Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle

Archive for May 2024

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Advancements in veterinary wound healing

Antibiotic-resistant infections are a global concern for both humans and animals. A recent study published in Veterinary Quarterly tested a new way to treat an antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infection in a Siamese cat, known as “Squeaks”. Squeaks had acquired the infection following multiple surgeries that aimed to treat the cat for injuries after a severe fall from a high-rise. In this study, the veterinary team created a viral phage […]

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What dolphins can teach us about healthy aging

The risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases with aging as arteries can become increasingly stiff and the inner lining, called the endothelium, can become dysfunctional. Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Yara Bernaldo De Quiros Miranda (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) is interested in understanding how bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, protect their cardiovascular system during aging. She is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Colorado at Boulder where she […]

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Speaking of hypoxia tolerance…

Amy Klink, a graduate student working in the laboratory of Dr. Allyson Hindle at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has been studying hypoxia tolerance of Weddell seals. These remarkable animals can hold their breath for 90 minutes and dive as deep as 900 meters! During such long and deep dives, these seals slow down their heart rate and constrict blood vessels in visceral as well as peripheral organs. As […]

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What sea turtles can teach us about hypoxia tolerance

Imagine being able to explore the Earth’s oceans without needing special oxygen equipment. Loggerhead sea turtles have this ability and can actually hold their breath for up to 7 hours! According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Budimir Šobat from Croatia set the record in 2021 for being able to hold his breath for 24 minutes and 37.36 seconds underwater. While quite remarkable, he would need to hold his […]

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