• Energy Research
• 2. Zero hunger close
• US close
• CN close
• NO close
• CGIAR close

AbstractIt is not known whether dietary guidelines proposing a limited intake of animal protein are compatible with the adoption of circular food systems. Using a resource-allocation model, we compared the effects of circularity on the supply of animal-source nutrients in Europe with the nutritional requirements of the EAT-Lancet reference diet. We found the two to be compatible in terms of total animal-source proteins but not specific animal-source foods; in particular, the EAT-Lancet guidelines recommend larger quantities of poultry meat over beef and pork, while a circular food system produces mainly milk, dairy-beef and pork. Compared with the EAT-Lancet reference diet, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by up to 31% and arable land use reduced by up to 42%. Careful consideration of the feasible substitutability between animal-source foods is needed to define potential roles of animal products in circular human diets.

L'innovation scientifique et ses avantages dérivés ont eu de profondes implications pour l'humanité au cours du siècle dernier. La discipline passionnante de la biotechnologie a attiré les intérêts des biologistes traditionnels, des biochimistes, des microbiologistes, des scientifiques médicaux et agricoles dans l'application de modèles mathématiques et d'ingénierie à la compréhension de la biologie. En outre, plusieurs scientifiques des sciences exactes des mathématiques, de la physique et de la chimie ont commencé à utiliser des approches systémiques pour percer le mystère et la complexité de la biologie. Et du côté du diagnostic, de la biopharmaceutique, les industries biochimiques et agricoles tirent rapidement parti et appliquent les résultats de la recherche en biotechnologie. De plus, de nouvelles industries s'appuyant sur la génomique surgissent quotidiennement pour remettre en question la façon dont les choses ont été faites. Les résultats finaux peuvent être dans plusieurs années, mais la biotechnologie connaîtra une révolution comme aucune autre dans les sciences de la vie et affectera toutes les facettes de nos vies, de l'amélioration des cultures au commerce, en passant par les médicaments et le développement durable. Beaucoup des problèmes les plus importants et les plus difficiles de la science moderne nécessitent une approche multidisciplinaire et intégrative. Travailler dans des domaines qui se situent entre les disciplines standard exige que les barrières soient en panne.Les biotechnologies modernes ont mis en place des mécanismes permettant le développement de la recherche intégrative.Même les grandes entreprises, les filiales et les coentreprises, les universités, les organismes de recherche, les petites entreprises et les startups commencent à interagir de manière non traditionnelle.Les récents progrès révolutionnaires dans le séquençage génomique ont ouvert la voie à une compréhension approfondie de l'organisation des génomes et de la manière dont les variations de l'ADN des individus influencent leurs phénotypes.L' objectif fondamental de la biologie cellulaire est de comprendre la physiologie en termes d'informations codées dans le génome de la cellule.La biologie moléculaire, d'autre part, fournit une description détaillée des composants des réseaux biologiques, et les principes organisationnels de ces réseaux deviennent de plus en plus apparents.Par conséquent, le principal défi auquel sont confrontés les biologistes humains au XXIe siècle est d'identifier comment les variations du génome humain contribuent à l'apparition et à la progression de troubles communs qui ont des déterminants à la fois génétiques et environnementaux.Dans ce premier numéro spécial de l'African Journal of Biotechnology, il y a des revues et des perspectives par des spécialistes avec des informations opportunes sur les questions de biotechnologie dans divers domaines y compris l'écologie industrielle, les techniques de culture in vitro, la technologie transgénique, la conservation génétique, le diagnostic moléculaire et les produits biopharmaceutiques. Le défi pour l'Afrique est double. Il est urgent d'être compétent dans l'application de ces recherches innovantes dans les industries et d'enseigner les compétences nécessaires à la prochaine génération de scientifiques. Cela nécessitera un programme pour attirer des chercheurs africains qualifiés du monde occidental vers les universités et le secteur privé afin de faciliter l'éducation et l'industrialisation de la biotechnologie. La innovación científica y sus beneficios derivados han tenido profundas implicaciones para la humanidad en el último siglo. La emocionante disciplina de la biotecnología ha atraído los intereses de biólogos, bioquímicos, microbiólogos, científicos médicos y agrícolas tradicionales en la aplicación de modelos matemáticos y de ingeniería para comprender la biología. Además, varios científicos en las ciencias exactas de las matemáticas, la física y la química han comenzado a utilizar enfoques sistémicos para desentrañar el misterio y la complejidad de la biología. Y desde el lado, diagnóstico, biofarmacéutico, industrias bioquímicas y agrícolas están rápidamente aprovechando y aplicando los resultados de la investigación de la biotecnología. Además, nuevas industrias que dependen de la genómica están surgiendo diariamente para desafiar la forma en que se han hecho las cosas. Los resultados finales pueden tardar varios años, pero la biotecnología experimentará una revolución como ninguna antes en las ciencias de la vida y afectará todas las facetas de nuestras vidas, desde la mejora de los cultivos hasta el comercio y las drogas hasta el desarrollo sostenible. Muchos de los problemas más importantes y desafiantes de la ciencia moderna requieren un enfoque multidisciplinario e integrador. Trabajar en áreas que se encuentran entre las disciplinas estándar requiere que las barreras sean desglosado. Las biotecnologías modernas han establecido mecanismos para permitir el desarrollo de la investigación integradora. Incluso las grandes empresas, subsidiarias y empresas conjuntas, universidades, organizaciones de investigación, pequeñas empresas y nuevas empresas están comenzando a interactuar de maneras no tradicionales. Los recientes avances revolucionarios en la secuenciación genómica han abierto el camino para una comprensión más profunda de la organización de los genomas y la forma en que las variaciones en el ADN de los individuos influyen en sus fenotipos. El objetivo fundamental de la biología celular es comprender fisiología en términos de la información codificada en el genoma de la célula. La biología molecular, por otro lado, proporciona una descripción detallada de los componentes de las redes biológicas, y los principios organizativos de estas redes son cada vez más evidentes. Por lo tanto, el principal desafío que enfrentan los biólogos humanos en el siglo XXI es identificar cómo las variaciones en el genoma humano contribuyen a la aparición y progresión de trastornos comunes que tienen determinantes genéticos y ambientales. En este primer número especial de la Revista Africana de Biotecnología, hay revisiones y perspectivas de especialistas con información oportuna sobre temas de biotecnología en diversos campos incluida la ecología industrial, las técnicas de cultivo in vitro, la tecnología transgénica, la conservación genética, el diagnóstico molecular y los productos biofarmacéuticos. El desafío para África es doble. Existe la necesidad urgente de ser competente en la aplicación de estas investigaciones innovadoras en las industrias y de enseñar las habilidades necesarias a la próxima generación de científicos. Esto requerirá un esquema para atraer de nuevo a investigadores africanos calificados del mundo occidental a las universidades y al sector privado con el fin de facilitar la educación y la industrialización de la biotecnología. Scientific innovation and its derivative benefits have had profound implications to humanity within the last century.The exciting discipline of biotechnology has drawn the interests of traditional biologists, biochemists, microbiologists, medical and agricultural scientists into applying mathematical and engineering models to understanding biology.Furthermore, several scientists in the exact sciences of mathematics, physics, and chemistry have begun to use system approaches to unravel the mystery and complexity of biology.And from the side, diagnostic, biopharmaceutical, biochemical and agricultural industries are rapidly drawing from and applying the research results of biotechnology.Moreover new industries relying on genomics are springing up daily to challenge the way things have been done.The final results may be several years away, but biotechnology will experience a revolution like none before in the life sciences and will affect every facet of our lives, from crop improvement to commerce, and drugs to sustainable development.Many of the most important and challenging problems of modern science require a multidisciplinary and an integrative approach.Working in areas that fall between the standard disciplines requires that barriers be broken down.Modern biotechnologies have established mechanisms to enable integrative research to develop.Even large companies, subsidiaries and joint ventures, universities, research organizations, small companies and startups are starting to interact in non-traditional ways.Recent revolutionary advances in genomic sequencing has opened the way for a deepened understanding of the organization of genomes and the way in which variations in the DNA of individuals influence their phenotypes.The fundamental goal of cell biology is to understand physiology in terms of the information encoded in the cell's genome.Molecular biology on the other hand provides a detailed description of the components of biological networks, and the organizational principles of these networks are becoming increasingly apparent.Therefore, the major challenge facing human biologists in the 21st century is in identifying how variations in the human genome contribute to the onset and progression of common disorders which have both genetic and environmental determinants.In this first special issue of the African Journal of Biotechnology, there are reviews and perspectives by specialists with timely information on biotechnology issues in diverse fields including industrial ecology, in vitro culture techniques, transgenic technology, genetic conservation, molecular diagnostics and biopharmaceuticals.The challenge for Africa is two-fold.There is the urgent need to be competent in the application of these innovative researches in industries and to teach the necessary skills to the next generation of scientists.This will require a scheme to lure back skilled African researchers from the western world to the universities and private sector in order to facilitate biotechnology education and industrialization. كان للابتكار العلمي وفوائده المشتقة آثار عميقة على البشرية خلال القرن الماضي. اجتذب التخصص المثير للتكنولوجيا الحيوية اهتمامات علماء الأحياء التقليديين والكيمياء الحيوية وعلماء الأحياء الدقيقة والعلماء الطبيين والزراعيين في تطبيق النماذج الرياضية والهندسية لفهم علم الأحياء. علاوة على ذلك، بدأ العديد من العلماء في العلوم الدقيقة للرياضيات والفيزياء والكيمياء في استخدام مناهج النظام لكشف لغز وتعقيد علم الأحياء. ومن الجانب، التشخيصي، الصيدلاني الحيوي، تعتمد الصناعات الكيميائية الحيوية والزراعية بسرعة على نتائج أبحاث التكنولوجيا الحيوية وتطبقها. علاوة على ذلك، تظهر صناعات جديدة تعتمد على علم الجينوم يوميًا لتحدي الطريقة التي تم بها إنجاز الأمور. قد تكون النتائج النهائية على بعد عدة سنوات، لكن التكنولوجيا الحيوية ستشهد ثورة لم يسبق لها مثيل في علوم الحياة وستؤثر على كل جانب من جوانب حياتنا، من تحسين المحاصيل إلى التجارة، والمخدرات إلى التنمية المستدامة. تتطلب العديد من المشكلات الأكثر أهمية وتحديًا في العلوم الحديثة نهجًا متعدد التخصصات وتكامليًا. يتطلب العمل في المجالات التي تقع بين التخصصات القياسية أن تكون الحواجز معطلة. أنشأت التقنيات الحيوية الحديثة آليات لتمكين البحث التكاملي من التطور. حتى الشركات الكبيرة والشركات التابعة والمشاريع المشتركة والجامعات والمنظمات البحثية والشركات الصغيرة والشركات الناشئة بدأت في التفاعل بطرق غير تقليدية. لقد فتحت التطورات الثورية الحديثة في التسلسل الجيني الطريق لفهم أعمق لتنظيم الجينوم والطريقة التي تؤثر بها الاختلافات في الحمض النووي للأفراد على أنماطهم الظاهرية. الهدف الأساسي لبيولوجيا الخلية هو فهم علم وظائف الأعضاء من حيث المعلومات المشفرة في جينوم الخلية. من ناحية أخرى، يقدم علم الأحياء الجزيئي وصفًا تفصيليًا لمكونات الشبكات البيولوجية، والمبادئ التنظيمية لهذه الشبكات أصبحت واضحة بشكل متزايد. لذلك، فإن التحدي الرئيسي الذي يواجه علماء الأحياء البشرية في القرن الحادي والعشرين هو تحديد كيفية مساهمة الاختلافات في الجينوم البشري في ظهور وتطور الاضطرابات الشائعة التي لها محددات وراثية وبيئية على حد سواء. في هذا العدد الخاص الأول من المجلة الأفريقية للتكنولوجيا الحيوية، هناك مراجعات ووجهات نظر من قبل متخصصين لديهم معلومات في الوقت المناسب حول قضايا التكنولوجيا الحيوية في مجالات متنوعة بما في ذلك البيئة الصناعية، وتقنيات الاستزراع في المختبر، والتكنولوجيا المعدلة وراثيًا، والحفظ الجيني، والتشخيص الجزيئي، والمستحضرات الصيدلانية الحيوية. التحدي الذي تواجهه إفريقيا ذو شقين. هناك حاجة ملحة إلى الكفاءة في تطبيق هذه الأبحاث المبتكرة في الصناعات وتعليم المهارات اللازمة للجيل القادم من العلماء. سيتطلب هذا مخططًا لجذب الباحثين الأفارقة المهرة من العالم الغربي إلى الجامعات والقطاع الخاص من أجل تسهيل تعليم التكنولوجيا الحيوية والتصنيع.

The application of bio-char (charcoal or biomass-derived black carbon (C)) to soil is pro- posed as a novel approach to establish a significant, long-term, sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. Apart from positive effects in both reducing emissions and increasing the sequestration of greenhouse gases, the production of bio-char and its application to soil will deliver im- mediate benefits through improved soil fertility and increased crop production. Conversion of biomass C to bio-char C leads to sequestration of about 50% of the initial C compared to the low amounts retained after burning (3%) and biological decomposition (<10-20% after 5-10 years), therefore yielding more stable soil C than burning or direct land application of biomass. This efficiency of C conversion of biomass to bio-char is highly dependent on the type of feedstock, but is not significantly affected by the pyrolysis temperature (within 350-500 ◦ C common for pyrolysis). Existing slash-and- burn systems cause significant degradation of soil and release of greenhouse gases and opportunies may exist to enhance this system by conversion to slash-and-char systems. Our global analysis revealed that up to 12% of the total anthropogenic C emissions by land use change (0.21 Pg C) can be off-set annually in soil, if slash-and-burn is replaced by slash-and-char. Agricultural and forestry wastes such as forest residues, mill residues, field crop residues, or urban wastes add a conservatively estimated 0.16 Pg C yr −1 . Biofuel production using modern biomass can produce a bio-char by-product through pyrolysis which results in 30.6 kg C sequestration for each GJ of energy produced. Using published projections of the use of renewable fuels in the year 2100, bio-char sequestration could amount to 5.5-9.5 Pg C yr −1 if this demand for energy was met through pyrolysis, which would exceed current emissions from fossil fuels (5.4 Pg C yr −1 ). Bio-char soil management systems can deliver tradable C emissions reduction, and C sequestered is easily accountable, and verifiable.

A study was conducted to investigate the impact of an anti-methanogenic product supplementation on enteric methane emissions, whole rumen metagenome and ruminal fermentation in sheep. Twelve adult male sheep were randomly divided into two groups of six animals each. Animals were fed ad libitum on a total mixed ration either without (CON) or with an anti-methanogenic supplement (Harit Dhara-HD). The anti-methanogenic supplement contained 22.1% tannic acid in a 3: 1 ratio of condensed and hydrolysable tannins. The supplementation of product revealed a significant reduction in daily enteric methane emission (21.9 vs. 17.2 g/d) and methane yield (23.2 vs. 18.2) without affecting the nutrient intake and digestibility. However, the propionate concentration in the HD treatment group was significantly higher than in the CON group. On the contrary, the ammonia nitrogen concentration was lower. The anti-methanogenic supplement significantly decreased the ruminal protozoa in the HD treatment group. Whole rumen metagenome analysis revealed that the core bacterial (Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes) and archaeal communities (Methanobrevibacter and Methanosarcina) were comparable between the CON and HD treatment groups. However, the supplementation of anti-methanogenic product led to a considerable reduction in the abundance of Proteobacteria, whereas the abundance of Lentisphaerae was greater. The supplementation significantly decreased the abundance of Methanocaldococcus, Methanococcoides, Methanocella, and Methanoregula methanogens. A total of 36 KO related to methanogenesis were identified in this study. The activities of formate dehydrogenase (EC 1.8.98.6) and tetrahydromethanopterin S-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.86) were significantly lowered by the anti-methanogenic product supplementation in sheep. In conclusion, the anti-methanogenic supplement has the potential to decrease enteric methane emission (~22%) at the recommended level (5% of DM) of supplementation. The contribution of minor methanogens vulnerable to supplementation to rumen methanogenesis is not known; hence, the culturing of these archaea should be taken on priority for determining the impact on overall rumen methanogenesis.

Recurrent food crises and climate change, along with habitat loss and micronutrient deficiencies, are global issues of critical importance that have pushed food security and environmental sustainability to the top of the political agenda. Analyses of the dynamic linkages between food consumption patterns and environmental concerns have recently received considerable attention from the international and scientific community. Using the lens of a broad sustainability approach, this conceptual article aims at developing a multidimensional framework to evaluate the sustainability of food systems and diets, applicable to countries of the Mediterranean region. Derived from natural disaster and sustainability sciences, a vulnerability approach, enhanced by inputs from the resilience literature, has been adapted to analyze the main issues related to food and nutrition security. Through causal factor analysis, the resulting conceptual framework improves the design of information systems or metrics assessing the interrelated environmental, economic, social, and health dynamics of food systems.

This article reviews the published evidence of the climatic risks faced by smallholder farmers in eastern Africa and the adaptation strategies these farmers have so far adopted. In addition, the study draws on two detailed case studies in Kenya for a better understanding of the nuances of climate adaptation, requiring a range of measures to be adopted and institutions working together. Findings from the study reveal that the most consistent observation among farmers is that eastern Africa is experiencing increased temperature and decreased rainfall across all its agro-ecological zones. In response to their perceived climatic risks, smallholder farmers in the region are using both short-term and long-term strategies, with the former mainly consisting of coping mechanisms against climate chocks. In addition, the adaptation strategies implemented by the farmers are influenced by agro-ecological conditions which shape their farming systems and institutional settings including proximity to a major city and mar...

Despite contributing to healthy diets for billions of people, aquatic foods are often undervalued as a nutritional solution because their diversity is often reduced to the protein and energy value of a single food type (‘seafood’ or ‘fish’)1–4. Here we create a cohesive model that unites terrestrial foods with nearly 3,000 taxa of aquatic foods to understand the future impact of aquatic foods on human nutrition. We project two plausible futures to 2030: a baseline scenario with moderate growth in aquatic animal-source food (AASF) production, and a high-production scenario with a 15-million-tonne increased supply of AASFs over the business-as-usual scenario in 2030, driven largely by investment and innovation in aquaculture production. By comparing changes in AASF consumption between the scenarios, we elucidate geographic and demographic vulnerabilities and estimate health impacts from diet-related causes. Globally, we find that a high-production scenario will decrease AASF prices by 26% and increase their consumption, thereby reducing the consumption of red and processed meats that can lead to diet-related non-communicable diseases5,6 while also preventing approximately 166 million cases of inadequate micronutrient intake. This finding provides a broad evidentiary basis for policy makers and development stakeholders to capitalize on the potential of aquatic foods to reduce food and nutrition insecurity and tackle malnutrition in all its forms.