Daily Archives: January 9, 2025

Photographer and Scientist Shares Majestic Beauty of “Big Tuskers” [Interview]

“The Old Man and the Mountain”This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Wildlife photographer, scientist, and world record seeker George Dian Balan has long been fascinated by big tusked elephants. These “big tuskers” have tusks so large that they reach the ground, but are exceedingly difficult to find in nature.

The big tuskers hearken back to the woolly mammoths of epochs past, seeming to come from another time. Through his award-winning wildlife photography and extensive database of Asian and African big tusked elephants, Dian is doing his part to bring attention to these incredible animals.
After publishing his book, The World As It Once Was, Dian has continued his quest to catalog these elephants, but living and dead. This has brought him to discover not one, but two World Records. This includes the record-breaking 3.26-meter-long (about 10.7-feet-long) tusks on display at the Riga Zoo. Thanks to his diligent work, the scientific community has more knowledge about the big tuskers and this, hopefully, will push forward more conservation efforts.
We had the opportunity to speak with Dian about his work and what drives his passion for these “big tuskers.” Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview and to learn more about his work, you can follow George Dian Balan on Instagram.
“Quintessential Millionaire”
Where does your love of animals stem from?
I’ve been fascinated with wildlife ever since I can remember myself.
When I was a very young kid my parents and grandparents bought me hundreds of books in various fields and languages, from history and art to science. The ones that I cherished the most were the wildlife books, so they bought me more of those. My family wanted me to learn foreign languages and to keep me busy reading books.
“The River of Giants”
“Asian Jade Reflections”
What is it about elephants specifically that fascinates you?
I am in love with megafauna, and especially megaherbivores such as big tusked elephants, big horned rhinos, and big antlered giant moose. There is something primeval to them, they are so similar to woolly mammoths, woolly rhinos, and Ice Age giant deer, as they sport tusks, horns, and antlers of pretty much the same size as their Ice Age cousins! Being in the commanding presence of these giants of today feels for me like traveling back in time.
“Great Tusker Coconut Mandala”
“The Time of Mammoths is Now”
When did your relationship with photography begin, and how has it allowed you to further your interest in animals?
Photography can be a very powerful tool. It motivates me.
While about 20 years ago I was a clumsy photographer, I have been receiving awards for wildlife photography for 17 years. The last 10 years have been dedicated to the intensive study and photography of megafauna, with an emphasis on big tusked elephants.
“World Record Raja Reflections”
“World Record Raja Reflections”
Can you share the story of how you found the World Record-breaking Asian elephant tusks?
I have the biggest database in the world regarding big tusked Asian and African elephants.
One of the elephants who fascinated me the most was Raja the Great, featured in my book The World As It Once Was on page 260. He was from the tall, robustly built, high-domed, big-tusked genetic line of Asian elephants—the rarest and most impressive of their species. He passed away in 2013.
I first wrote to the Riga Zoo in 2018 and asked about Raja’s tusks and body measurements, as well as for access to personally measure his preserved skull and tusks. While I received partial measurements, I was not granted the permission to personally examine the specimen.
After a change in the management of the Riga Zoo, I re-submitted my request in 2022. It received a favorable answer, so I traveled and took comprehensive in-situ measurements of the skull and the tusks. On that occasion, I noted that the tusk measurements received in 2018 were erroneous, as they only concerned the part of the tusks outside of the huge skull (2.61 meters [8.56 feet] and 1.49 meters [4.89 feet], respectively). By examining cracks in the alveoli, I noticed that the tusks are in their anatomical position, and not only slightly inserted in the sockets, like in the case of most mammoths displayed in natural history museums.
Therefore, I could already note that the left tusk is the new all-time world record by length and I asked for permission to take the tusk out of the skull and properly measure it. The request was promptly granted and together with the team from the Riga Zoo I celebrated my birthday in 2023 by properly measuring this impressive tusk.
Raja’s left tusk is 3.26 meters [10.7 feet] on the outer curvature and it’s the new all-time world record Asian elephant tusk by length, surpassing the former record, a tusk measuring 3.01 meters [9.88 feet], belonging to the Royal Thai elephant Chao Phraya Prapubkarn (which I also measured).
Half a year after this discovery, I went on a trip to India to examine some of the biggest tusked Asian elephants alive, held captive in various locations in Kerala. Amongst them is the magnificent Manissery Rajendran. His left tusk has a staggering circumference of 58 centimeters [22.83 inches] at the lip. This is the second new World Record that I discovered. For more than 100 years, the greatest recorded circumference was 56 centimeters, the Rowland Ward World Record Asian elephant tusk (by weight), which belonged to King George VI and was presented to him in 1911 by the Prime Minister of Nepal.
“58 cm World Record”
“Dusting Mammoth”
How does it feel to know you have a direct hand in preserving this sort of history?
My work in preserving these monuments of natural history has several dimensions.
First, visually documenting these giants as it has not been done before.
Second, creating the most extensive database of its kind in the world. It also comprises 3D scans of the top 10 biggest Asian elephant skulls, a project on which I work with a distinguished international team.
Third, I am helping create a genetic database with DNA samples from Asian big tuskers, both alive and who have already passed away. I am working on this project with Colossal, an initiative by Professor George Church from the Harvard genetics lab. By taking DNA samples and breaking the big ivory codes, it is hoped to create a genetic reserve for Asian large ivory carriers. This may also help gather the last pieces in the genetic puzzle of a cold-adapted elephant, a hybrid between Asian elephants and woolly mammoths, which could benefit from vast Arctic spaces in sparsely populated areas.
Fourth, I hope to help create new sanctuaries and protected areas where big tuskers could live and reproduce.
Finally, one day I would love to see my vision reflected in a museum designed by myself, which should also play an active role in saving the big tuskers that are still alive.
“Pecking Order 2”
“Window Into Africa”
What’s the biggest issue right now for big tusked elephants and what can we do to help them?
The major challenge faced by African and Asian elephants today is the loss of genetic diversity by the elimination of big tuskers. In fact, only about 40 confirmed big tuskers are left from each species, with perhaps a hundred or so more possibly emerging.
Did you know that the longer the tusks, the healthier the elephant? By analyzing elephant dung in Southern India, Professor Raman Sukumar noted that bull elephants with longer tusks had fewer parasites (nematodes). These observations are confirmed by studies in other species where males possess secondary sexual traits such as long horns and antlers or dark manes.
Therefore, the biggest threats to big tuskers right now are trophy hunting (mostly for the Africans), isolation in captivity without reproductive opportunities (mostly for the Asians), poaching and habitat loss (for both species).
“Sketching a Mammoth”
“Mammoth Sunset”
What do you hope that people take away from your work?
Jacques -Yves Cousteau used to say, “People protect what they love.” I want to make people first aware of the existence of the big tuskers and then fall in love with these giants.
My portfolio of big tusked elephant images comprises more than 30 different images awarded in photography competitions around the world, usually multiple times. This is far more than any other photographer. I innovate a lot, offering fresh perspectives on new characters, and use all possible photographing techniques, including a plethora of remote and camera trap technologies. For instance, I am the first to photograph big tusked elephants from inside a baobab tree.
“Pecking Order”
What’s next for you?
I have financed my megafauna-related research and photography by having other jobs. I spent a lot of money on my trips and helping local communities. I would love to make it self-financing, to be able to go full-time on researching and photographing megafauna, helping more local communities, creating at least one sanctuary and materializing a megafauna museum reflecting my vision. I hope to sell limited-edition fine art prints and books to help me in these endeavors. The award winning book The World As It Once Was can be ordered on Amazon and in various other places, and prints directly from me.

George Dian Balan: Instagram 
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by George Dian Balan.
Related Articles:
Wildlife Photographer Captures the Last Photos of the “Queen of Elephants”
Photographer Wins Prize for Heartbreaking Story About the Plight of Endangered Forest Elephants
Fascinating Illustrations Show Size Difference Between Prehistoric Animals and Modern Descendants
Interview: Photojournalist Follows Siberia’s Risky New Gold Rush by Shadowing Mammoth Tusk Hunters

Scientists Create Split-Electrons, Unlocking the Future of Quantum Computing

Discovering that electrons can manifest as ‘split-electrons’ in nanoscale circuits, scientists are now on the brink of a technological revolution that could lead to the practical use of Majorana fermions in quantum computing, thanks to a novel use of quantum interference. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Topological quantum computers a step closer with a new method to ‘split’ electrons.
Electrons, once thought to be indivisible, may display behaviors suggesting they can split into two halves under quantum interference. Groundbreaking research explores how nanoelectronic circuits, governed by quantum mechanics, allow electrons to choose pathways and interfere with themselves, creating effects akin to the mysterious Majorana fermion.
Quantum Physics Meets Nano-Scale Electronics
Scientists have long understood electrons as indivisible, fundamental particles. However, groundbreaking research reveals that a peculiar feature of quantum mechanics can create states that mimic the behavior of half an electron. These so-called “split-electrons” could be pivotal in advancing quantum computing.
The discovery, recently published in Physical Review Letters, was led by Professor Andrew Mitchell from University College Dublin’s School of Physics and Dr. Sudeshna Sen from the Indian Institute of Technology in Dhanbad. Both are theoretical physicists specializing in the quantum properties of nanoscale electronic circuits.
Quantum Mechanics Redefines Miniaturized Electronics
“The miniaturization of electronics has reached the point now where circuit components are just nanometers across. At that scale, the rules of the game are set by quantum mechanics, and you have to give up your intuition about the way things work,” said Dr. Sen. “A current flowing through a wire is actually made up of lots of electrons, and as you make the wire smaller and smaller, you can watch the electrons go through one-by-one. We can now even make transistors which work with just a single electron.”
When a nanoelectronic circuit is designed to give electrons the ‘choice’ of two different pathways, quantum interference takes place. Professor Mitchell explained: “The quantum interference we see in such circuits is very similar to that observed in the famous double-slit experiment.”
The Double-Slit Experiment’s Wave-Like Insights
The double-slit experiment demonstrates the wave-like properties of quantum particles like the electron, which led to the development of quantum mechanics in the 1920s. Individual electrons are fired at a screen with two tiny apertures, and the place they end up is recorded on a photographic plate on the other side. Because the electrons can pass through either slit, they interfere with each other. In fact, a single electron can interfere with itself, just like a wave does when it passes through both slits at the same time. The result is an interference pattern of alternating high and low-intensity stripes on the back screen. The probability of finding an electron in certain places can be zero due to destructive interference – think of the peaks and troughs of two waves colliding and canceling each other out.
Electrons Behaving as Majorana Fermions
Professor Mitchell said: “It’s the same thing in a nanoelectronic circuit. Electrons going down different paths in the circuit can destructively interfere and block the current from flowing. This phenomenon has been observed before in quantum devices. The new thing that we found is that by forcing multiple electrons close enough together that they strongly repel each other, the quantum interference gets changed. Even though the only fundamental particles in the circuit are electrons, collectively they can behave as if the electron has been split in two.”
Majorana Fermions and Quantum Computation Potential
The result is a so-called ‘Majorana fermion’ – a particle first theorized by mathematicians in 1937 but as yet not isolated experimentally. The finding is potentially important for the development of new quantum technologies, if the Majorana particle can be created in an electronic device and manipulated.
“There has been a big search for Majoranas over the last few years because they are a key ingredient for proposed topological quantum computers,” Professor Mitchell said. “We might have found a way to produce them in nanoelectronics devices by using the quantum interference effect.”
Reference: “Many-Body Quantum Interference Route to the Two-Channel Kondo Effect: Inverse Design for Molecular Junctions and Quantum Dot Devices” by Sudeshna Sen and Andrew K. Mitchell, 12 August 2024, Physical Review Letters.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.076501

Scientists Engineer Bacteria to Break Down Microplastics Found in Wastewater

Microplastics — the ubiquitous tiny plastic particles that are the result of the breakdown of plastic water bottles, packaging and synthetic clothing fibers — can run through wastewater treatment plants, making their way into the environment.

Researchers have engineered bacteria that is commonly found in the treatment plants to break down microplastic pollution before it has a chance to persist in the environment.

“Wastewater treatment plants are one of the major pathways for microplastics to enter the environment. In general, microplastics are contaminants of global concern that pose risks to ecosystems and human health,” the authors wrote in the study. “With a focus on wastewater, a major pathway for microplastics to enter the environment, this study demonstrates a proof of concept for engineering environmental microbiomes to rapidly degrade PET plastics.”

University of Waterloo researchers added DNA to several bacteria species found in wastewater. They then allowed them to biodegrade a common plastic — polyethylene terephthalate (PET) — found in clothing, carpet and food and beverage containers, a press release from the University of Waterloo said.

Conjugation of pFAST-PETase-cis into wastewater bacteria. Microbial Biotechnology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.70015

It takes hundreds of years for PET plastics to degrade in the natural environment. They break down over time into microplastics — plastic pieces less than five millimeters in length — which then enter the food chain. Chemicals in these plastics can lead to decreased reproductive health, insulin resistance and cancer, among other adverse health impacts.

“Think of these bacteria that already exist in water systems to clean up microplastics as biorobots that can be programmed to get the job done,” said Dr. Marc Aucoin, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Waterloo, in the press release. “Microplastics in water also enhance the spread of antibiotic resistance, so this breakthrough could also address that concern.”

The research team used “bacterial sex,” a natural process where genetic material is shared between bacteria when they multiply. This enables a new trait to be introduced into the target bacteria, making them able to break down microplastics.

[embedded content]

“As next steps, we will use modelling to understand how well the bacteria transfer the new genetic information under different environmental conditions and thus how effectively they can break down the plastics,” said Dr. Brian Ingalls, a professor of applied mathematics at the University of Waterloo, in the press release.

“The long-term vision is to break down microplastics in wastewater treatment plants at scale.”

The team also hopes to discover ways to clean up plastic waste accumulating in the world’s oceans.

“We will assess the risks of using engineered, plastic-eating bacteria in the natural environment,” said Aaron Yip, Ph.D. candidate in the University of Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, in the press release. “Right now, microplastic degradation in wastewater treatment plants is a safer application to target. Many of these facilities are already designed to neutralize bacteria in wastewater, which would kill any engineered bacteria prior to discharging water back into the environment.”

The study, “Degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics by wastewater bacteria engineered via conjugation,” was published in the journal Microbial Biotechnology.

University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University Collaborative Science Pilot Awards Infuse $250,000 to Accelerate Five Promising Research Projects

CLEVELAND — In the spirit of encouraging and more rapidly advancing team science between clinical and basic science faculty, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have jointly funded five research teams engaged in new and promising scientific studies.The Collaborative Science Pilot Awards, a program supported by the CWRU-UH Joint Strategic Leadership Committee, recently awarded each team $50,000 with the possibility of receiving additional funding as substantial research progress is made and scientific milestones are met. Established two years ago, the awards program aims to inspire innovative research projects across UH and Case Western Reserve. The awards leverage the evolution of scientific endeavors in which research is shifting to teams, promoting collaboration to more effectively move science forward in important ways.“The purpose of this joint effort is to bring physician-scientists and scientists together to solve unmet clinical needs. We have world-class faculty at both UH and CWRU that are eager to collaborate and advance science,” said Daniel I. Simon, MD, President of Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer at UH and the Ernie and Patti Novak Distinguished Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “We look forward to working together once again this year to inspire teams to further develop their research, make new discoveries in their fields, and increase their competitiveness for major external funding opportunities.”A Second Round of Pilot Funding Allows More Team Research to Take Root and GrowThe funding awarded in late 2024 builds upon an initiative launched in 2023 when UH and Case Western Reserve School of Medicine formed five groups focused on five key research areas – infection, immune response, immunotherapy; cancer; brain health; genetics, genomic, genetic therapeutics; and health services research. In 2024, a record number of research teams submitted proposals which were evaluated by a scientific committee comprised of leading investigatorsAfter a rigorous peer-reviewed evaluation process, the five meritorious proposals identified for support included the following projects:Organizing and Curating Large-Scale UH MR Fingerprinting Database: First Steps Towards Multi-Institutional MR Fingerprinting Consortium. Team: Chaitra Badve, MD (Radiology) and Mark Griswold, PhD (Biomedical Engineering)UH and Case Western Reserve have been pioneers in implementing the highly promising MR Fingerprinting imaging technology in direct patient care. Under this initiative, the team is developing the world’s first MR Fingerprinting Quantitative Neuroimaging Database in a large population. The proposed project will focus on organizing and curating an MRF database for hypothesis driven sub-projects in various neurological diseases. The team will also leverage their global leadership, unique infrastructure and synergistic expertise towards a larger vision of a Multi-institutional MR Fingerprinting Consortium to accelerate development of generalizable, well-validated biomarkers in various neurological diseases.A Genetic Risk Aid for Early Keratoconus Detection. Team: Sudha Iyengar, PhD (Population and Quantitative Health Sciences) and Loretta Szczotka-Flynn, DO, PhD (Ophthalmology)Keratoconus is a corneal thinning disease typically presenting in the second or third decade of life, which causes corneal irregularity and reduced visual acuity. Early diagnosis with subsequent treatment with corneal collagen crosslinking can prevent vision loss. No single test can reliably diagnose keratoconus in its earliest stages. The team aims to develop an accurate genetic test for keratoconus, a Polygenic Risk Score, to complement current diagnostic tests and drive early intervention. This project will enable them to produce a toolset of genetic biomarkers capable of predicting keratoconus and then validate the overall model in existing biobank cohorts as well as a new local dataset from UH Cleveland Medical Center.Single-cell RNA Sequencing Analysis of the Mechanism of Alzheimer’s Treatment by Small Molecule Inhibitors of 15-PGDH. Team: Stephen Fink, PhD (Case Comprehensive Cancer Center) and Andrew Pieper, MD, PhD (Psychiatry)Worldwide, more than 55 million people are currently suffering from dementia caused by neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), for which there are no disease-modifying treatments. The team has identified the protein, 15-PGDH, as a novel therapeutic target in AD by demonstrating that inhibition of 15-PGDH prevents neurodegeneration and preserves cognition in an AD mouse model. They plan to employ gene expression analysis of myeloid cells, the cell population found in the brain to highly express 15-PGDH, to determine the in vivo pathways by which pharmacologic 15-PGDH inhibition prevents the development of neuropathology and cognitive impairment in an AD mouse model.A Probiotic Approach to Treating Gastrointestinal Symptoms Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Team: Mahmoud Ghannoum, PhD (Dermatology), Grace McComsey, MD (Pediatrics and Medicine), Masaru Miyagi, PhD (Pharmacology), and Thomas McCormick, PhD (Dermatology)Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder associated with comorbidities including anxiety, neuropsychiatric symptoms, immune dysregulation, and Gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities. Preliminary GI microbiome profiling of ASD patients yielded polymicrobial bacterial and fungal imbalances that the team hypothesizes results in formation of intestinal biofilms contributing to the pathogenesis and GI symptomologies often associated with ASD. To address this, the team proposes to test the potential for a probiotic amylase supplement designed to address polymicrobial dysbiosis and biofilm formation in a clinical study to improve gastrointestinal symptoms of ASD patients.Bradykinin Formation in Malaria Cerebral Edema. This research project is receiving a second year of funding and is led by Alvin Schmaier, MD (Medicine) and James Kazura, MD (Pathology). In the first year of support, the team proved their hypothesis that local production of bradykinin is a proximal event in experimental cerebral malaria. This work was completed by using murine genetic knockout mice of every protein in the factor XII and plasma kallikrein/kinin system and by the development of a LCMSMS assay to measure bradykinin in murine plasma. Presently, the team has recognized a therapeutic agent that recapitulates cerebral malaria protection observed in prekallikrein KO mice. This agent, a plasma kallikrein inhibitor, rescues moribund infected mice late in disease progression serving as an adjuvant to concurrent anti-parasite therapy.  Current efforts in year two of support is to turn these research findings into a program for development of plasma kallikrein inhibitors as adjunctive therapy for human cerebral malaria. The Mobilization of Human and Financial Resources Holds the Power to Transform MedicineHistorically, team science and the mobilization of human and financial resources have contributed to groundbreaking research and scientific advancement throughout UH Case Western Reserve. Over time, such strides not only expand the realm of scientific knowledge and application, but they also transform medical care across diverse patient care settings, improving clinical outcomes and elevating community health overall.Programs like the Collaborative Science Pilot Awards enable researchers to pursue the research needed to validate and sustain the process of scientific discovery to ultimately develop state-of-the-art diagnostics, therapies and procedures.“Collaboration and mentorship are essential for the advancement of science, innovation, and medicine,” said Stanton L. Gerson, MD, Dean and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, School of Medicine; Director of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine at Case Western Reserve; Asa and Patricia Shiverick–Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology; and Case Western Reserve Distinguished University Professor. “We are very pleased to see more proposals submitted by senior investigator and early-career faculty together this year. The interdisciplinary mentorship and collaboration that transpires across research and clinical enterprises facilitates problem-solving, enables the navigation of challenges and provides the support and guidance necessary for researchers at all career levels to thrive.”Moving forward, the germination of science and innovation the pilot awards make possible will redefine the standard of care across multiple medical specialties and patient care settings.###About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of more than 20 hospitals (including 5 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, NEOMED, Oxford University, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, and National Taiwan University College of Medicine. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital, Ohio’s only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,400 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national and international ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report and UK Brand Finance. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.At Case Western Reserve, one of the nation’s leading research universities, we’re driven to seek knowledge and find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Nearly 6,200 undergraduate and 6,100 graduate students from across 96 countries study in our more than 250 degree programs across arts, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing, science and social work. Our location in Cleveland, Ohio—a hub of cultural, business and healthcare activity—gives students unparalleled access to engaging academic, research, clinical, entrepreneurial and volunteer opportunities and prepares them to join our network of 125,000+ alumni making an impact worldwide. Visit case.edu to learn more.