The 5 optimism pills of the week concern Italy and beyond: our country has officially 61 sites recognized as a world heritage ofUNESCOwhile theItalian space agency will take care of developing the first living form that will be installed on Moon. Meanwhile, in the park of Yellowstone Tremulous poplars have returned to grow thanks to the action of the wolves, while in Naples a patient has reached the sight thanks to one gene therapy.
So our weekly appointment is back, this time with 5 optimism pills to re -acquire some hope on our country and the world around us.
Italy in the first place for UNESCO heritage sites
Italy is confirmed as the first country to the world number of UNESCO heritage sites: with the recent recognition of Domus de Janas In Sardinia, the peninsula comes to a total of 61 sites of humanity. Of these, 6 are natural sites (like the Dolomites, the Etna and the Aeolian Islands) and 8 are cultural landscapes (like the Cinque Terre, the Amalfi coast and Portovenere). The remaining part of the sites are considered assets culturalas in the case of monuments and works of art.
Italy, among other things, has conquered this world record Already in 2021: in the world ranking, the other two steps of the podium are occupied by the Chinawith 59 places of humanity, and from the Germanywhich is positioned third with 54 Unesco sites.
Tremulous poplars are back in the Yellowstone park thanks to the wolves
For the first time after 80 years, in the park of Yellowstonein the United States, the Tremulent poplarswhich belong to the family of Salicaceae and which can reach up to 20 meters in height. According to a study carried out by researchers from the Lordon State University, the merit would be wolves: but how?
The presence of the wolves, in turn reintroduced in the ecosystem of the park in 1995 (after being exterminated on the push of breeders and hunters), he would in fact be discouraged deer, alci and other herbivores from the browse The poplars of poplars even before they could grow.
In other words, the presence of wolves as predators has meant that alci and deer no longer burned undisturbed (because they exposed a greater risk of becoming prey), thus allowing trees to grow more. The research showed that between 1998 and 2021 the density of young poplars has increased by 150 timesrecording the presence of high and robust poplars in a third of 87 Boschetti analyzed.
In 2024 in Italy over 80% of the glass was recycled
In 2024 in Italy a new record was reached for the recycling Of glasswhich has reached the80.3%for a total of 2,102,979 tons of recovered material.
According to the report of Coreve (National Consortium Recovery of glass), in the period 2015-2024 The amount of recycled glass is increased of 26.6% (in the face of a growing glass packaging of 11.8%). Our country then exceeded the goal of the 75% Fixed by the EU for 2030: it is an important result, especially if we consider that Italy is the main European packaging glass manufacturer and the Third World Consumerafter the United States and China.
According to estimates, the recycling rate of over 80% allowed a saving 394 million cubic meters of gas, 2.3 million tons of co2 and 3.8 million tons of virgin raw materials.
The Italian Space Agency will develop the first living form for the Moon
THE’Italian space agency (ASI) and Thales Alenia Space (one joint venture Between the French aerospace company Thales and the Italian Leonardo) they will take care of designing and developing the first housing module multipurpose for the moon.
The MPH module, which will be launched by Kennedy Space Center of NASA in 2033, It will be used to host astronauts during their missions, also allowing you to carry out experiments scientific research (both in the presence and in the absence of a crew) and managing to move on the lunar surface.
The design activities of the Italian Space Agency will initially focus on the development of technologies capable of dealing with the environmental conditions of the Moon as the extreme thermal variations, the high levels of radiation and the effects of the reduced lunar severity. The living form will be designed for an operational duration of ten yearsworking as a permanent habitat on the surface of the moon.
Gene therapy has allowed a patient to recover view
In Naples, a patient suffering from the type 1B Usher syndrome managed to recover view thanks to a double carrier genical therapy. But what does it mean? The General therapies They are born to correct mutations present in the DNA underlying some rare diseases, transferring the “defective” genes within the cells of the correct versions. In some cases, it is possible to restore the correct features cells or, at least, reduce disease symptoms.
Usher’s syndrome, for example, is a rare genetic disease that causes congenital deafness and progressive loss of sight due to a mutation of Gene Myo7a, Involved in the production of a fundamental protein for the function of the Retina photocercers.
In the case of Naples, however, the researchers of the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine of Pozzuoli (Tigem) have used innovative gene therapy a double carrier: The Myo7a gene, in fact, is too large to be contained in a single viral carrier – to insert the genes “correct” in the cells, scientists use harmless viruses that work as “postmen” to deliver the information where you need. That’s why researchers decided to divide the gene into two portions, Each transported by a distinct carrier, who have been injected under the retina. Once inside the cells, the two half recounted and successfully produced the missing proteinallowing you to reach an important milestone for Italian research.
