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SCIENTISTS AT A research institute in Germany have figured out what caused the potato blight during the Great Famine, using dried potato plants that are over 120 years old.
Researchers at the Max Planck institute announced they have identified the exact strain that caused “all this havoc” in Ireland.
For the first time researchers have decoded the genome of a plant pathogen and its plant host from dried samples. This opens up a whole new area of research into how pathogens evolve and how human activity impacts the spread of plant disease.
A team of moleclar biologists from Europe and the US reconstructed the spread of the potato blight pathogen ‘Phytophthora infestans’ from these dried plants:
(Image: Marco Thines/Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung)
The 11 historical samples from potato leaves came from Ireland, the UK, Europea and North America. Even though they were between 120 and 170 years old, they were still found to have many intact pieces of DNA.
“The degree of DNA preservation in the herbarium samples really surprised us,” said Johannes Krause from the University of Tübingen, a co-author of the study.
“Herbaria represent a rich and untapped source from which we can learn a tremendous amount about the historical distribution of plants and their pests – and also about the history of the people who grew these plants,” Kentaro Yoshida from The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich added.
The researchers examined the historical spread of the fungus-like pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine and concluded that a strain new to science was responsible for the fatal outbreak. It was previously thought that a strain called US-1 was the culprit.
Samples were compared with modern strains from around the world and scientists were able to estimate when the various strains diverged from each other over time.
The authors of the research said this now paves the way for further “treasures” hidden in herbaria to be uncovered.
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Great achievements and still so young but leaving his partner and kid to party and live the Hollywood life is unfortunately where he will never grace the echelons of Cillian Murphy who is all class
I’m sorry but his acting is pretty similar no matter the character, so his acting register must improve or….I really don’t know why there is a buzz about him, maybe his appearance?
@Chris: oh disagree. His performance in Saltburn is show stealing. Very subtle and beautiful. Yes, his looks are distinctive. All the greats were.
@NoelDublin: yea I loved all the various accents he was doing throughout the film lol
Jeez the Irish on here doing what the Irish are good at… slating their own . Shameful comments..
@Lapland: World capital of begrudgery. It’s why we have no services or infrastructure.
Barry Keoghan is an amazing talent.. Saltburn is a story of manipulation told in a different way.. Barry performance is out of this world and I wish him the very best, so proud to see this young man carve his way to the very top in the film industry.. as for his personal life it’s none of anyone’s business
And he got his lad out
It’s good to see that the aul Irish begrudgery is alive and well this morning. A young man who’s had a tough upbringing has made it on the world stage and most on here just want to put him down. But wait, the Brits try to claim him as one of their own? The very same begrudgers will he back on here blowing a gasket over that!!
@Colin Howard: The Brits didn’t try to claim them as their own . GQ magazine is American . Its offices are in New York and its own by an American . An article written in a rag says he is British and every one gets upset .
@Jack Moss: They didn’t even say he was British, they referred to him as ‘one of our greatest’ actors, as in the world. If it was specific to nationality then they’d have been calling him American as it was the American GQ article lifted.
good for him. living the dream.
Here am i the only one that thought saltburn was a load of…. you know what i want to say. Nonsense
I know that a few years ago while in Galway filming the Inisherin film he was out on the town with his brother and got a couple of clouts off said brother. He was all over the media telling us how he was attacked in Galway and was terrified for his life. Award winner alright!
4 out of10. Knew the cat question. Thought he looked like the joker and guessed the other two.
Got a break in life and making the most of it. He’s flavour of the month( to be crass). First and only pupil from the Colin Farrell school of acting. He’s improving all the time. Last role in salt burn was a hard watch but got there in the end. Hopefully he realises it and works to develop the potential. Leave him to it and see what happens. “ buy Irish”
Ah he’s a cheeky little bollix.
7 / 10
Good actor hope he keeps his feet on the ground
@nollaig o cellaigh: Apparently not off to a good start in that regard. Dumped his girlfriend and child.
Never heard of him so guess “Not a lot” would be the answer.
no artikel over the journoz killed in kiev?!!.. navalny le traître..
Made up here that he cut his teeth in Fair City
Typical of Irish begrudgery. Knocking our own .. Didn’t he get his lad out??
Great to see the lad doing so well
He’s NOT BRITISH …..
FFS !!! When will our “so called” nearest neighbours ever learn to STOP laying claim to things that AREN’T theirs ……
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