Can We Use Bacteria to Treat Diseases? | Nat Geo Live

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In the intestines alone, the average person houses around 100 trillion microbes, and for every human cell in the body there are 10 microbial cells—making us more microbial than human. Scientific studies are beginning to show that these bacteria may be playing a much larger role in our lives than we originally thought. It appears that microbes may be influencing our brain and behavior, and many conditions, including schizophrenia, depression, and autism, have been linked to microbial abnormalities within the body. Elaine Hsiao, a 2015 National Geographic emerging explorer, is working on the cutting edge of this science to better understand how our microbiota influences our health. Is it possible that in the future we could treat health conditions with the right microbes?
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Over 100,000 Sea Turtles Nest at the Same Time. How? | National Geographic

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Hundreds of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles all arrive together to lay their eggs near Ostional, Costa Rica—and we know little about how they coordinate that feat. Vanessa Bezy, a National Geographic young explorer grantee, is trying to find out more. To test the hypothesis that pheromones trigger the nesting behavior, she’s giving a number of turtles that are swimming toward the nesting site a zinc sulfate solution that will temporarily block their sense of smell, which will let her see whether they’re less likely to come ashore. The solution, which wears off within five days, doesn’t harm the turtles. The study, approved by the Costa Rican government and the University of North Carolina’s biology department, should provide invaluable information to conservation groups hoping to protect these animals.
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