ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

The direction of movement of a microbe directly depends on the curvature of its environment, according to new findings. The researchers investigated the navigation of a model microbe, a small self-propelling microalga, in confined compartments with different shapes. They also developed theoretical models to predict the probability flux of that microswimmer which was confirmed by experiments. With this model available, it is now possible to pre-define the average trajectory of such microbes by manipulating the curvature of the compartments which directly affects their movement.

An observational study confirms a prevailing theory that volatile organic compounds emitted by vegetation form atmospheric aerosols which make clouds more reflective.

Researchers have developed a new way of determining the age of a lobster based on its DNA. Lobsters are notoriously difficult to age. Nobody knows exactly how old they can get, and some experts have estimated they could live on the ocean floor for as long as a century or more. Until now, a lobster's age has usually been estimated using its size - but this is inaccurate as individual lobsters grow at different rates. The new DNA-based technique could help manage lobster fisheries more sustainably.

Researchers used machine learning to discover that sperm with a wide head relative to length are more likely to clump together and swim collectively, a rare behavior that sometimes helps them reach an egg faster. The study provides a new method for understanding how form and function are related in cells with complex behaviors in all animals, including humans.

Plants adapt to their nutritional needs by modifying the permeability of their roots through the production or degradation of a cork-like layer called suberin. By studying the regulation of this protective layer in Arabidopsis thaliana, an international team has discovered four molecular factors responsible for the genetic activation of suberin. The identification of these factors allowed the production of plants with roots that are continuously covered -- or, on the contrary, completely devoid -- of suberin. These factors are of major interest for the selection of plants more resistant to environmental stresses.