Featured Research: Animals

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RE.SEARCH 9: What if? 

RE.SEARCH 9 is our most novel edition yet. In it, we have featured research that encourages us to think afresh, and is doing so, we’ve highlighted new ways of looking at research. You can expect to read about research that has potential and promise for the future but which is still nascent or represents an educated guess. This edition also features a range of multimedia that you can immerse...

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UP researchers discover optimum way to monitor blood oxygen levels in immobilised rhino, boosting efforts to combat poaching

New research by scientists at the University of Pretoria (UP) has shown that pulse oximeters, originally designed for humans, can be used more effectively to monitor the blood oxygen levels of rhinoceroses who are under anaesthesia and immobilised – by attaching them at an unusual site: the rhino’s ‘third eyelid’.

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How to attach a pulse oximeter to a rhino's third eyelid

UP researchers have been working on adapting the use of existing technology and testing it in the field to find an appropriate solution to mitigate complications arising from low oxygen levels during procedures like immobilisation. This new research improves our ability to provide care and ensure the well-being of rhinos in the field.

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UP experts contribute to discovery of new ‘superpowers’ in mole rats, which could inform human health interventions

University of Pretoria (UP) scientists have contributed to discovering how the naked mole rat is able to withstand heart attacks and fend off bowel cancer, two of the most fatal human ailments in the developed world. Their findings were published recently in two Nature Communications papers.

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Biomedical researchers are tapping into mole rats' unique adaptations

Mole rat biology could inform human health interventions like cancer therapies, heart attack prevention, maternal health and birth control, mental health approaches, anti-ageing drugs, neurodegenerative disease treatment, and pain management.

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RE.SEARCH 8: Connect

In a world in which there is an ever-encroaching digital footprint and high-tech solutions, it is vital that we reconnect with an outlook of compassion, care and communication. We do this through connection and connectivity. The theme of our latest issue, ‘Connect’, highlights how UP lives up to its motto, “Make Today Matter”, and demonstrates how our African research connections and...