University of Alicante
If you are the contact person for this centre and you wish to make any changes, please contact us.
Professor of Microbiology at the University of Alicante, founder of the research group Molecular Microbiology, focused on the study of CRISPR systems
Professor of Regional Geographical Analysis at the University of Alicante
Professor of Microbiology and Director of the Molecular Microbial Ecology Group at the University of Alicante
Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Alicante
Distinguished Researcher in the Geodesy and Spatial Dynamics Group of the Department of Applied Mathematics of the University of Alicante
Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Alicante
The research article A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus was one of the big science stories because it discussed the possibility of arsenic-based life. However, it has been the subject of criticism until now. After nearly 15 years of debate and failed attempts by other groups to replicate the findings, Science has now decided to retract the article, despite finding no evidence of fraud or misconduct on the part of the authors, who disagree with the decision.
An international report by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water says the water crisis puts more than half of the world's food production at risk by 2050. It also claims that it threatens an average loss of 8% of GDP in countries around the world by 2050, with losses of up to 15% in the lowest income countries.
Climate change is influencing the length of the day, according to an analysis published in PNAS. As melting ice accelerates due to rising temperatures, sea levels rise and large masses move from the polar to the equatorial regions. This redistribution affects the Earth's rotation and results in longer days. During the 20th century, sea level variations were associated with changes in day length between 0.3 and 1 millisecond per century, but since 2000 this variation has increased to 1.33 (±0.03) milliseconds per century and the authors estimate that it will accelerate further in the coming decades.
A study estimates that household energy expenditure has increased by 62.6 to 112.9 % in 2022, following the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This represents an increase of 2.7 to 4.8 % of overall household expenditure. The analysis, published in Nature Energy, warns that this increase could push between 78 and 141 million people worldwide into extreme poverty.
The Spanish Confederation of Scientific Societies (COSCE) has just published a report, submitted to the EU, which proposes and compares different possibilities for reform of the regulatory framework for genome editing techniques.
The message that we must continue to protect ourselves with masks, distance, ventilation and hand washing has been repeated since the beginning of vaccination, but in the midst of the pandemic in Europe it is even more important. Several experts warn that the high vaccination coverage in Spain will mitigate the new wave but will not eliminate it: although vaccines prevent serious disease, they are not an insurmountable shield and must be complemented with behavioral measures.