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Nov 4 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
They named them the Borg. And they affect #ClimateChange.
They are ancient, and unlike anything ever seen before.
#JenniferDoudna & colleagues discovered the Borgs -- segments of archaea DNA that enter bacteria capable of oxidizing methane.
MORE
nature.com/articles/s4158…
2/ In seas, peat, permafrost, bogs there're bacteria capable of making methane (CH4) -- which is up to 80Xs worse #greenhousegasemissions than CO2. There are also bacteria that oxidize CH4, turning it into not-as-bad CO + O2. MORE
mdpi.com/2571-8789/3/1/…
&
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
3/ Global warming's speeding thawing of permafrost and bogs, peat etc. resulting in huge increases in CH4 release. Methanoperedens bacteria oxidize methane -- which is good.
The researchers discovered 19 "Borg" types that "assimilate" the bacteria, giving them CH4-eating genes. Image
4/ Trekkies take note: Apparently not all Borg are bad.
"Borgs are enigmatic," the researchers say. But, "Borgs may have far-reaching biogeochemical consequences, with important and unanticipated #climate implications." Image

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More from @Laurie_Garrett

Laurie Garrett Profile picture
Sep 24
Two #smallpox #vaccines may be used for #monkeypox: efficacy unknown. In the U.S. now the Norwegian JYNNEOS 2-dose vax is used for #MPX but it's assumed prior ACAM2000 Sanofi smallpox vax protects.
Here, the case of an ACAM2000-vaxed man who got MPX.
MORE
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28…
2/
 "We report a patient in Washington who contracted #monkeypox despite being successfully immunized against #smallpox with the ACAM2000 #vaccine 8 years earlier.
The patient was a previously healthy 34-year-old man who had sex with men...came to a clinic because of..."
3/ "...a 4-day history of malaise, fatigue & headache & 4 painless penile lesions.
"...this case highlights that #vaccination alone does not guarantee immunity from #monkeypox. Public health leaders should taper expectations that vaccination alone will end the outbreak."
MORE
Read 4 tweets
Laurie Garrett Profile picture
Sep 23
THREAD - Startling example of feedback loops in Nature that are disrupted by #GlobalWarming:
- normally large colonies of algae can't grow in the #Arctic seas because they are bereft of nitrogen
- but enormous algal blooms have increasingly appeared appeared in this century

MORE
2/
 - turns out #climate induced wildfires in No America & #Siberia produce large amounts of nitrogen in the atmosphere
- that nitrogen falls on #Arctic seas, fueling algal growth
- and huge algal blooms block oxygen entry to the seas
MORE
news.ncsu.edu/2022/09/wildfi…
3/
 - fish & other marine life forms suffocate, as the massive algal blooms block oxygen infusion into oceans
- the blooms also block sea ice formation, so
- the white ice albedo effect, reflecting hot sunlight away from the North Pole decreases
MORE
climate.gov/news-features/…
Read 4 tweets
Laurie Garrett Profile picture
Sep 22
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of #Pakistan is speaking @CFR_org . Both his mother and grandfather were Prime Ministers who were assassinated. His nation "faces a catastrophe of Biblical, apocalyptic proportions. The monsoon rains came in June, and..."
MORE
2/"...went on...until the end of August.
"A 100 km lake formed in the middle of my country.
"More than a month on we're still in an ecological disaster. One in 7 people affected -- 33 million people. Homeless, lost and staring death in the face."
MORE
3/ "We're still in the rescue and relief phase..but we expect one crisis to follow another."
Epidemics are starting.
"Four million acres of standing crop are devastated...We are staring into the face of epidemic catastrophe and food crisis."
But aid is not coming.
MORE
Read 8 tweets
Laurie Garrett Profile picture
Sep 15
Stark contrast between two major reports on the #COVID19 #pandemic this week. One from @Politico focuses on the Big Four NGOS that functioned outside of govts, raised $billions, & had pivotal influence over global policies. The other from @Commissioncovid @TheLancet looks...MORE
2/ more at the UN syst, #G20, @WHO & intl cooperation/governance (or lack thereof). In broad strokes both mega-reports blame the lack of global fairness, coordination & governance for #pandemic failures. But in very different ways.
@Politico says...
politico.com/news/2022/09/1…
3/...that @gatesfoundation & @gavi & #COVAX & @CEPIvaccines & @wellcometrust -- the global Big Four NGOs -- largely failed to deliver on their #COVID19 promises for tests, vaccines, drugs for the World. Rpt blames patents protections & lack of policy-making transparency.
MORE
Read 5 tweets
Laurie Garrett Profile picture
Sep 15
Provocative journalism, on 4 organizations' roles in the global response to #COVID19 -- @gavi @gatesfoundation @wellcometrust @CEPIvaccines -- provides insights into failures, money, #vaccines, testing. It's huge, and there's a lot to digest, debate.
politico.com/news/2022/09/1…
The 4 organizations gave $10 billion, combined, to the world #COVID19 response. Image
The @gatesfoundation gave more money for the @WHO response to #COVID19 than did the US government. Of course, #Trump pulled out of WHO and stopped the flow of cash to the UN organization. Image
Read 5 tweets
Laurie Garrett Profile picture
Sep 15
The @WhiteHouse #monkeypox #MPX briefing was mostly very good news. New cases reports are way down across most of the US, and globally. But in the last week the demographics shifted, from a predominately white male outbreak to:
- 38% black men
- 25% Hispanic
- 26% white
MORE
2/#MPX
About 540,000 doses of #Jynneos #vaccine have been admin'ed in USA, and some men are now getting their 2nd doses -- which are essential for effective protection.
But there is a mismatch.
While 38% of new cases are black men, only 12% of vax uptake is in that group.
MORE
3/#MPX
The @CDCgov is shifting from from education/#vaccination campaigns at large gay pride events, to smaller, targeted efforts aimed at less-served groups.
Meanwhile, CDC says MPX "travels with" other STDs & #HIV -- 61% of diagnosed #monkeypox cases are co-infected.
MORE
Read 7 tweets

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