Article
Microbiology
Nicola Mayrhofer, Gregory J. Velicer, Kaitlin A. Schaal, Marie Vasse
Summary: The study found that the predatory bacterium Myxococcus xanthus has a repellent effect on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, causing it to avoid patches that would normally be attractive. Additionally, the nematode influences the predatory behavior of the bacterium, increasing its swarming rate in response to worm density and prey identity. These findings suggest that nematodes and bacterial predators mutually influence each other's behavior, with potential implications for coevolution within complex microbial food webs.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Fabio Cianferoni, Enrico Lunghi
Summary: This article discusses the foraging behavior of European cave salamanders through a detailed analysis of published datasets. It is found that flying insects are the most consumed prey, while strictly-cave prey are rare. The study suggests that Speleomantes mainly forage in surface environments, but also engage in predatory activity in shallow water bodies. The morphology of the prey and their defenses influence the salamanders' prey choice.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Alexander J. J. Lin, Ahmed Z. Sihorwala, Brian Belardi
Summary: Inmetazoans, living cells form multicellular tissue structures to achieve capabilities beyond individual cell functionality. Recent advances in constructing synthetic cells point to a future where synthetic tissue can be pursued, benefiting biomedical implants, drug delivery systems, and other applications. Molecular findings on natural tissue inspire the development of synthetic tissue with tissue-scale features, such as morphological control, intercellular communication, replication, and responsiveness.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jeanne Clermont, Alexis Grenier-Potvin, Eliane Duchesne, Charline Couchoux, Frederic Dulude-de Broin, Andreanne Beardsell, Joel Bety, Dominique Berteaux
Summary: Predation shapes communities through consumptive and non-consumptive effects, with prey responding actively or reactively to perceived predation risk at different spatial and temporal scales. The study found that prey may employ diverse strategies in managing predation risk from a shared predator, further refining our understanding of species distribution and community structure.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eliane Duchesne, Jean-Francois Lamarre, Gilles Gauthier, Dominique Berteaux, Dominique Gravel, Joel Bety
Summary: The research found that in natural communities, species sharing the same predator can be affected by positive effects of some prey and negative indirect effects of others. However, species utilizing prey refuges in the landscape and species of different sizes may not be affected by these effects.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Magali Frauendorf, Andrew M. Allen, Eelke Jongejans, Bruno J. Ens, Wolf Teunissen, Christian Kampichler, Chris A. M. van Turnhout, Liam D. Bailey, Hans de Kroon, Jenny Cremer, Erik Kleyheeg, Jeroen Nienhuis, Martijn van de Pol
Summary: This study aims to quantify spatial variation in the effect of conspecific breeding density on nest survival in a mobbing bird species and identify whether this variation in density dependence can be explained by the predator community. The results show that the composition of the predator community explains the effects of neighbour density, with decreasing nest survival when both conspecific density and mammalian dominance increase. The main conclusion is that the strength and sign of density dependence can vary spatially within species.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Shane L. Hogle, Iina Hepolehto, Lasse Ruokolainen, Johannes Cairns, Teppo Hiltunen, Jonathan Chase
Summary: Modifying intraspecific trait diversity can alter competitive hierarchies between different species, leading to competitive exclusion. This competitive outcome is driven by foraging traits and has significant impacts on prey community assembly.
Review
Ecology
Melanie L. Low, Mairelys Naranjo, Jayne E. Yack
Summary: Despite centuries of research on insect defense sounds, there is still limited understanding of their occurrence, function, and evolution. These sounds vary between species based on different production mechanisms and intended functions, such as startling, warning, and jamming. More research is needed to further investigate the functions and evolutionary origins of these survival sounds through predator-prey experiments and comparative phylogenetics.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Zhi-bin Liu, Shutang Liu, Wen Wang, Da Wang
Summary: The study reveals that the herd-taxis behavior of zooplankton in plankton communities influences self-organization, leading to spot, stripe, or mixed patterns. Zooplankton's active foraging behavior stabilizes the algal system and smoothes the distribution of plankton, in accordance with the concept of an invisible hand regulating and balancing distribution.
CHAOS SOLITONS & FRACTALS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Amber R. Schenk, Thomas K. Stevens, Amanda M. Hale
Summary: Urbanization can alter predator-prey dynamics, resulting in lower predation rates despite an increase in predator abundance. In a study conducted in a large urban forest in Texas, researchers found that raptor activity was higher in less urbanized areas. They used prey mimics to assess predation rates and found no relationship between predation rates and urbanization. The study shows a decoupling of the predator-prey relationship in an urban setting.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saumik Basu, Robert E. Clark, Zhen Fu, Benjamin W. Lee, David W. Crowder
Summary: Insect alarm pheromones are chemical substances released in response to predators to reduce predation risk, which can also be utilized by predators to locate prey. The components of alarm pheromones are similar across many insects, but different insect species may exhibit varied behavioral responses to these signals. The effects of alarm pheromones on prey behavior depend on factors such as pheromone concentration and conspecific density.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Oskar Staufer, Jacqueline A. de Lora, Eleonora Bailoni, Alisina Bazrafshan, Amelie S. Benk, Kevin Jahnke, Zachary A. Manzer, Lado Otrin, Telmo Diez Perez, Judee Sharon, Jan Steinkuhler, Katarzyna P. Adamala, Bruna Jacobson, Marileen Dogterom, Kerstin Gopfrich, Darko Stefanovic, Susan R. Atlas, Michael Grunze, Matthew R. Lakin, Andrew P. Shreve, Joachim P. Spatz, Gabriel P. Lopez
Summary: The 'learning-by-building' approach, which combines concepts from physics, chemistry and bioengineering, is gaining popularity in the life sciences field, particularly among researchers trying to engineer cellular life from scratch. The SynCell2020/21 conference brought together researchers from various disciplines to showcase advancements and challenges in the field of synthetic cells, emphasizing the importance of building an international and interdisciplinary research community.
Review
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Zhi-bin Liu, Shu-tang Liu, Da-dong Tian, Da Wang
Summary: This study investigated a spatial plankton community with advection and found that differences in advection velocities can lead to system instability, resulting in wave instability and traveling patterns. Numerical simulations validated the analysis and revealed more phenomena. The analysis and simulation experiments enriched the dynamics of plankton models and contributed to a better understanding of planktonic ecosystems in the real environment.
CHAOS SOLITONS & FRACTALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hanrui Liu, Toni A. Baeumler, Kai Nakamura, Yuga Okada, Seojung Cho, Akihiro Eguchi, Daisuke Kuroda, Kouhei Tsumoto, Ryosuke Ueki, Shinsuke Sando
Summary: Cell membrane receptors play a crucial role in regulating cellular responses by detecting and transducing extracellular signals. Receptor engineering allows for directing cells to respond to specific external cues and perform programmed functions. This study introduces an aptamer-based signal transduction system that enables control and customization of engineered receptor functions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pablo Ruiz-Capillas, Cristina Mata, Beatriz Fernandez, Carlos Fernandes, Juan E. Malo
Summary: The study investigated the impact of roads on the trophic behavior of terrestrial carnivore communities, finding that the distance from the road affects the trophic behavior of carnivores. Scats collected near roads had a higher biomass of small mammals, indicating changes in predator-prey interactions near roads and the spread of human-generated changes throughout trophic networks.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuhao Ji, Taniya Chakraborty, Seraphine V. Wegner
Summary: Researchers have developed adaptive two-way signaling between synthetic cells based on lipid vesicles. This signaling system utilizes the temporal dynamics of signal production and adhesion between cells to regulate communication and enable bidirectional exchange.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erik Poppleton, Niklas Urbanek, Taniya Chakraborty, Alessandra Griffo, Luca Monari, Kerstin Goepfrich
Summary: Design strategies for DNA and RNA nanostructures have been developed for 30 years, allowing for the creation of small and large-scale structures. The recent advancements in RNA origami structures and design methods have pushed the field to a new level. Computational tools for design and simulation are crucial for the growth of the RNA origami community. Functional RNA origami structures have already been demonstrated and applied in cell biology, and the fast-paced field is expected to contribute to biophysics, synthetic biology, and biomedicine alongside DNA origami.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
T. Chakraborty, S. M. Bartelt, J. Steinkuehler, R. Dimova, S. V. Wegner
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2019)