Mangrove forests were once dominant in the tropics, but they have disappeared at alarming rates around the world. Little is known, however, about the impact of this deforestation on the functional diversity and resilience of resident fauna. A team including Farid Dahdouh-Guebas of VUB's Ecology & Biodiversity Research Unit Researchers addressed this question and found that mangroves have among the lowest faunal diversity of any of the planet's ecosystems, making them especially vulnerable to environmental change. The study i s published in PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
Some antibiotics appear to be effective against a form of skin cancer known as melanoma. KU Leuven researchers examined the effect of these antibiotics on patient-derived tumours in mice.
KU Leuven researchers have revealed the importance of a newly identified mechanism of kidney transplant rejection. These results could increase the chances of a successful transplantation in the future.
More than half of the COVID-19 strains that were circulating in the late summer of 2020 in Europe were only introduced after 15 June. This indicates that the relaxing of rules and international travel have played an important role in the emergence of the second wave.
Associate Professor in Social interventions and policies in a transnational perspective University of Luxembourg
