Can biodegradable plastics mitigate plastamination? Feedbacks from marine organisms.

The EU plastic strategy aims to reduce the environmental impact of the increasing plastic production, by replacing petrochemical-based polymers with biodegradable ones. But this mitigation measure for the plastamination might, in turn, generate bio-based microplastics in environments that are not necessarily safe. Biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics, polylactic acid (PLA) and polypropylene (PP) respectively, and their leachates were used for testing microplastic (MP) effects on seven marine species from different trophic levels, including bacteria, algae, rotifers, copepods, amphipods and branchiopods.

Population bottlenecks and sexual recombination shape diatom microevolution.

Diatoms are single-celled organisms that contribute approximately 20% of the global primary production and play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycles and trophic chains. Despite their ecological importance, our knowledge of microevolution is limited. We developed a model using the SLiM evolutionary framework to address this knowledge gap.

The effect of constitutive root isoprene emission on root phenotype and physiology under control and salt stress conditions.

Isoprene, a volatile hydrocarbon, is typically emitted from the leaves of many plant species. Given its well-known function in plant growth and defense aboveground, we examined its effects on root physiology. We used isoprene-emitting (IE) lines and a non-emitting (NE) line of Arabidopsis and investigated their performance by analyzing root phenotype, hormone levels, transcriptome, and metabolite profiles under both normal and salt stress conditions.

Insight on cytotoxic NHC gold(I) halide complexes evaluated in multifaceted culture systems.

Gold complexes can be a useful system in the fight against cancer. Although many studies have been carried out on in vitro 2D cell culture models embryotoxic assays are particularly lacking. Embryotoxicity and DNA damage are critical concerns in drug development.

Mimicking orchids lure bees from afar with exaggerated ultraviolet signals.

Flowers have many traits to appeal to pollinators, including ultraviolet (UV) absorbing markings, which are well-known for attracting bees at close proximity (e.g., <1 m).

Salicylic Acid and Melatonin Alleviate the Effects of Heat Stress on Essential Oil Composition and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in and L.

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the chemical profile of essential oils and antioxidant enzymes activity (catalase CAT, superoxide dismutase SOD, Glutathione -transferases GST, and Peroxidase POX) in L. (Mitcham variety) and L. (var.

Fluorescent peptide dH3w: A sensor for environmental monitoring of mercury (II).

Heavy metals are hazardous environmental contaminants, often highly toxic even at extremely low concentrations. Monitoring their presence in environmental samples is an important but complex task that has attracted the attention of many research groups. We have previously developed a fluorescent peptidyl sensor, dH3w, for monitoring Zn2+ in living cells.

Effect of Heat Stress on Yield, Monoterpene Content and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils of Mentha x piperita var. Mitcham and Mentha arvensis var. piperascens.

Heat stress affects the yield of medicinal plants and can reduce biomass and/or metabolite production. In order to evaluate the effect of heat-induced stress on the essential oil production in x L. var.

Floral scent and species divergence in a pair of sexually deceptive orchids.

Speciation is typically accompanied by the formation of isolation barriers between lineages. Commonly, reproductive barriers are separated into pre- and post-zygotic mechanisms that can evolve with different speed. In this study, we measured the strength of different reproductive barriers in two closely related, sympatric orchids of the group, namely and to infer possible mechanisms of speciation.

Raman-microscopy investigation of vitrification-induced structural damages in mature bovine oocytes.

Although oocyte cryopreservation has great potentials in the field of reproductive technologies, it still is an open challenge in the majority of domestic animals and little is known on the biochemical transformation induced by this process in the different cellular compartments. Raman micro-spectroscopy allows the non-invasive evaluation of the molecular composition of cells, based on the inelastic scattering of laser photons by vibrating molecules. The aim of this work was to assess the biochemical modifications of both the zona pellucida and cytoplasm of vitrified/warmed in vitro matured bovine oocytes at different post-warming times.

Modified denatured lysozyme effectively solubilizes fullerene c60 nanoparticles in water.

Fullerenes, allotropic forms of carbon, have very interesting pharmacological effects and engineering applications. However, a very low solubility both in organic solvents and water hinders their use. Fullerene C60, the most studied among fullerenes, can be dissolved in water only in the form of nanoparticles of variable dimensions and limited stability.

A new peptide-based fluorescent probe selective for zinc(ii) and copper(ii).

A novel metal ion-sensitive fluorescent peptidyl-probe has been designed based on the most common five-residue repeat in mammalian histidine rich glycoproteins (HRGs). A dansyl-amide moiety at the N-terminus and a tryptophan residue at the C-terminus of the peptide were added as they can act as a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) pair. The dansyl fluorophore was chosen also because it frequently shows strong CHEF (chelation enhanced fluorescence) and solvatochromic effects.

Unexpected but welcome. Artificially selected traits may increase fitness in wild boar.

Artificial selection affects phenotypes differently by natural selection. Domestic traits, which pass into the wild, are usually negatively selected. Yet, exceptionally, this axiom may fail to apply if genes, from the domestic animals, increase fertility in the wild.