Billion-year-old impact sparks questions about life on land
In a paper published on Tuesday in Geology, researchers show that the impact event occurred at a similar time to the emergence of some of the earliest known freshwater eukaryotes - the ancient ancestors of plants, animals and fungi. The revised dating suggests these life forms in Scotland were living at a similar time to a meteorite impact.
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This raises questions about impacts and how they may have influenced environmental conditions in ways that affected early ecosystems.
Co Author Professor Tony Prave, from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, said: 'The Stac Fada impact occurred on a landscape sculpted by rivers, lakes and estuaries containing thriving microbial ecosystems. Impacts typically blow away the land surface and create deep craters.
"What makes Stac Fada unique is that it preserves not only the record of the impact event but also of the actual land surface across which those ancient ecosystems existed prior to the impact and, importantly, how they recovered from such a natural disaster.'
The research was in collaboration between the University of St Andrews, Curtin University in Western Australia, NASA Johnson Space Centre and the University of Portsmouth.
Dr Chris Kirkland, from the Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions, Curtin University, said: 'These microscopic crystals recorded the exact moment of impact, with some even transforming into an incredibly rare mineral called reidite, which only forms under extreme pressures.
"This provided undeniable proof that a meteorite strike caused the Stac Fada deposit…confirming the impact at 990 million years ago.'
Dr Kirkland added: 'While the impact crater itself has yet to be found, this study has collected further clues that could finally reveal its location.
"Understanding when meteorite impacts occurred helps us explore their potential influence on Earth's environment and the expansion of life beyond the oceans.'
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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Researchers warn of 'quiet crisis' facing NHS Scotland
This "lifeblood of future healthcare innovation" is "quietly being drained away," with a reported 30% drop in the most active cohort over the past decade. They cite a complex combination of factors, including a lack of ring-fenced funding to train and support clinical researchers, inequalities that lead to challenges for female and minority researchers, competitive disadvantages compared to English institutions, and extensive time commitments required to complete training and enter the profession. Despite the challenges, the authors highlight the important contributions of Scotland's clinical researchers and what is potentially at risk of the trend of decline continues. "In economic terms, investment in medical research pays dividends—every £1 spent returns around £1.25 annually to the wider economy. "Scotland has long punched above its weight in this field. From pioneering bowel cancer screening programmes using the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), now central to early detection efforts worldwide, to the EAVE-II platform, which was instrumental in understanding vaccine effectiveness during COVID-19, our clinical academics have delivered innovations with national and global impact." Prof Rory McCrimmon, one of the authors of the letter and Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Dundee, explained how these types of contributions are at risk of becoming increasingly scarce. He said that there are more academics over the age of 55 than under the age of 35. Clinical researchers now make up just 3% of the overall workforce, and only 0.6% of primary care workers are clinical researchers. Prof Rory McCrimmon has argued that clinical researchers need more practical and financial support in order to continue performing their life-saving work. (Image: University of Dundee) He added that the shrinking supply of clinical academics, combined with the baked-in challenges in the field, is adding immense stress on researchers. "It is undoubtedly harder to do out-of-programme research at the PhD or MD level, because obtaining funding for that is challenging. "Students leave university now with a larger amount of debt, and it takes a long time. It takes maybe ten to fifteen years to become a consultant. If you add a further three to five years of research on top of that, that's an incredibly long time to become a clinical academic. "I think it is also perceived to be really, really hard, because you are moving into a very competitive world." Read more: Prof Lorna Marson, Dean of Clinical Medicine at Edinburgh and a contributor to the open letter, said that clinical researchers have a significant impact on their patients and communities, in addition to their broader contributions to the economy and the field. "Research-active hospitals have better outcomes for their patients in terms of morbidity and mortality. "Also, engaging in clinical trials gives patients the opportunity to get expensive drugs for no cost. "There are many significant added values to being a patient in a research hospital, so we need to support that as much as we can." Prof Lorna Marson has said that barriers to people looking to break into clinical research should not distract from the passion that these academics have for their profession. (Image: University of Edinburgh) Prof Marson added that the decline in the number of clinical academics was not due to a lack of ambition in the profession and that better general support for researchers could make the career more feasible for many hopefuls. 'It's extraordinary that there are still a good number of people who want to do this. I think that demonstrates the huge commitment that people are bringing to this field, and therefore, we have to support them and help them if it's what they want to do. 'But it is exceptionally difficult for women who also want to have time out to have a family, or those who have caring responsibilities and wish to prolong their training. 'Using women as an example, we need to look for ways to support them not only to have time out to have families, but to undertake their research and continue in clinical academia. That is where we see the biggest drop-off, and it is not because they don't passionately want to stay. 'They just can't see a way through it.' All of this is against a backdrop of extreme competition for funding. Prof Ian McInnes CBE, co-author of the letter and Vice Principal and Head of College, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow, called it a 'sadness' that young researchers are facing barriers to the profession at a time when there are many new opportunities on the horizon. 'Increasingly, academicians of the future will be data scientists. They'll be computing scientists. They'll be business scientists with MBAs and organisational design specialists. 'One of the ambitions I have for Scotland is that we actually become a model for an incredibly diverse community of academic clinicians with expertise in so many different areas.' Due to the interconnectedness of the UK higher education sector, Scottish researchers and institutions are in direct competition with their English counterparts. But different structures and priorities mean they are not always on an even playing field, Prof McInnes explained. In England, for example, the time of clinical academics is often divided evenly between clinical work and research. However, in Scotland, the divide is closer to 80% clinical and 20% research time. 'That 80% grows arms and legs, because clinical medicine is busier, clinical surgery is busier, clinical psychiatry is busier. So we're at a substantial disadvantage in Scotland compared to England.' There are also significant financial awards available only in England, which can further limit opportunities for Scottish researchers. Despite this, Prof McInnes was clear that the situation is not a case of finding fault. The different structures north and south of the border represent different strategies and priorities. The Scottish Government is currently pursuing health innovation projects through its Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) Pathway, which focuses on developing and implementing new health technologies across NHS Scotland. The programme recently committed £6 million to a project helping people with type 2 Diabetes, stroke patients and babies born with a rare genetic condition. In the end, Prof McInnes said he and his colleagues are making a call to find collaborative solutions to a common problem and preserve what he called 'fabulous careers.' 'Clinical academics enrich and embellish the quality of clinical care, and they do that by being part of that community. 'There is very good evidence that just being in a clinical trial leads to better long-term outcomes for most chronic conditions. Even if you just get a placebo, you become a beneficiary of an ecosystem that seeks the best option, not the most convenient option. 'Being a clinical academic is an incredibly enriching profession, and part of our concern is that the focus on funding and crisis in the NHS obscures the fantastically brilliant career that is available.' Health Secretary Neil Gray said clinical research is "vital" for both the NHS and the economy. 'The need and case for this plan and its actions is timely – in recent years, the sector has suffered from the impact of Brexit and from UK Government immigration policies which have stemmed the flow of international talent into research programmes. 'We continue to provide over £.1.1billion to universities each year, including over £368million for research and innovation. Our Chief Scientist Office also continues to provide various funding opportunities for clinical research, working closely with our academic community to deliver clinical trials, develop new research and fast-track new innovations and technologies which benefit Scottish patients. 'However, we recognise the challenges and opportunities highlighted in the recent MRC report and we will continue to collaborate closely with universities, the NHS and industry to maximise opportunities for clinical academics here in Scotland.'
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Why clinical research in Scotland needs urgent rescue
Scotland has long punched above its weight in this field. From pioneering bowel cancer screening programmes using the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), now central to early detection efforts worldwide, to the EAVE-II platform, which was instrumental in understanding vaccine effectiveness during COVID-19, our clinical academics have delivered innovations with national and global impact. Our universities have also played a foundational role in training generations of clinical researchers, including those who went on to become global leaders and Nobel laureates, illustrating the far-reaching potential of sustained investment in this workforce. And yet, the number of clinically trained researchers in Scotland is declining at an alarming rate. This is especially evident at the crucial mid-career level—senior lecturers and research-active consultants—where we've seen a 30% drop over the last decade. These are the future leaders of our health system: those who secure major grants, mentor junior doctors, and help bridge the gap between lab bench and hospital ward. While the NHS workforce as a whole has expanded, its research arm is shrinking—and fast. The reasons are well known. Scotland currently lacks a dedicated, additional, ring-fenced funding stream to support the training and development of clinical academics. Without structural backing, research becomes optional—an extra task squeezed between clinics and night shifts. And yet, despite these pressures, many young doctors remain determined to pursue research careers—not because the system supports them, but in spite of it. It is time we did better for them—and for the future of Scottish healthcare. There is now a clear opportunity to reverse this trend. The Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR), through a taskforce led by Professor Patrick Chinnery and endorsed by leading national research bodies, has laid out a detailed and practical roadmap. Among its recommendations: the creation of a national clinical academic career framework, expansion of joint NHS–university research posts, and the integration of research pathways into routine NHS workforce planning. These are achievable goals. What's needed now is political will and national leadership. Scotland must adapt and implement these reforms without delay. That means coordinated action from NHS Education Scotland, the Chief Scientist Office, universities, health boards, and government. We also need visible champions—those willing to mentor, invest in, and inspire the next generation of research-active clinicians. We now face a choice. Do we allow this research capacity to wither, or do we build on it to create a health system that is smarter, faster, and fairer? The answer should be clear. If Scotland wants to remain a global leader in healthcare innovation, we must support the people who make it possible. At the heart of these discussions must be the public and patients we serve—because their future depends on it. This letter was co-authored by: Professor David Argyle, Vice Principal and Head of College of Medicine and Veterinary, University of Edinburgh; Professor David Blackbourn, Head of the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen; Professor Rory McCrimmon, Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Dundee; Professor Iain McInnes CBE, Vice Principal and Head of College, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow; and Professor Deborah Williamson, Dean of Medicine and Head of School, University of St Andrews.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Hurricane researchers plan a 'fleet' of sharks to help forecasts
"By attaching these tags ... to sharks, which are wide-ranging, mobile predators, we will be able to observe a much larger part of the ocean that typically remains unobserved," said marine ecologist Aaron Carlisle of the University of Delaware, in an email to USA TODAY. He said it's not so much that we can't obtain these data using other means (such as vessels or autonomous vehicles), it's that those other platforms are very expensive and are limited in where they can go. In addition, "remote sensing via satellite-based sensors only looks at the surface, and it is what is going on below the surface that is really critical for many oceanographic/climate processes (such as hurricanes)." Water temps drive hurricane formation According to Carlisle, water temperature, and how it changes with depth, is what drives ocean heat content, and that is generally what drives hurricanes. He said salinity is important too, but is less critical for this particular issue in this region. Indeed, according to the National Weather Service, the first condition for hurricane formation is that ocean waters must be above 79 degrees F. "Below this threshold temperature, hurricanes will not form or will weaken rapidly once they move over water below this threshold. Ocean temperatures in the tropical East Pacific and the tropical Atlantic routinely surpass this threshold," the weather service said. What species of sharks are being used? Blue sharks and mako sharks are two of the species that were the best suited to carry these tags, due to their movement and diving characteristics. This isn't the first time animals have been used in a similar way for scientific research. Animals such as seals and narwhals have been tagged to track hard-to-reach areas in the Arctic and Antarctic, the Washington Post reports. Dolphins and whales have also been used by Russia for military purposes. Will the data captured by the sharks be used during actual hurricanes? "Yes, our goal is to have a 'fleet' of sharks carrying these tags during the hurricane season, and they will be providing real-time oceanographic data across the North Atlantic that will be fed into various ocean models that are used to predict hurricane strength, intensity, direction, etc.," Carlisle said in an e-mail. So far, his team conducted tagging experiments with the sharks in May, with some success. "As to whether the sharks will be in the actual hurricanes remains to be seen, but I suspect they will avoid them and won't be surfacing during hurricanes!" Is the goal to have the sharks deployed this year, during the 2025 season? This year, researchers are still working out bugs and are limited in the number of tags that can be deployed due to the continuing after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a huge impact on this project, Carlisle reported. "Our hope, if we obtain sufficient additional funding to keep things moving forward, is that we will be actually doing this type of work on a larger scale in 2026 (if lucky) or more likely 2027." Funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been more than satisfactory for the project so far, and Carlisle said "the agency has been incredibly supportive of us throughout this process." The teams' partner, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System, has also been helpful. NOAA budget cuts: Dramatic budget cuts at NOAA could put weather forecasts in peril, lives in danger Are the sharks harmed by having the tags attached to them? "That's a topic that we are keenly aware of in our field," Carlisle said. "Attaching anything to an animal will have some impact on the animal, but we do everything in our power to minimize any negative impacts on the animal." In addition, Carlisle and his team go through a thorough permitting and review process that ensures they do everything they can to minimize impacts on animals. Beyond that, he said they need the animals to be "happy and healthy" in order to provide the team with good data, as they are carrying very expensive equipment (each tag costs about $6,000), so if the tag has significant deleterious impacts on the animal, "we aren't just hurting the animal but we're essentially throwing the tag away." The tags will not be on the animals permanently: researchers use parts that will corrode over time, allowing the whole tag package to fall off the animal.
