Oysters are making a comeback — but not to your platters. Oysters are being used globally as a storm barrier to help protect shorelines from storm surges and erosions, according to National Geographic. With extreme weather conditions and the effects of climate change impacting shorelines, The Bn Oyster Project was introduced in 2014 aiming to reintroduce one bn oysters to New York harbors by 2035. Oysters can filter large amounts of water and take in carbon, which means mitigating climate change and protecting from flooding. Places around the world where oysters play an important role in their economy have started on restoration projects. The process of restoration includes curing oysters shells at least once a month for a year to be reused and seeded with baby oysters to be placed in sites where reefs are to be rebuilt.

Oyster restoration can help, but it is not a bonafide solution. While it can’t solve all issues that affect climate change it can make an impact if combined with a reduction of “…carbon emissions and water pollution and [to] maintain a livable window for global temperatures, then oysters can play a huge role helping mitigate the impacts of coastal change,” Kate Orff, Billion Oyster Project board member, tells National Geographic.

Scientists havegenetically modified pigs to make their kidneys more viable candidates for human transfer, according to a recent study published in Nature and cited in CNN.This new discovery came to light after researchers reportedly conducted a study, which was the largest of its kind, in using genetically-modified Yucatan pigs, and transferring their kidneys to primates. They claim that with the gene modification, the recipient needed less immuno-suprressant medications and was able to accept the new organ. The result? The primates lived as long as two years, as opposed to 50 days, according to the study’s findings.

What does this mean for humans? If the studies continue to succeed there can be light at the end of the tunnel for kidney donor candidates who often die waiting for a transplant. In the US alone, over 900k individuals are currently awaiting a kidney transplant, and 3-5 years is the average waiting time for receiving a donated kidney from a decedent. Meanwhile, pigs — and Yucatan pigs in particular, as their weight is close to an average American woman and their organs are close in size — are a close contender, and their quick reproduction ensures that there will be plenty of chances for sufferers to have a kidney. Furthermore, the gene modifications performed on the pigs, one of which includes seven human genes, allows less rejection for the recipient and ensures that they can take a limited amount of immuno-suprressant medications to survive with the new organ.

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