Responses at various levels of ecological hierarchy indicate acclimation to sequential sublethal heatwaves in a temperate benthic ecosystem.

Marine heatwaves have caused massive mortality in coastal benthic ecosystems, altering community composition. Here, we aim to understand the effects of single and sequential sublethal heatwaves in a temperate benthic ecosystem, investigating their disturbance on various levels of ecological hierarchy, i.e.

Microgravity triggers ferroptosis and accelerates senescence in the MG-63 cell model of osteoblastic cells.

In space, cells sustain strong modifications of their mechanical environment. Mechanosensitive molecules at the cell membrane regulate mechanotransduction pathways that induce adaptive responses through the regulation of gene expression, post-translational modifications, protein interactions or intracellular trafficking, among others. In the current study, human osteoblastic cells were cultured on the ISS in microgravity and at 1 g in a centrifuge, as onboard controls.

Heat waves and their significance for a temperate benthic community: A near-natural experimental approach.

Climate change will not only shift environmental means but will also increase the intensity of extreme events, exerting additional stress on ecosystems. While field observations on the ecological consequences of heat waves are emerging, experimental evidence is rare, and lacking at the community level. Using a novel "near-natural" outdoor mesocosms approach, this study tested whether marine summer heat waves have detrimental consequences for macrofauna of a temperate coastal community, and whether sequential heat waves provoke an increase or decrease of sensitivity to thermal stress.

Rapid adaptation to microgravity in mammalian macrophage cells.

Despite the observed severe effects of microgravity on mammalian cells, many astronauts have completed long term stays in space without suffering from severe health problems. This raises questions about the cellular capacity for adaptation to a new gravitational environment. The International Space Station (ISS) experiment TRIPLE LUX A, performed in the BIOLAB laboratory of the ISS COLUMBUS module, allowed for the first time the direct measurement of a cellular function in real time and on orbit.

Space experiment "Cellular Responses to Radiation in Space (CellRad)": Hardware and biological system tests.

One factor contributing to the high uncertainty in radiation risk assessment for long-term space missions is the insufficient knowledge about possible interactions of radiation with other spaceflight environmental factors. Such factors, e.g.

Detection of colon polyps by a novel, polymer pattern-based full blood test.

Numerous studies have shown that early screening for the presence of pre-cancerous colon polyps and their subsequent removal decreases the risk of developing colon cancer. Colonoscopy is currently the most effective screening method, but due to the invasive nature of the procedure many patients avoid forgo testing. Futhermore, the procedure itself requires perfect execution by the gastroenterologist.

Dendroscope: An interactive viewer for large phylogenetic trees.

Background: Research in evolution requires software for visualizing and editing phylogenetic trees, for increasingly very large datasets, such as arise in expression analysis or metagenomics, for example. It would be desirable to have a program that provides these services in an efficient and user-friendly way, and that can be easily installed and run on all major operating systems. Although a large number of tree visualization tools are freely available, some as a part of more comprehensive analysis packages, all have drawbacks in one or more domains.

The SOS-LUX-TOXICITY-Test on the International Space Station.

For the safety of astronauts and to ensure the stability and integrity of the genome of microorganisms and plants used in bioregenerative life support systems, it is important to improve our knowledge of the combined action of (space) radiation and microgravity. The SOS-LUX-TOXICITY test, as part of the TRIPLE-LUX project (accepted for flight at Biolab in Columbus on the International Space Station, (ISS)), will provide an estimation of the health risk resulting from exposure of astronauts to the radiation environment of space in microgravity. The project will: (i) increase our knowledge of biological/health threatening action of space radiation and enzymatic DNA repair; (ii) uncover cellular mechanisms of synergistic interaction of microgravity and space radiation; (iii) provide specified biosensors for spacecraft milieu examination; and (iv) provide experimental data on stability and integrity of bacterial DNA in spacecrafts.