Museum specimens could help fight the next pandemic – why preserving collections is crucial to future scientific discoveries

Specimen preservation means researchers don't need to reinvent the wheel each time they ask a new question, making it critical for the advancement of science. But many specimens are discarded or lost.

Bryan McLean, Assistant Professor of Biology, University of North Carolina – Greensboro • conversation
Dec. 16, 2020 • ~11 min

Three ways to head off the next pandemic in the wild meat trade

Needed: less wild meat in cities, more wildlife experts in public health.

Julia E. Fa, Professor of Biodiversity and Human Development, Manchester Metropolitan University • conversation
Oct. 29, 2020 • ~6 min

How to improve our relationship with nature after coronavirus

Human encroachment on the environment is increasing the threat of diseases like COVID-19, but spending more time in nature could also be part of the solution to this pandemic.

Zita Sebesvari, Head of Environmental Vulnerability and Ecosystem Services, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), United Nations University • conversation
June 29, 2020 • ~6 min

Museums preserve clues that can help scientists predict and analyze future pandemics

Genetic information that could help finger the next infectious threat is stored in museums around the world.

Richard Yanagihara, Professor of Pediatrics and Principal Investigator, Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, University of Hawaii • conversation
June 24, 2020 • ~9 min

Why you may need to encourage social distancing around your bird feeder

Garden bird feeders and water baths could be hotspots for infectious disease transmission.

Harisree Paramel Nair, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Molecular Microbiology, Anglia Ruskin University • conversation
May 28, 2020 • ~6 min

Bushmeat could cause the next global pandemic

Illegal wild animal meat is found in cities right across the world and poses a very real threat of infecting people.

Ben Garrod, Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement, University of East Anglia • conversation
May 18, 2020 • ~7 min

Coronavirus: three misconceptions about how animals transmit diseases debunked

Zoonotic diseases can emerge closer to home than you realise.

Olivier Restif, Alborada Lecturer in Epidemiology, University of Cambridge • conversation
April 16, 2020 • ~7 min

Coronavirus: three misconceptions about how wildlife transmit diseases debunked

Zoonotic diseases can emerge closer to home than you realise.

Olivier Restif, Alborada Lecturer in Epidemiology, University of Cambridge • conversation
April 16, 2020 • ~7 min

How zoos must change to keep great apes safe from coronavirus

People can still learn a great deal about these mammals while keeping a safe distance.

Lesley Elizabeth Craig, PhD Researcher, University of Stirling • conversation
April 1, 2020 • ~6 min

It's wrong to blame bats for the coronavirus epidemic

The value that bats provide to humans by pollinating crops and eating insects is far greater than harm from virus transmission – which is mainly caused by human actions.

Peter Alagona, Associate Professor of History, Geography and Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
March 24, 2020 • ~8 min

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