Biology Archives - The Sciku Project

March 6, 2025March 6, 2025

Matriarch by James Penha

when earth spun faster
Luca settled in the sea
and begat us all
by James Penha

Last July, researchers at Bristol University concluded that Luca (last universal common ancestor from which all life on Earth stems) lived 4.2 billion years ago—early enough in the planet’s existence to suggest that life might be an inevitability rather than an accident.

Further reading:

‘Luca is the progenitor of all life on Earth. But its genesis has implications far beyond our planet’, 2025, Ball, P., The Observer, available: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jan/19/luca-is-the-progenitor-of-all-life-on-earth-but-its-genesis-has-implications-far-beyond-our-planet

‘The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system’, 2024, Moody, E.R.R., et al., Nature Ecology & Evolution, available: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1

Author bio:

Expat New Yorker James Penha (he/him 🌈) has lived for the past three decades in Indonesia. Nominated for Pushcart Prizes in fiction and poetry, his work is widely published in journals and anthologies. His newest chapbook of poems, American Daguerreotypes, is available for Kindle. Penha edits TheNewVerse.News, an online journal of current-events poetry. You can find out more about James’ poetry on his website https://jamespenha.com and catch up with him on BlueSky @jamespenha.bsky.social

Read more of James’ sciku here.

February 27, 2025February 27, 2025

Toxic male by Debbie Lee

Toxic male technique
mosquito biocontrol
venomous semen
by Debbie Lee

Macquarie University research into synthetic biology may provide solutions to dengue fever outbreaks and insect-transmitted disease.

Further reading:

‘’Toxic Male Technique’ promises faster biocontrol of mosquito populations’, 2025, Macquarie University, available: https://phys.org/news/2025-01-toxic-male-technique-faster-biocontrol.html

‘Recombinant venom proteins in insect seminal fluid reduce female lifespan’, 2025, Beach, S.J. & Maselko, M., Nature Communications, available: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54863-1

Author bio:

Debbie Lee (@lee_debbie):
Writing from places light and dark,
awkward data nerd,
elegant word nerd,
dreaming in colour,
clumsily balancing love, hope,
kindness with pragmatic realism.

Read more sciku by Debbie: ‘Technomancy’.

January 16, 2025January 16, 2025

The Blood and the Run by Mike Fainzilber

flying dracula
bleeding to run
running to bleed
by Mike Fainzilber

This is a haiku about the stuff of nightmares – vampire bats. As we know, vampire bats feed on blood, and blood is low in carbohydrates and lipids that are the typical fuel for activities that require high energy. Flight is highly costly in energy, so how can it be fueled by blood alone? Certain blood-sucking insects can fuel their flight by direct metabolism of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) in their blood meals, but this metabolic specialization was known only in very few insect species.

A team of biologists traveled from the University of Toronto to Belize to find out if vampire bats can do the same. The researchers took advantage of the fact that vampire bats are exceptionally good runners, and they use this to approach their prey along the ground. Bats were fed cow blood with labeled amino acids and the researchers then placed them on treadmills, monitoring tracer release in the bat’s breath as they ran on the treadmill.

The experiments clearly showed that vampire bats use amino acids as their main fuel source while running. Since running is a major hunting mode for this species, they literally bleed prey to run, and run to bleed…

Further reading:

‘Vampire bats rapidly fuel running with essential or non-essential amino acids from a blood meal’, 2024, Rossi, G.S. & Welch, K.C., Biology Letters, available: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0453

‘How blood-sucking vampire bats get their energy’, 2024, The Economist, available: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/11/06/how-blood-sucking-vampire-bats-get-their-energy

Author bio:

Mike Fainzilber’s day job is a biologist. He began writing haiku and senryu during the pandemic, and this side effect of COVID-19 has not worn off yet. Editors in his two spheres of activity have been known to suggest that he should best restrict his efforts to the other sphere. Find out more about Mike’s research via his lab’s website and connect with him on X/Twitter @MFainzilber or on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/mfainzilber.bsky.social

Read more sciku by Mike: ‘The deepest shade’, ‘Jellyfish’, and ‘In the Deep’.

December 19, 2024December 12, 2024

Mandrake by Sarah Das Gupta

A screaming root
beneath the moon’s watery spears
black hound needed
by Sarah Das Gupta

Botanical name:	Mandragora officinarum
Popular names:	Satan’s Apple, Devil’s Turnip, Manroot, Circe’s Plant
Family:	Solanaceae
Origin:	Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa.
Flower:	Purple–yellow-green, bell-shaped corolla, five petals, flowers grow from rosette of leaves.
Habitat:	Stony waste ground, edge of woodland, coastal areas

The long taproot, shaped like a human form, was said to scream when pulled from the ground. Anyone hearing this would go mad. In Medieval times, it was believed the only way to harvest the plant was on a moonlit night and using a black dog with a cord attached to the plant to uproot it!

It was also believed that the mandrake first grew from the dripping ‘juices’ of a hanged man. This, by the medieval Doctrine of Signatures which taught that the shape and appearance of a plant linked it to parts of the human body, made the mandrake highly valued for specific ailments. However, the poisonous nature of the plant made its medicinal use difficult, as Harry Potter fans may know

The mandrake contains tropane alkaloids which give it narcotic, emetic, sedative and hallucinogenic properties. As early as the fourteenth century BC the plant is mentioned in cuneiform texts and subsequently in Arabic, Greek and Roman writing. It was said the root could be seen as a baby in form, albeit a rather ugly one. This gave rise to the belief that the plant helped childless women to conceive.

Mandrake roots were valuable and not surprisingly there were fraudsters at country fairs with oddly-shaped ‘mandrakes’ carved from turnip roots. It was even believed that these roots knew the sites of buried treasure. They would whisper the secret to their owner, if they trusted him. These beautiful lines from Shakespeare suggest Mandrake was still in use in the 16^th century:

‘Give me to drink mandragora.
That I might sleep out the great gap of time
My Antony is away.’
William Shakespeare,
Anthony and Cleopatra, Act 1, Scene 1.

Further reading:

‘Pagan Portals – By Wolfsbane & Mandrake Root: The Shadow World of Plants and Their Poisons’, 2017, Draco, M., John Hunt Publishing Limited, ISBN: 1780995725.

‘Poisonous Plants in Great Britain’, 2008, Gillam, F., Wooden Books, ISBN: 1904263879.

‘Witch’s Garden: Plants in folklore, magic and traditional medicine’, 2020, Lawrence, S., Welbeck London, ISBN: 978178739436.

Author bio:

Sarah Das Gupta is a young 81 year old. Loves writing haiku and most forms of poetry. Is learning to walk after an accident. Main outside interests include equine sports. Lives near Cambridge, UK. Read other sciku by Sarah here.

December 12, 2024December 12, 2024

Monkshood by Sarah Das Gupta

imposing imperial purple
deadly to man, beast and bird
Shiva’s throat turned blue
by Sarah Das Gupta

Botanical name:	Aconitum napellus (over 250 species)
Popular names:	Aconite, Blue helmet, Blue rocket, Leopard’s bane, Monkshood, Wolfsbane
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Origin:	Mountain slopes of Europe eastward to the Himalayas.
Flower:	Purple-blue (white, yellow), tall floral spires, mid-late summer.
Habitat:	Northern Hemisphere, mountain meadows, partial shade, east or west facing.

Monkshood, so called because its hooded flowers resemble a monk’s cowl, is a hairless perennial of the buttercup family. Several species are cultivated, often at the back of herbaceous borders. Every part of the plant is poisonous and eating even a leaf can be fatal. It is best to wear gloves when handling and keep out of the reach of children or pets. Apparently, it tastes so repulsive that accidental poisoning seems unlikely.

Several unpleasant symptoms result from rubbing the plant into the skin, including numbness. Ingesting it results in stomach pain, dizziness, and heart problems. It is still used in medicines today but in very small quantities.

From ancient times, people have been aware of the dangers of this plant. The ancient Greeks associated it with Hades and it was believed to have sprung up from the saliva of the three-headed dog, Cerberus. The goddess, Athena, is said to have sprinkled the sap on the maiden Arachne, turning her into a spider! In Hinduism the plant is sacred to Lord Shiva who saved the Earth by drinking poison, which he stored in his throat, turning it blue. In European tradition, aconite is linked to Hecate which is why it was found at crossroads and gateways which were associated with her cult. Anglo-Saxon hunters covered the tips of their arrows with aconite when hunting wolves, hence the name wolfsbane.

Further reading:

‘Pagan Portals – By Wolfsbane & Mandrake Root: The Shadow World of Plants and Their Poisons’, 2017, Draco, M., John Hunt Publishing Limited, ISBN: 1780995725.

‘Poisonous Plants in Great Britain’, 2008, Gillam, F., Wooden Books, ISBN: 1904263879.

‘Witch’s Garden: Plants in folklore, magic and traditional medicine’, 2020, Lawrence, S., Welbeck London, ISBN: 978178739436.

Author bio:

November 22, 2024February 13, 2025

Down Dog by James Penha

I knew my dog sensed
my anxiety he scents—
and empathizes!
by James Penha

A new study shows that not only do dogs smell human stress, they are themselves depressed as a result.

Further reading:

‘The odour of an unfamiliar stressed or relaxed person affects dogs’ responses to a cognitive bias test’, 2024, Parr-Cortes, Z., Müller, C.T., Talas, L., Mendl, M., Guest, C., & Rooney, N.J., Scientific Reports. Available: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-66147-1

‘Dogs can smell human stress and it bums them out, study shows’, 2024, Page, S., The Washington Post. Available: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/08/08/dogs-smell-human-stress-study/

Author bio:

Read more of James’ sciku here.

November 12, 2024November 7, 2024

Undersea Fireworks by Douglas J. Lanzo

firecrackers
a sperm whale dialogue
ignites in dark sea
by Douglas J. Lanzo

I was inspired to write this Sciku by reading an article in the July-August 2024 issue of Harvard Magazine entitled “Decoding the Deep” by Jonathan Shaw. I was struck by the tremendous energy in the short staccato bursts of sperm whale communication and by the intricacy in their communications, including what may be simultaneous speaking and listening in their species.

The article details the richness and wonder of the firecracker-evoking clicks of sperm whales and the billions of vocalizations the CETI project, with the help of machine learning, is ambitiously seeking to collect and decode.

Further reading

‘Decoding the Deep’, 2024, Shaw, J., Harvard Magazine, Volume 126, Issue 6. Available: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/harvard-researchers-language-of-whales

‘Animal (Code) Cracker’, 2024, Shaw, J., Harvard Magazine. Available: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/07/harvard-undergraduate-whale-vocalizations

I also recommend watching ocean documentaries, many of which are available on Amazon Prime, about whales.

Author bio

I am the author of ‘The Year of the Bear’ (Ames Best YA Book of 2023) and the 2024 Firebird Award winning ‘I Have Lived’ (a newly released novella) and have published poems in 76 literary publications worldwide. I reside in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with my wife and twin sons and enjoy basketball and tennis. My author’s website is at www.douglaslanzo.com.

Check out other sciku by Doug here: ‘Sentient Sea Play’, ‘Ornamental Defense’, and ‘Signaled Synchrony’.

November 7, 2024November 12, 2024

Signaled Synchrony by Douglas J. Lanzo

diving in formation
sperm whale pod
upon one matriarch click
by Douglas J. Lanzo

I was inspired to write this Sciku by reading an article in Harvard Magazine entitled “Decoding the Deep” by Jonathan Shaw. It reinforced the beauty and intricacy of whale communications that had fascinated by watching ocean documentaries over the years.

The article details the complexity of the staccato clicking language of sperm whales and the billions of vocalizations the CETI project is seeking in order to decode their speech. However, I was struck that the first sperm whale word we have learned is the word to dive. Given that sperm whales travel in pods led by matriarchs and that a single click can be emitted at well over 200 decibels, I came up with this sciku to capture their magnificent synchrony of movement signaled by a single whale click.

It is amazing to think of the tremendous depths to which whales can descend (nearly 3,000 meters) at over 100 atmospheres in pressure and even more amazing to ponder the vocalizations of these wondrous creatures with the largest brains in the world.

Further reading

‘Decoding the Deep’, 2024, Shaw, J., Harvard Magazine, Volume 126, Issue 6. Available: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/harvard-researchers-language-of-whales

‘Animal (Code) Cracker’, 2024, Shaw, J., Harvard Magazine. Available: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/07/harvard-undergraduate-whale-vocalizations

I also recommend watching ocean documentaries, many of which are available on Amazon Prime, about whales.

Author bio

Check out other sciku by Doug here: ‘Sentient Sea Play’, ‘Ornamental Defense’, and ‘Undersea Fireworks’.

October 24, 2024January 16, 2025

Jellyfish by Mike Fainzilber

fifteen elephants
carefully balanced
on columns of fat
by Mike Fainzilber

Believe it or not, this is a haiku about jellyfish – specifically deep-sea jellyfish that live at depths where the water pressure is equivalent to that that would be applied by 15 African elephants piled up on the palm of the reader’s hand. When such jellyfish are brought to the water surface they literally vanish, melting into their surroundings.

Recent research has now shown that this is because the lipids (fat molecules) that make up the membranes of deep-sea jellyfish are specially adapted to form cylindrical structures (required for functional membranes) under extreme pressure. When pressures are reduced, these lipids change shape, causing membranes to curve and disrupt.

These findings are important for our understanding of how life is possible in the deep oceans and perhaps other high-pressure environments. Indeed, the researchers were able to take advantage of the new insights to engineer bacteria for survival under extreme pressures.

Further reading:

‘Homeocurvature adaptation of phospholipids to pressure in deep-sea invertebrates’, 2024, Winnikoff, J.R., et al., Science. Available: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adm7607

‘How jellyfish survive pressures that would crush you into oblivion’, 2024, Cummings, S., Science. Available: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zdvphja

Author bio:

Read more sciku by Mike: ‘The deepest shade’, ‘In the Deep’, and ‘The Blood and the Run’.

August 29, 2024August 29, 2024

Pathogenders by Patricia Hawkhead

microbiology
testing for toxicity
in his smile
by Patricia Hawkhead

I studied microbiology in college many years ago and one of the tests we had to conduct was on the toxicity of compounds in food. In the sciku above, I’m drawing a comparison with the toxicity we seek to isolate in biology and that we wish to isolate and avoid in our everyday lives.

Further reading:

The Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Group page, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, available: https://ims.ucsc.edu/research/cluster-groups/microbiology-and-environmental-toxicology.html

Author bio:

Patricia Hawkhead’s haikai and poetry have been published in publications including: Asahi Haikuist Network, Blōō Outlier, Bones , Cattails, Cold Moon Journal, dadakuku, Echidna Tracks, Failed Haiku, Five Fleas (itchy poetry), haikuNetra, Poetry Pea, Presence, Prune Juice, Scarlett Dragonfly, Shadow Pond Journal, tsuri-dōrō and Haiku Universe.

You can follow her on X/Twitter at @patricahawkhead

July 18, 2024August 2, 2024

Misunderstood by Michael Mills

On innocent wings…
a black messenger of death
sings a silent song
by Michael Mills

The bat is the only mammal capable of true flight, and one of the few that are capable of echolocation. Bats are nocturnal, were once thought to be bad omens or representations of evil, and are frequently misunderstood as all blood-sucking or disease vectors.

Further reading:

‘Bats are one of the most important misunderstood animals’, Courtney Celley, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, available: https://www.fws.gov/story/bats-are-one-most-important-misunderstood-animals

Author bio:

Michael Mills is a second semester Graduate Student at Stonybrook University, working on a master’s degree in Science Communication Journalism. Michael’s passion is firmly rooted in communicating to BIPOC and other marginalized groups about the importance of their voices being heard and understood in the world of sci-comm. Michael’s love for art comes from his lifelong fascination with graphic illustration and digital art, and the fantasy worlds and figures that can be created therein. He cites illustrators Hajime Sorayama, Jim Lee, and Bengus as inspirations, and pulls ideas from high fashion couture, religious idolatry, Americana and queer identity when creating.

July 10, 2024July 10, 2024

Amaranth by Sarah Das Gupta

Ancient crimson flame
burning on lofty Olympus
a new era is calling
by Sarah Das Gupta

Botanical name:	Amaranthus
Popular names:	Prostrate pigweed, Love lies bleeding
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Origin:	Central and South America. Currently found on all continents except Antarctica
Flower:	Catkin-like cymes, closely packed
Habitat:	Dry conditions, drought resistant

There are over 70 species of this ancient plant and they are very diverse. In 1996 Mosyakin and Robertson divided the family into 3 subgenres. There is some argument as to where and when the first plants were cultivated. It may be that both in South America and separately in south-east Asia cultivation occurred over 8,000 years ago.

In Ancient Greece the plant had spiritual significance. Its name means ‘unfading flower’, perhaps because it has a long flowering period. It was associated with immortality and believed to grow on Mount Olympus, the home of the gods. Aesop’s Fables also refer to the flower.

The Aztecs in the 15^th and 16^th centuries, grew three crops, beans, maize and amaranth. In a sacrifice to the god of war, the amaranth grain and honey were used to mould the image of the god which was later broken into pieces and eaten by the people. After the Spanish conquest, the cultivation of amaranth was discouraged as it was associated with old customs and religious practices.

Fifteen of the species have edible parts: the grain from the seed-head, the root and the leaves are high in nutrients and oxalates but some of the former are lost in cooking. However, with rises in temperature and growing interest in vegetarian diets, there may well be a future for this ancient plant. The seed-head produces a high yield while the plant is very drought resistant. In parts of Asia, amaranth is largely grown for its dye and for ornamental reasons.

Further reading:

‘RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants’, Editor-in-chief Christopher Brickell, 2016, Dorling Kindersley, ISBN: 9780241239124.

‘Amaranth Tastes as Good as It Looks’, James Wong, 2020, The Guardian.

‘Amaranth – May Grain of the Month’, The Whole Grain Council, USA.

Author bio:

June 29, 2024July 10, 2024

Asphodel by Sarah Das Gupta

In Autumn fields
pale ghosts of myth
search lost memories
by Sarah Das Gupta

Botanical name:	Asphodelus
Popular names:	Onion Weed, King’s Spear
Family:	Asphodelaceae
Origin:	Mediterranean, North Africa, Middle East, Indian-sub continent
Flower:	Tall spike – white, yellow, pink
Habitat:	Well-drained soil, abundance of light

Until 1753, Asphodel was classified as part of the lily family. Carl Linneas then reclassified the plant. It is a herbaceous plant with a tall white or yellow spike.

The Ancient Greeks associated asphodel with death and the underworld. The poet, Homer, describes the Fields of Asphodel as ‘covering the great meadow and the haunt of the dead.’ To the Greeks the underworld included: Elysium, Tartarus and The Fields of Asphodel. The last was the abode of the average person who had done nothing good nor wicked. Asphodel may have become associated with death as having ‘strange, pallid, ghostly flowers.’ It was commonly found on graves and is particularly associated with Persephone who was abducted by Hades, ruler of the underworld. She is sometimes portrayed as wearing a crown of asphodel.

Many diverse writers from Homer and Milton to Faulkner and Poe have used the symbolism associated with the plant. Although it is suggested they may well have been referring to the Narcissus rather than the asphodel. Like many plants, asphodel is reputed to have healing qualities – dealing with snakebites or used against sorcery. It even plays a part in Harry Potter.

Its leaves are used to wrap Burrata cheese. Both the leaves and the cheese are at their best for four days. So don’t buy the cheese if the leaves are withered!

Further reading:

‘An Empire of Plants: people and plants that changed the world’, Toby Musgrave & Will Musgrave, 2000, Cassell, ISBN 13 9781844030200.

‘Amaranth and Asphodel, poems from the Greek anthology’, Alfred J Butler, 1922, Oxford: B. Blackwell, ISBN 13 9781013710728

Author bio:

June 20, 2024June 20, 2024

Gene Editing by John Hawkhead

a cure for cancer…
cutting the gordian knot
in a gene sequence
by John Hawkhead

Gene editing provides us with the ability to make highly specific changes in the DNA of a living organism. It has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment via manipulation of the genome to target specific genetic mutations that drive the growth and spread of tumours.

The cutting of the Gordian knot is a legend associated with Alexander the Great about a complex knot that tied an oxcart. It was claimed that whoever was able to untie it would be destined to rule all of Asia. When Alexander was challenged to untie the knot he cut through it with his sword rather than attempt to untie it. This is now used as a metaphor for solving a seemingly intractable problem through bold means or thinking differently.

Further reading:

‘What is genome editing?’, 2019, National Human Genome Research Institute, available: https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/what-is-Genome-Editing

‘How CRISPR Is Changing Cancer Research and Treatment’, 2020, National Cancer Institute, available: https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2020/crispr-cancer-research-treatment

‘The Potential Revolution of Cancer Treatment with CRISPR Technology’, 2023, Stefanoudakis, D., et al., Cancers (Basel), https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15061813

Author bio:

John Hawkhead (@HawkheadJohn) has been writing haiku and illustrating for over 25 years. His work has been published all over the world and he has won a number of haiku competitions. John’s books of haiku and senryu, ‘Small Shadows’ and ‘Bone Moon’, are now available from Alba Publishing (http://www.albapublishing.com/). Read more of John’s sciku here!

June 8, 2024June 8, 2024

Polypeptide Poem by Gillian Gaynor

Download Gillian Gaynor’s Polypeptide Poem for a closer look here!

a mind adrift
finding meaning in peptides
deciphering life
By Gillian Gaynor

Peptides are composed of chains of amino acids—organic molecules, encoded by a triplet combination of nucleotides in a strand of DNA or RNA (codon), that contain a carboxyl group, amino group and characteristic side chain.

A protein’s primary structure is determined by the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain while the secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures are held together by intra- and intermolecular interactions and refer to the spatial arrangement and 3D conformation of the chain(s). The hierarchical nature of polypeptide formation and folding is crucial to its function as it allows proteins to perform specific roles in an organism.

Proteins are essential to nearly every biochemical process, serving as enzymes to catalyze reactions, hormones and neurotransmitters to regulate physiological responses, and structural units that contribute to the integrity of cells, tissues and bones, among many other examples.

Further reading:

‘Biochemistry, Peptide’, 2023, Forbes, J. & Krishnamurthy, K., StarPearls Publishing, available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562260/

Author bio:

Gillian Gaynor, a novice poet from Pittsburgh, received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Notre Dame. Currently applying to medical school, Gillian bridges her scientific roots and budding poetic interests by crafting “polypeptide poems”—abstract haikus that challenge the reader to decode the hidden meaning in chains of amino acids.

You can connect with Gillian on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilliangaynor/

May 16, 2024February 13, 2025

Boys Whale Be Boys by James Penha

humpbacks copulate
in photos for the first time—
out of the closet
by James Penha

The world’s first photographs of humpback whales copulating are even more groundbreaking because both individuals were male.

Further reading:

‘An observation of sexual behavior between two male humpback whales’, 2024, Stack, S.H., Krannichfeld, L. & Romano, B., Marine Mammal Science. Available: https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13119

‘Humpback Whale Sex Observed for the First Time Ever, between Two Males’, 2024, Hobson, M., Scientific American. Available: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humpback-whale-sex-observed-for-the-first-time-ever-between-two-males/

Author bio:

Read more of James’ sciku here.

April 4, 2024October 17, 2024

Moss by Jonathan Aylett

not quite rock bottom
the moss, living her best life
down in the gutter
by Jonathan Aylett

Aside from the social commentary offered by this haiku about finding happiness regardless of wealth or social standing, this is a poem about the ecological niche – ‘the match of a species to a specific environmental condition’.

Further reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_niche

Author bio:

Jonathan has been writing and publishing poetry for several years. His work has featured in journals dedicated to haiku, and broader literary journals, and won competitions across both disciplines. His collection ‘Goldfish’ – a mix of haiku and long form poetry, will be published by Stairwell books in spring 2024. You can follow Jonathan on Instagram here: @jonathanaylettpoetry

Read other sciku by Jonathan here: ‘Light’, ‘String Theory’, ‘Dusty Shoulders’, and ‘Attraction’.

February 29, 2024February 29, 2024

Bacteria by Dr. Dipika Mishra

Tiny and deadly
the cause of many diseases
and found in breezes.
by Dr. Dipika Mishra

Bacteria are small organisms that can be visualised through a microscope. Most of these tiny microbes are the causative agent of various diseases. Moreover, these organisms are found everywhere, from the surface of our hands to the air encompassing us.

Further reading:

‘Bacteria’, Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteria

Author bio:

Dipika Mishra has a Ph.D. in Life Sciences and is a SciComm enthusiast. Her articles and poems can be found in “The Wire Science“, PLOS blogs, and Consilience journal. You can find her on X/Twitter here: @dipikamishra16

February 1, 2024February 14, 2024

Brumation by Tom Lagasse

A winter slumber
Longing for thirst to be quenched
The reptile brain wakes
by Tom Lagasse

My wife and I were walking near a pond and didn’t know if snakes hibernated or not. After a quick check, we learned that mammals hibernate and reptiles brumate.

Further reading:

‘Dormancy’, Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormancy

‘Brumation’, Wiktionary article: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brumation

Author Bio:

Tom’s writing has appeared in literary journals, both in print and online, and in anthologies. He lives in Bristol, Connecticut, USA.

You can find more of Tom’s writing and poems here: www.tlagasse.com and can follow him on social media on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tjlagasse), X (Twitter) (@tomlagasse) and Instagram (@tom_lagasse).

January 18, 2024July 10, 2024

The Glastonbury Thorn by Sarah Das Gupta

humble hawthorn bloom
ancient Christmas message
crown of thorns awaits
by Sarah Das Gupta

The Glastonbury Thorn is associated with the Grail Legend and the story of Joseph of Arimathea’s visit to Glastonbury. The legend tells of Joseph climbing Wearyall Hill and planting his staff in the ground where it rooted and grew into a thorn tree which blossomed twice, once at Christmas and once in spring. Written versions of the story did not emerge until the 13^th century. In 1520, a pamphlet by Richard Pynson was published, ‘The Life of Joseph of Arimathea’. In 1647, during the English Civil War, the tree was chopped down and burnt as a symbol of superstition. A tree was planted on the hill in 1951 and again in 2010 but both were vandalised. The same fate has met subsequent efforts.

Trees now exist in the nearby Churchyard of St John’s which were budded or grafted from previous specimens. If grown from the haw(fruit), they do not produce a ‘true’ sapling. A sprig in bud is traditionally presented to the reigning monarch at Christmas. The winter flowers are smaller than the summer blossom.

The hawthorn has long been associated with supernatural and magical powers. Particularly in Ireland, lone thorns are seen in the middle of fields, in hedgerows, near places of religious significance and farmers will not cut them down. They have been associated with fairies and the border between this world and the mysterious ‘other’.

Botanical name:	Crataegus Monogyna biflora
Popular names:	holy thorn, fairy thorn, hawberry, maythorn, mayflower
Family:	Rosaceae
Origin:	Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere- Europe, Asia, North Africa, North America
Flowering:	December and May
Habitat:	Undemanding – rocky crevices, exposed sites

Further reading:

‘Glastonbury, Myth and Archaeology’, Philip Rahz, 2003, Tempus Publishing Ltd.

‘Glastonbury, Maker of Myths’, Frances Howard-Gordon, 1982, Gothic Image Publications Ltd.

Author bio:

January 4, 2024July 10, 2024

Mistletoe by Sarah Das Gupta

sweet Christmas kisses
beneath the white mistletoe
secret memories
By Sarah Das Gupta

Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant which lives off the nutrients and water from the host plant. Birds often spread the seeds from tree to tree, especially blackcaps and the mistle thrush which explains why clumps of mistletoe are found near the tops of trees.

In UK mistletoe is found most commonly in the south-west Midlands, particularly in Herefordshire. It is almost unseen in Scotland, Ireland and the rest of Wales. When picked, it will last for 2 weeks in a cool place. It would appear the plant has no connection with toes. This seems to be a corruption of the old English ‘tan’, meaning ‘twig’.

There has been some decline in mistletoe as a result of the diminishing number of old orchards, the apple being the favourite host, together with poplar, lime and conifers.

Mistletoe played an important role in Nordic legend. Balder was killed by his blind brother, Hodr, who used the plant as a missile. The Druids also valued the plant for medicinal purposes. The association of the plant with Christmas is probably because the berries appear in December and the leaves remain green. There is some evidence that the Greek holiday, Kronia, was associated with mistletoe and kissing. Many different varieties of mistletoe exist with different coloured berries in other continents

Botanical name:	Viscum album
Popular names:	Mistletoe
Family:	Santalaceae
Origin:	Northern Europe
Flowering:	February-April
Habitat:	Branches of apple, conifer, hawthorn, lime, poplar etc.

Further reading:

‘A Little Book About Mistletoe’, Jonathan Briggs, 2013, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

‘Mistletoe Winter’, Roy Dennis, 2021, Saraband.

‘Blood and Mistletoe, History of the Druids in Britain’, Ronald Hutton, 2011, Yale University Press.

‘Mistletoe’, Royal Horticultural Society.

Author bio:

September 21, 2023July 10, 2024

Bird’s Foot Trefoil by Sarah Das Gupta

Trefoil, bright yellow
a field of eggs and bacon
or granny’s toenails
by Sarah Das Gupta

Bird’s foot trefoil is native to most of Europe. It was taken to North America to enrich the grass for cattle and to prevent erosion at the sides of roads. It has a number of popular names derived from its yellow flowers, tinged with red or the claw shape of the seed pods. It provides feed for caterpillars, bees and butterflies.

‘Trefoil’ is derived from Old French and refers to the pattern of three leaves. For this reason, it was included in Midsummer wreathes, fixed to front doors, as a symbol of the Trinity. Strangely enough, in the Victorian language of flowers, the plant symbolised jealousy and revenge!

Medicinally it was used to treat mild depression and insomnia. Its anti-inflammatory properties were used to alleviate skin conditions. The seed is sold commercially to enrich grazing and forage for cattle. Recently gardeners have planted it to add to the revival of wild flower meadows.

Botanical name:	Lotus corniculatus
Popular names:	Bird’s-foot trefoil, eggs and bacon, granny’s toenails, baby’s slippers
Family:	Fabaceae
Origin:	Native to Europe, parts of Asia (taken to N.America)
Flowering:	March to June
Habitat:	Meadows, rocky-crevices, roadside (Favours sandy soil)

Further reading:

‘Collins Complete Guide to Wild Flowers’, Paul Sterry, 2006, HarperCollins Publishers.

‘Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field’, John Lewis-Stempel, 2014, Transworld Publishers Ltd.

Articles from ‘The Woodland Trust‘ and ‘Nature’.

Author bio:

September 7, 2023July 10, 2024

Dog’s Mercury by Sarah Das Gupta

Green dog’s mercury
your tiny secret flowers
toxic to canines
By Sarah Das Gupta

Originally a coloniser of ancient woodland, dog’s mercury is a useful ancient woodland indicator, determining areas of ancient woodland, even if there is no tree cover. Some ground-nesting birds like woodcock seem drawn to the plant. Speckled bush cricket nymphs feed on it, as do species of beetle, weevil and mollusc. It is a contributor to biodiversity in ancient woodland.

All parts of this plant are poisonous and can induce jaundice, diarrhoea, vomiting, even death. The epithet ‘dog’ in this context means ’lesser’ or ‘inferior’ to other plants of the family, as applied to other species such as ‘dog’ violet or ‘dog’ rose. The reference to ‘mercury’ probably refers to the god Mercury and the medicinal properties of the species.

From ancient times it has been used externally and its juice is emetic, ophthalmic and purgative. It was used particularly to treat warts and sores. If the leaves are thoroughly heated and dried, it is no longer toxic.

Botanical name:	Mercurialis perennis
Popular names:	Dog’s mercury, false mercury, boggard posy, dog’s cole
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Origin:	Native to most of Europe – almost excluding Ireland, Orkney and Shetland
Flowering:	February to April
Habitat:	Ancient woodland, broad-leaf woodland, hedgerows

Further reading:

‘Collins Complete Guide to Wild Flowers’, Paul Sterry, 2006, HarperCollins Publishers.

‘Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field’, John Lewis-Stempel, 2014, Transworld Publishers Ltd.

Articles from ‘The Woodland Trust‘ and ‘Nature’.

Author bio:

June 8, 2023November 12, 2024

Sentient Sea Play by Douglas J. Lanzo

sentient sea play
upside-down tentacles swirl
through schools of minnows
by Douglas J. Lanzo

Watching a common octopus in the movie ‘My Octopus Teacher’ harmlessly herd tide-surged minnows into a school and repeatedly maneuver its tentacles through it, harmlessly playing with it, I was astounded by its high level of intelligence. Despite interacting with the helpless minnows for an extended period of time, the recreational creature did not eat or catch a single minnow.

Further reading:

For additional information, besides watching the movie ‘My Octopus Teacher’, please take a look at a fascinating article on adaptive behavior in the March-April Issue of Harvard Magazine entitled ‘Inner Senses’ and a recent Harvard Law School article entitled ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ that chronicles the exploratory behavior and ability of octopi to individually recognize humans.

Author bio:
Doug is an international author whose Newbery-nominated novel, The Year of the Bear, won the 2023 Ames Award for Young Adult literature, was a finalist for the 2023 Hawthorne Prize and is a 2022 Firebird Award Winner. He has published 337 poems in 70 literary publications in 10 countries. He and his twin son poets enjoy nature, fishing, tennis, hiking and snorkeling. His Author’s website is at www.douglaslanzo.com .

Check out other sciku by Doug here: ‘Ornamental Defense‘, ‘Signaled Synchrony’, and ‘Undersea Fireworks’.

May 24, 2023November 12, 2024

Ornamental Defense by Douglas J. Lanzo

Christmas ornaments
pursued seabed octopus
adorns legs with shells
by Douglas J. Lanzo

I was inspired to write this Sciku by watching the movie ‘My Octopus Teacher’ and observing a highly intelligent Common Octopus evade a Pyjama shark predator in a kelp forest in False Bay, South Africa by covering its arms with seafloor seashells.

Its amazingly high level of intelligence was reflected in its recognition of the free diver who dove to its lairs in the kelp forest on a daily basis to interact with it, its playing with fish with its tentacles in the tide, its cloaking itself with strands of kelp to temporarily escape from a Pyjama shark, its dashing onto a sand beach to escape the jaws of the menacing shark and its riding atop the startled shark and slipping off its back to complete its getaway.

Further reading:

Please check out ‘My Octopus Teacher’ for more information about the intelligence and remarkable sentience and adaptive behaviors of octopi as well as the recent article ‘Inner Senses’ by Jonathan Shaw in Harvard Magazine for information about its adaptive behavior at https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2023/03/feature-nicholas-bellono-animal-adaptations

Check out other sciku by Doug here: ‘Sentient Sea Play’, ‘Signaled Synchrony’, and ‘Undersea Fireworks’.

May 4, 2023July 10, 2024

Redundant Ergot by Sarah Das Gupta

The equine ergot
is mysterious and odd
someone blundered
by Sarah Das Gupta

Having had many horses in a long life, I can’t see the importance of the ‘ergot’ in 2023. For those unaware, the ergot is a small callosity on the underside of the fetlock of a horse. In horses, ergots can range from pea-sized to 3.8 cm in diameter and can be found on all four legs or absent on some or all of them.

The ergot has long been felt to be a vestige of the multi-toed foot of ancestral horses, and some horse owners trim them down to near skin level. However, the ergot’s redundancy may only be skin deep, as recent research suggests that the internal structure of the ergot beneath the visible external callus continues to have a function in modern horses.

Lusi and Davies (2017) studied the subcutaneous ergot tissue and found that “its overall connectivity, and the presence of nerve fibers and Ruffini endings strongly suggest that the ergot and its derived ligaments contribute to joint support, movement, and tension distribution in the distal limb.”

Further reading:

‘The Observer’s Book of Horses and Ponies’, R S Summerhays, Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd.

‘The Connectivity and Histological Structure of the Equine Ergot—A Preliminary Study’, Carla M. Lusi and Helen M.S. Davies, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2017.01.003

Author bio:

April 26, 2023June 1, 2023

Hibernation by Joy Stahl

Survival in space
Cold sleep on long missions
Arctic Ground Squirrel
by Joy Stahl

I’m a huge fan of science fiction novels and shows that use hibernation chambers to allow humans to reach distant planets in their lifetime.

I read an article about scientists who are studying arctic squirrels and how they hibernate, to create hibernation solutions for astronauts. Arctic squirrels are super-hibernators . They hibernate over winter for 7 to 9 months, reducing their core body temperature from 37 °C (99 °F) to as low as −2.9 °C (26.8 °F), and yet they manage to retain muscle and bone mass during this extended hibernation. Understanding this remarkable adaptation may help researchers looking at prolonged space travel and may also lead to improved critical and emergency health care and treatments.

Further reading:

‘Arctic squirrels may hold key to helping astronauts survive on long missions’, AccuWeather.com: https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/arctic-squirrels-may-help-astronauts-survive-long-missions/1481578

Author bio:

Joy Stahl is a middle school teacher in southwestern Kansas. Her poetry has appeared in Voices of Kansas. Check out Joy’s other sciku ‘1827-2023’!