Giant viruses play a role in the survival of single-celled marine organisms called protists. These include algae, amoeba, and flagellates, that form the base of ocean food webs. And since these protists form an important part of the food chain, these large DNA viruses are often responsible for various public health hazards, including harmful algal blooms. 

Famed for its deep purple berries and potent antioxidant properties, black wolfberry (Lycium ruthenicum) thrives in harsh desert climates and holds significant nutritional and medicinal value. 

A new study from Waseda University reveals that the motor protein myosin XI is essential for helping plants absorb boron under nutrient-deficient conditions. Researchers found that myosin XI maintains the correct positioning of the boric acid channel AtNIP5;1 in root cells by supporting endocytosis. Without myosin XI, plants fail to localize this channel properly, leading to poor boron uptake and stunted growth. The findings could inform strategies to improve crop resilience in boron-deficient soils.

To enhance existing strategies for controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito, geoinformation scientist Dr Steffen Knoblauch has created a high-resolution environmental suitability map for Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) that can help identify areas most conducive to breeding. It is based on advanced geospatial big data methods – leveraging openly available geodata such as satellite imagery, street view images, and climate data – that the researcher developed at Heidelberg University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) and at HeiGIT (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology).

Buzz pollination, a process where bees vibrate flowers to release pollen, occurs in more than 20,000 plant species, including tomatoes and blueberries. The most extreme cases occur in Pedicularis (Orobanchaceae) wildflowers, whose “Elephant-Nose” shaped flowers depend on bumblebees’ buzzing them for pollination. Although different elephant nose species bloom together and share the same bumblebees, hybridization among co-blooming Pedicularis species is rare. How do bumblebees harvest pollen from elephant-nose flowers? In a multidisciplinary research article published in SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences, researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Sun Yat-sen University, along with researchers from the United States and Sweden, unveiled the biomechanical secrets behind their fascinating interactions.