Ants and carnivorous plants conspire for mutualistic feeding

Nature Related images(click to enlarge) Scharmann M, Thornham DG, Grafe TU, Federle W (2013) A Novel Type of Nutritional Ant–Plant Interaction: Ant Partners of Carnivorous Pitcher Plants Prevent Nutrient Export by Dipteran Pitcher Infauna. <i>PLoS ONE</i> 8(5): e63556. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063556 An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to research pu Read more...

Ants and carnivorous plants conspire for mutualistic feeding

The carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes bicalcarata (A) and the ant Camponotus schmitzi (B) team up to fight fly larvae (C) that steal the plant’s prey. An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to research published May 22 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Mathias Scharmann and colleagues from the University of Cambridge and the University Brunei Darussalam. Read more...

Bacterial spare parts filter antibiotic residue from groundwater

Nature Researchers at University of Cincinnati have developed and tested a solar-powered nano filter that is able to remove harmful carcinogens and antibiotics from water sources — lakes and rivers — at a significantly higher rate than the currently used filtering technology made of activated carbon. They report their results today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Vikram Kapoor, environmental engi Read more...

Minus environment, patterns still emerge

Nature Related images(click to enlarge) Jeff Fitlow/Rice University Rice University/Photos.com Environment is not the only factor in shaping regulatory patterns — and it might not even be the primary factor, according to a new Rice University study that looks at how cells’ protein networks relate to a bacteria’s genome. The Rice lab of computer scientist Luay Nakhleh reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sc Read more...

Lovelorn frogs bag closest crooner

Nature Related images(click to enlarge) Ivonne Meuche, Oscar Brusa, Karl E. Linsenmair, Alexander Keller and Heike Pr&#246;hl What lures a lady frog to her lover? Good looks, the sound of his voice, the size of his pad or none of the above? After weighing up their options, female strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio) bag the closest crooner they can, finds research in BioMed Central’s open access journal Frontiers of Zoology. Thi Read more...

Parasitic wasps use calcium pump to block fruit fly immunity

Nature Parasitic wasps switch off the immune systems of fruit flies by draining calcium from the flies’ blood cells, a finding that offers new insight into how pathogens break through a host’s defenses. "We believe that we have discovered an important component of cellular immunity, one that parasites have learned to take advantage of," says Emory University biologist Todd Schlenke, whose lab led the research. The Proceeding Read more...

World’s most extraordinary species mapped for the first time

Nature Scientists pinpointed areas of the world where Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) mammals and amphibians occur. Regions containing the highest concentrations of these species are highlighted as global conservation priorities. The research paper is published today (15th May) in PLOS ONE. The map reveals that high priority conservation areas for mammals and amphibians are different, reflecting the varied evolutionary hist Read more...

UT Arlington physicist’s tool has potential for brain mapping

Nature A new tool being developed by UT Arlington assistant professor of physics could help scientists map and track the interactions between neurons inside different areas of the brain. The journal Optics Letters recently published a paper by Samarendra Mohanty on the development of a fiber-optic, two-photon, optogenetic stimulator and its use on human cells in a laboratory. The tiny tool builds on Mohanty’s previous discovery that near-in Read more...

H1N1 discovered in marine mammals

Nature Related images(click to enlarge) Tracey Goldstein/UC Davis Scientists at the University of California, Davis, detected the H1N1 (2009) virus in free-ranging northern elephant seals off the central California coast a year after the human pandemic began, according to a study published today, May 15, in the journal PLOS ONE. It is the first report of that flu strain in any marine mammal. "We thought we might find influenza viruses, wh Read more...

The genome sequence of Tibetan antelope sheds new light on high-altitude adaptation

Nature How can the Tibetan antelope live at elevations of 4,000-5,000m on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau? Investigators rom Qinghai University, BGI, and other institutes now provide evidence of genetic factors that may be associated with the species’ adaption to harsh highland environments. The data in this work will also provide implications for studying specific genetic mechanisms and the biology of other ruminant species. The Tibetan antelo Read more...