Tagged: fireflies

The science of Rudolf’s glowing nose! - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 24, 2014 •

• Allan Blackman,
• AUT,
• bioluminescence,
• Christmas,
• fireflies,
• fluorescence,
• fluorescent proteins,
• GFP,
• green fluorescent proteins,
• Rudolf,
• sea pansy,
• Steve Pointing

Rudolf by Latharion This festive season AUT University Prof’s Steve Pointing and Allan Blackman released a marvelous little video explaining the science behind some of the unanswered mysteries of Christmas. How does Santa get to all those houses unseen in one night? And how does he get down the chimney? I’ve been sent the … Read More

Fireflies at the 6th Annual Imagine Science Film Festival! - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Sep 30, 2013 •

• 6th Imagine Science Film Festival,
• Animation,
• fireflies,
• google,
• NASA,
• Nature,
• New York,
• Science

I’m really excited to announce that my fireflies and NASA animation will be appearing at the 6th Imagine Science Film Festival, being held in New York , October 11th-18th. Sponsored by Google, and the journals Science and Nature, according to it’s website, the festival aims to: “transform the way science and scientists are portrayed in mainstream … Read More

Monday Micro – World TB Day - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 25, 2013 •

• Anton Villemin,
• Auckland University,
• consumption,
• fireflies,
• Gates Foundation,
• Global Fund,
• Luke Harris,
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
• Robert Koch,
• TB,
• tuberculosis,
• World TB Day

Yesterday, the 24th of March, was World TB Day which aims to build awareness for tuberculosis, a lung disease which kills about 2 million people around the world each year. That’s 3 people a minute. Why the 24th March? This was the day, in 1882, that Dr Robert Koch* announced he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, … Read More

The Innovate TB contest - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Jun 14, 2012 •

• Animation,
• bioluminescence,
• fireflies,
• Firefly,
• lampyridae,
• TB,
• tuberculosis

The Stop TB Partnership and Working Group on New TB Drugs are currently running the Innovate TB Contest where people where asked to submit their videos showing how innovations are revolutionising tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment and advocacy. Submissions are now closed and the public have just a couple of days left to vote. The three videos with the … Read More

Fireflies, luuurve and NASA - misc.ience

Aimee Whitcroft • Feb 15, 2012 •

• ATP,
• bacteria,
• bioluminescence,
• chemistry,
• contamination,
• fireflies,
• food,
• Infectious Thoughts,
• lampyridae,
• microbiology,
• NASA,
• Siouxsie Wiles,
• space,
• sterile

In this newest animated video from fellow Sciblogger Siouxsie Wiles (Infectious Thoughts) explains how fireflies* use bioluminescence to find love (or the firefly equivalent), and, well, food. And it then goes on to explain how the chemical reaction used to produce that light, can be exploited to help us test for bacterial presence.  In your [...] … Read More

From fireflies to space invaders - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 14, 2012 •

• ATP,
• bioluminescence,
• fireflies,
• NASA

Following on from the animation we made showing how fireflies are helping fight superbugs, Luke Harris and I have collaborated on another video. This one links fireflies and NASA. Enjoy! … Read More

From fireflies to superbugs…. - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 08, 2011 •

• bioluminescence,
• fireflies,
• Firefly,
• luciferase,
• Superbugs,
• TB

I’ve spent the last few months working with a fantastic Australian animator, Luke Harris, and his team to tell the story of what I do and why in under 3 minutes. So if you want to find out a little more about the amazing beetle that is the firefly and how it is helping scientists battle against some of … Read More