Plus, endangered rhino named Kyiv born in Czech zoo; stronger cockroaches; enduring wildebeests; respect for bears; and why St. Patrick has a day
|  | Thursday, March 17, 2022 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY KATHERINE TAYLOR, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX | |
By Victoria Jaggard, Executive Editor
I’ve always been more enamored with chemistry, geology, and astronomy. But when I flash back to grade-school biology, I remember being fascinated by the inner workings of the cell. Colorful textbook diagrams make cells look like mini-machines packed with a cartoon assortment of gears and cogs. Now health care researchers believe they’ve found a way to treat a variety of life-threatening conditions, from heart attacks to strokes, by tinkering with the tiny cellular “batteries” called mitochondria.
As Emma Yasinski reports for Nat Geo, mitochondria are often called cellular powerhouses because they make the molecule the body uses to convert food into energy. And when mitochondria break down, as they do in damaged tissue, they can cause biological chaos. But researchers started wondering: What if you could transplant healthy mitochondria into damaged tissue? Amazingly, early trials in animals and a small set of people found that this procedure can help patients with heart defects and may even lessen brain damage after a stroke.
The experts are hopeful that these unusual transplants may one day be a game-changer. “It’s time to zero in on this phenomenon and explain it,” heart-disease researcher Jason Bazil says, “to try to save as many lives as we can.”
Read the full article here.
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 | THE FEINSTEIN INSTITUTES FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
| | Pictured above, left to right, is a photomicrograph showing how the transplanted mitochondria (in red) are able to migrate to the native mitochondria (green) in a cell (blue). The last image shows the merged mitochondria. Pictured at top, a mitochondrial transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital.
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| | Bird call: A young redpoll lands on the shoulder of a scientist in Russia's Yamal Peninsula. During summer's peak, mosquitoes emerge, harassing reindeer, Nenets herders, and researchers alike. “The bird would land on our shoulders and then head into the swarm to feed—soon becoming a favorite in our camp,” writes Jeff Kerby, an ecologist, award-winning photographer, and Nat Geo Explorer. Sadly, the bird was later killed by a reindeer-herding dog. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY JESAJA CLASS | | | Gone fishin’: A grizzly bear hunts for salmon in the Atnarko River in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, long home to grizzlies and First Nation communities. A new study suggests that humans and bears once had a closer relationship that was based on reciprocity, not fear, Nat Geo reports. The findings could lead to richer wildlife watching experiences. Resorts in the Canadian rainforest already offer responsible bear-viewing outings, in accordance with British Columbia rules. | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES
| | | The real kings of the Serengeti: The wildebeest is easily underestimated. It’s funny looking and enigmatic and can seem hopelessly dim-witted. Yet Peter Gwin, in this National Geographic feature, gives the wildebeest props for its enduring survival in the complicated, unforgiving part of East Africa. (Pictured above, Nat Geo Explorer Charlie Hamilton James shows cattle egrets alongside a herd of wildebeests.) | | | |
Coming attractions: We soon will be seeing even sharper images of the cosmos. NASA’s latest space telescope has just aligned its mirrors to take images so sharp that they will show galaxies in the background that are billions of light-years away. We can’t wait! Here’s a NASA test photo—and our recent feature on the promise of the James Webb Space Telescope.
This newsletter was curated and edited by David Beard, Monica Williams, and Jen Tse. Do you have an idea or a link for the newsletter? Let us know at david.beard@natgeo.com. If you want our daily newsletter, sign up here. | |
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