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Creating knowledge since 1502
Ecosystems: new study questions common assumption about biodiversity
Plant species can fulfil different functions within an ecosystem, even if they are closely related to each other. This surprising conclusion was reached by a global analysis of around 1.7 million datasets on plant communities. The study was led by MLU and the University of Bologna. Their findings overturn previous assumptions in ecology. The study was published in "Nature Ecology & Evolution" and offers insights for nature conservation.
Clay minerals: Researchers observe for the first time how sediment particles align during deposition
Clay minerals are a major constituent of the earth's surface and are mainly found in the sediments of lakes, rivers and oceans. The properties of clay and claystone crucially depend on how the tiny sediment particles are orientated. Using the European Synchrotron particle accelerator in Grenoble (France), a research team from the MLU has succeeded for the first time in observing in detail how some of the processes work. The study was published in the journal "Communications Earth & Environment" and provides researchers with insights into the structure and properties of sediments.
Physicists develop new method to visualise magnetic nanostructures with high resolution
A new method enables researchers to analyse magnetic nanostructures with a high resolution. It was developed by researchers at MLU and the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle. The new method achieves a resolution of around 70 nanometres, whereas normal light microscopes have a resolution of just 500 nanometres. This result is important for the development of new, energy-efficient storage technologies based on spin electronics. The team reports on its research in the current issue of the journal "ACS nano".
Plants: Researchers discover “watchdogs” for protein blueprints
Plants have a sophisticated mechanism for monitoring the production of new proteins. The "U1 snRNP" complex ensures that the protein blueprints are fully completed. This is important because cells tend to halt the process prematurely. This type of quality control, so-called telescripting, was previously known to exist only in animal cells. A research team led by the MLU has now shown that a similar process also occurs in plants.
From chaos to order: proteins can re-structure themselves to create important substances
The protein 'MIPS' changes its internal structure when it becomes active. Its disordered active centre becomes a defined structure with special functions. The protein plays a key role in the production of inositol, which is also known as vitamin B8, and fulfils important tasks in the body. Researchers at MLU and the National Hellenic Research Centre in Greece have succeeded for the first time in observing the protein as it re-structures. As the team reports in the scientific journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' (PNAS) this process appears to occur in many similar proteins.