ecosystems
Parasites: often overlooked but important for biomedical research
European biomedical researchers show a rising interest towards parasites, often regarded as natural oddities in the past but now recognised as vital parts of natural ecosystems, in addition to having a sizable impact on human health worldwide. Parasites are an incredibly diverse and broad group of organisms, comprising plants, animals and microscopic beings alike. Their ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Rachel Paterson on the importance of parasite research
Dr Rachel Paterson works at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, where she studies host-parasite interactions in wildlife, tackling crucial aspects related to conservation and ecosystem functioning. Since 2024, she has led the IMPACT project. The main goal of this project -funded by Biodiversa+ (European Biodiversity Partnership), the European Commission, and national funding organisations across ...
Towards a planetary boundary framework
In 2009, a team, led by the climate scientist Prof Johan Rockström, identified nine natural processes that regulate Earth’s biosphere and keep it stable. These include climate change, biosphere integrity, land-system change, freshwater change, biogeochemical flows, novel entities, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion and aerosol loading. For each of these processes the team defined the ...
Meeting flood risk with nature-based solutions in EU coastal regions
As the effects of climate change become increasingly apparent, EU citizens are facing growing risks of more severe and frequent flooding. Climate adaptation is being prioritised to meet this risk and protect people, properties and infrastructure, with several EU-funded projects pioneering approaches using nature-based solutions. The impacts of flooding were especially evident in 2024, when ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Prof. Silvana Di Sabatino on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
Silvana Di Sabatino is a Professor in Atmospheric Physics at the University of Bologna, Italy, where she coordinates the atmospheric physics group that works on matters relating to meteorology, dealing with extreme weather events and climate adaptation. Professor Di Sabatino was the coordinator of the Horizon 2020-funded OPERANDUM project which set out to provide science-based evidence ...