The Supreme Court has reversed its ruling that prevented the field testing of the genetically engineered Bt talong. In a unanimous decision, the high court granted the motions for reconsideration filed by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications Inc., Environmental Management Bureau, Crop Life Philippines, University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation and University of the Philippines. The court agreed that “the case should have been dismissed for mootness” since the Bt talong field trials have been completed and terminated and the biosafety permits issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry have already expired. Thus, these “effectively negated the need […]
IPA Recipients for August 2016
Laura J. Pham BIOTECH UP Los Baños “Pili (Canarium ovatum)” in Industrial Oil Crops. Thomas A. McKeon, Douglas G. Hayes, David F. Hildebrand and Randall J. Weselake (editors). London, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2016. Laura J. Pham BIOTECH UP Los Baños “Coconut (Cocos nucifera)” in Industrial Oil Crops. Thomas A. McKeon, Douglas G. Hayes, David F. Hildebrand and Randall J. Weselake (editors). London, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2016. Wilson M. Tan Department of Computer Science College of Engineering UP Diliman On the Design of An Energy-Harvesting Noise-Sensing WSN Mote. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, 167 (1): 18 pages, December 2014. In this […]
Luzon has the world’s greatest concentration of unique mammals
Based on their 15-year study published in the scientific journal Frontiers of Biogeography, a team of American and Filipino researchers concluded that Luzon Island, Philippines, has the greatest concentration of unique mammals in the world. “At the time we started our study on Luzon in 2000, only 28 species were known from Luzon; by the time the project ended, the number doubled to 56 species,” said Lawrence Heaney, lead researcher, who is the Negaunee Curator of Mammals at The Field Museum in Chicago. “Out of the 56 species of non-flying mammal species, 52 live nowhere else in the world. Of […]
IPA Recipients for July 2016
Marc A. Mapalo and Denise Mirano-Bascos National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology College of Science UP Diliman Mesobiotus philippinicus sp. nov., The First Limnoterrestrial Tardigrade from the Philippines. Zootaxa, 4126 (3): 411-426, June 2016. Catchy title of research: The first land-based tardigrade reported from the Philippines Tardigrades are microscopic creatures that are able to tolerate extreme environments such as heat, pressure, dehydration, and the vacuum of space. However, little is known about these organisms, and even less is known about their presence in the Philippines. In this study, we have been able to isolate a land-based tardigrade from tree moss. […]
UP biodiversity conference to focus on innovations, interdisciplinary research
The University of the Philippines (UP), through the UP Diliman Marine Science Institute (MSI) and Institute of Biology (IB), is hosting the conference Biodiversity & Chemical Biology of Marine and Terrestrial Life in the Philippine Region (BCBMTP) on 16-20 October 2016 at the Bellevue Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol. Gathering researchers from around the world, BCBMTP will highlight technological innovations that harness the wealth of biodiversity in the Philippines and have useful applications in healthcare and community development. It will be an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration, connecting evolving fields within the life sciences at varying scales of inquiry, from the molecular level to the […]
CFA thesis exhibit is about “triggering paradigm shifts”
“We seek to show the life within the walls of UP College of Fine Arts (CFA), and the life that we wish to breathe into Filipino society as designers.” This was the idea behind PULSO, the undergraduate thesis exhibit of this year’s CFA graduating class. Held from 29 May to 1 June 2016 at Pineapple Lab in Makati City, PULSO showcased the works of the students from the visual communication and industrial design programs. It was attended by CFA faculty members as well as by friends and families of the students. Industry professionals also came, including Melvin Mangada, managing partner and chief creative officer of advertising […]
IPA Recipients for June 2016
Christian Joseph R. Cumagun Crop Protection Cluster College of Agricluture UP Los Baños “Significance of Biocontrol Agents of Phytonematodes” in Biocontrol Agents of Phytonematodes. Tarique H. Askary and Paulo Roberto P. Martinelli (editors). Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: CAB International, 2015. Cesar L. Villanoy, Princess Hope T. Bilgera, Olivia C. Cabrera, Fernando P. Siringan, Yvainne Yacat-Sta. Maria and Ian Quino Fernandez Marine Science Institute College of Science UP Diliman Repeat Storm Surge Disasters of Typhoon Haiyan and Its 1897 Predecessor in the Philippines. Bulletin of The American Meteorological Society, 97 (1): 31-48, January 2016. Catchy title of research: Why was typhoon Haiyan so bad and how […]
PAASE supports the resumption of Bt talong development
The development of Bt talong, a technology that can increase productivity in areas affected by fruit and shoot borers (FSB) but without the health risks posed by chemical pesticides, is both “a desirable and an urgent imperative.” This was the position made by the Philippine American Academy of Science & Engineering (PAASE) in light of the decision of the Supreme Court to prohibit the field testing of Bt talong. PAASE is an organization of Philippine- and foreign-based scientists and engineers who support national inclusive growth and development through innovation in science and technology. According to PAASE: “Bt talong, developed through biotechnology, unburdened by the problems of conventional breeding, […]
Scopus publications in high-impact journals (IF of >2.000) for the week of May 2016
(UP Diliman) Effects of Price, Information, and Transactions Cost Interventions to Raise Voluntary Enrollment in a Social Health Insurance Scheme: A Randomized Experiment in the Philippines. Joseph J. Capuno, Aleli D. Kraft, Stella Quimbo, Carlos R. Tan Jr. And Adam Wagstaff. Health Economics, 25 (6): 650–662 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hec.3291/abstract (UP Diliman) Shallow Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Using High-Resolution Topography for Areas Devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan. Maricar L. Rabonza, Raquel P. Felix, Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay, Rodrigo Narod C. Eco, Iris Jill G. Ortiz and Dakila T. Aquino. Landslides, 13 (1): 201-210 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10346-015-0626-x (UP Los Baños) Indentation as a Potential Mechanical Test for Textural […]
Scopus publications in high-impact journals (IF of >2.000) for the week of April 2016:
(UP Diliman) Electrode Architecture in Galvanic and Electrolytic Energy Cells. Beomgyun Jeong, Joey D. Ocon and Jaeyoung Lee. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 55 (16): 4870–4880 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/anie.201507780/full (UP Diliman) Effects of Electrodeposition Synthesis Parameters on the Photoactivity of Nanostructured Tungsten Trioxide Thin Films: Optimisation Study Using Response Surface Methodology. (2016) Tao Zhu, Meng Nan Chong, Yi Wen Phuan, Joey D. Ocon, Eng Seng Chan. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 61: 196–204 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187610701500543X (UP Diliman) Comparison of the Venom Peptides and Their Expression in Closely Related Conus Species: Insights into Adaptive Post-speciation Evolution of Conus Exogenomes. Neda Barghi, Gisela P. Concepcion, Baldomero […]
