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THE BIOCENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WÜRZBURG

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The function of the plant hormone ABA and the OST1 kinase regulated by ABA during the evolution of land plants (modified according to McAdam et al., 2016, PNAS).

Sex determination, dormancy, water balance: The phytohormone abscisic acid has branched out in the process of evolution. An international research team presents new insights on this subject in the science journal PNAS.

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Contrary to the conventional view, the ribosome does not release individual proteins directly into the cystol after synthesis (left). Instead, it holds the protein back until chaperones deliver the matching counterparts (right).

The formation of macromolecular machines within cells is often a complicated endavour. Biochemists of the University of Würzburg and Göttingen have now unravelled new details of these processes. They show that cells invest a great deal of effort into preventing production errors.

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The larva of chrysopidae with its prey, a potato aphid; biological pest control using natural predators boosts yields and benefits additionally from reduced tillage and landscapes of great structural diversity.

Putting a halt to the profound changes affecting agricultural landscapes: With this goal in mind, scientists, farmers and official representatives teamed up to look into ecological intensification as a potential solution.

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Model of a Sclerostin-fragment (green) bound to the antibody AbD09097 (heavy and light chain in cyan and red, respectively; surface representation in grey)

Inhibiting a protein called Sclerostin could probably help treating the bone-loss disease osteoporosis. New findings at the university of Würzburg could stimulate this research.

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As its concentration increases, the protein Myc activates an increasing number of genes in cells. Beyond a certain level, this causes the cell to transform into a tumour cell.

Why do healthy cells become malignant and proliferate uncontrollably? Scientists of the University of Würzburg have investigated the role of a special protein in this process and settled and old controversy.

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Model of chloride avoidance on salt-affected soils

The increasing salinisation of soils is a major problem for farmers worldwide. Scientists of the University of Würzburg have now examined how plants regulated their salt intake. Their results could be significant to breed more salt-tolerant species.

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The functional potassium channel TPC1 consists of two identical subunits (left in the picture).

An international group of researchers has pinpointed the sensor plants use to sense electric fields. A beneficial side effect: Their work could contribute to the understanding of how the Ebola virus enters human cells.

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Aphids puncture the phloem vessels of plants. They can be used as biosensors for measuring electrical signals.

Do plants have some kind of nervous system? This is difficult to establish as there are no suitable measurement methods around. Plant researchers from Würzburg used aphids for this purpose – and discovered that plants respond differently to different kinds of damage.

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Unique: Nine different cell structures were fluorescence labelled at once to become distinguishable under the microscope.

Advance in biomedical imaging: The University of Würzburg's Biocenter has enhanced fluorescence microscopy to label and visualise up to nine different cell structures simultaneously.

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Bedbugs and their offspring.

An international team of scientists has managed to sequence the genome of the bedbug. Among them are neurogeneticists from the University of Würzburg's Biocenter. They studied genes that control the circadian clock, secretion and moulting processes.

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Plants can do maths

01/21/2016
Insect on a Venus flytrap – it has not snapped shut yet.

The carnivorous Venus flytrap carefully plans its meals: It can count how often it is touched by an insect to calculate the digestive effort. This discovery has been made by plant scientists of the University of Würzburg.

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