River deltas, leaf veins, lightning... in transport networks, simple laws of physics can surprisingly lead to cooperation between previously competing parts of the system, increasing its efficiency, shows research published in PNAS by Polish scientists.
River deltas, leaf veins, lightning... in transport networks, simple laws of physics can surprisingly lead to cooperation between previously competing parts of the system, increasing its efficiency, shows research published in PNAS by Polish scientists.
One of the most important scientific achievements of the year - describing the connections in the entire brain of a fruit fly - was achieved not only thanks to laboratory research, but also thanks to the meticulous work of online game players.
Scientists have captured the high-resolution structures of one of the key proteins of photosynthesis in plants, recording a moment in the catalytic cycle. They found that water is forced out of the protein's active site through channels on its surface in a way that resembles the action of a syringe plunger.
'Inter-species gene exchange' and using genetic solutions developed by other species is a standard among animals, research by scientists from the Jagiellonian University shows.
Researchers from Kraków and foreign partners have studied the adaptive mechanisms of bacteria collected from the International Space Station (ISS). The findings indicate that microorganisms isolated from the interior of the ISS have adapted to life in space.
The wolf population in Europe is recovering. However, more frequent exposure to contact with humans is not enough for wolves to stop fearing us, according to preliminary analyses of research conducted by a team led by Dr. Dries Kuijper from the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Białowieża.
Three new species of buttercups have been identified near Darłowo in Western Pomerania by Dr. Adam T. Halamski from the Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The new species: the Amalasuntha buttercup, the Griffin buttercup and the Darłowo buttercup, were named to commemorate, among others, the queen of the Ostrogoths and the Pomeranian Griffin dynasty.
Fungi and humans come from a common ancestor, something like an amoeba or a slime mould. They also communicate, move, have sex, fight, and can be dangerous, say mycologist Dr. Marta Wrzosek.
The main problem in Europe is not that we have too many wolves, but that we need to re-learn to protect our farm animals that fall prey to these predators, says biologist Dr. Dries Kuijper, at the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Mammal Research Institute in Białowieża.