How calcium ions get into the cellular power stations of plants

Calcium is a very special nutrient. In the cells of most living beings calcium ions function as so-called second messengers to transmit important signals. The same applies equally to animal, plant and fungal cells. Through ...

Modeling electrolyte transport in water-rich exoplanets

Oceans on water-rich exoplanets may be enriched with electrolytes, including salts such as sodium chloride, suggests a modeling study published in Nature Communications. The research proposes electrolytes can be transported ...

How intricate patterns arise in developing tissues

Early development is like a carefully choreographed dance, with uniform swaths of cells arranging themselves into elaborate patterns—a first step toward the formation of functional organs. A flat layer of skin cells, for ...

Hyaluronic acid research could spur new therapeutics

For more than two decades, scientists have puzzled over how vertebrates make the essential polysaccharide hyaluronic acid, which has broad medical applications. One team took a different tack and solved the mystery.

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