 2012 and 2017 for consultations relating to chocolate poisoning in dogs during holiday celebrations. They found that the incidence of chocolate-induced illness doubles around Easter, outpaced only by Christmas. Chocolate-covered Easter eggs, chocolate cake, and chocolate bunnies represented the most frequent sources of Easter-time poisoning.

None of the cases studied proved life-threatening, and most concerned only small amounts of chocolate ingestion, although one case involved a pet who ate an entire garden of Easter eggs hidden for a large party of children. Chocolate contains the stimulant theobromine that can cause vomiting, increased heart rate, agitation, and seizures in dogs. —J.B.