Biochemistry
Glue, lubricant or shield: scientists finally crack how snails make different types of mucus
Garden snails can produce up to five different types of mucus, each with its own function. Researchers have now worked out how these animals switch between slippery, sticky, foamy and other forms of mucus. Calcium, it turns out, plays a previously unknown starring role.
New CRISPR variant tears through cancer cells like a wrecking ball
A new CRISPR-Cas protein does not edit the genome but instead destroys the entire cell by acting as a kind of shredder on its DNA. Diseased cells can thus be selectively eliminated.
Microbes in tree bark drive gas exchange
Trees are not passive chimneys venting greenhouse gases from the soil, but function as active biochemical reactors.
AI uncovers chemical traces of ancient life
The black structures in this 2.5-billion-year-old thin section are microbial in origin and may have been produced by photosynthesising microbes. Foto: Andrea Corpolongo.
From pulverised...
Blocking a pheromone stops locusts from swarming
A swarm of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria) at Isalo National Park in Madagascar. Photo: Ingo Arndt / NaturePL / Nature in Stock.
Two key enzymes...
A fresh pair of eyes reveals new discoveries
Biochemist and Green TE research leader Dolf Weijers: 'I find it exciting to come up with new research questions from different angles.' Photo: Ducan...