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In an emergency, ants bite off injured limbs of fellow ants to ensure their survival. Whether they take this radical step depends on the location of the wound. They exhibit a behaviour that was previously only known in humans: Florida carpenter ants ( Camponotus floridanus ) amputate limbs as a precautionary measure to save the lives of wounded conspecifics.

A guest commentary by biologists Niklas Kästner and Tobias Zimmermann, editors of the online magazine "ETHOlogisch - Verhalten verstehen" ("ETHOlogical - Understanding Behaviour") A mouse which disappears in a hole, a bee heading for a blossom, a blackbird in full-throated song - we are surrounded by animals which interact with their environment in certain ways.

International team use 1.8 billion letters of genetic code to build ground-breaking tree of life   An international study involving researchers from the University of Göttingen investigated the evolution of flowering plants in extraordinary detail using advanced DNA sequencing technology. The researchers discovered that there was an evolutionary explosive development of flowering plants producing enormous diversity.

Researchers at the Würzburg Helmholtz Institute for Infection Research led by RNA expert Chase Beisel have developed a new approach to DNA transformation and gene mutation in bacteria. Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial species.

Researchers discover a genetic switch in plants that can turn simple spoon-shaped leaves into complex leaves with leaflets The diversity of forms of living organisms is enormous. But how the individual cells together coordinate the formation of organs and tissues in complex organisms is still an open question.

Newly discovered subtypes and sex differences create new approaches for drugs Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS for short, is a mysterious neurodegenerative disease that is almost always fatal. A consortium of researchers led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has systematically investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms of ALS.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are found throughout the human body and are involved in many complex signalling pathways. Despite their importance in many biological processes, the central mechanism of G protein-coupling and the associated signal transmission is not yet understood. A team of researchers from Leipzig University has succeeded in understanding the mechanism of signal transmission through an adrenaline-binding receptor at the atomic level.

A sensor for nitrogen could be hidden behind the extension of an enzyme for the breakdown of starch. If this sensor detects a high level of nitrogen, algal growth switches into turbo mode. Living organisms consist to a large extent of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) compounds. These have to be taken in with food or, in the case of plants, produced through photosynthesis.

Research team at Göttingen University discovers important function of antisense non-coding RNA   The function of non-coding RNA in the cell has long been a mystery to researchers. Unlike coding RNA, non-coding RNA does not produce proteins - yet it exists in large quantities. A research team from the University of Göttingen has now discovered an important function of antisense RNA (asRNA): the researchers found that asRNA acts as a "superhighway" in cell transport and thus accelerates gene expression.

Our eyesight declines with age: Poor lighting or strong contrasts between light and dark can limit the ability of older people to react in everyday life, resulting in a negative impact on the sleep-wake-rhythm. As neuroscientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen and the University of Basel confirm, this is also due to the diminishing ability of the eye's pupil to dilate sufficiently.

In a study with 991 adults, scientists at DZNE show that the most common forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) as well as the neurological diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) can be recognised by blood testing. Their procedure is not yet ready for routine medical use, but in the long term it could facilitate disease diagnosis and advance the development of new therapies already now.

A low vitamin B6 level has negative effects on brain performance. A research team from Würzburg University Medicine has now found a way to delay the degradation of the vitamin. Vitamin B6 is important for brain metabolism. Accordingly, in various mental illnesses, a low vitamin B6 level is associated with impaired memory and learning abilities, with a depressive mood, and even with genuine depression.

If the virus incorporates host genetic segments into its genome, the infection may become chronic. Why does Hepatitis E become chronic in some patients, and why do medications not work? To find out, an international research team led by scientists from Bochum observed a patient with chronic Hepatitis E infection over a year.

Amateur and professional dancers are less neurotic than people who do not dance. A new study shows A study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, has shown that both amateur and professional dancers are less neurotic than people who do not dance.

An international team of researchers has discovered a previously unknown ape species in the Hammerschmiede clay pit in southern Germany. Buronius manfredschmidi was found close to the great ape Danuvius guggenmosi , known as "Udo". This was about 12 million years ago the first ape with adaptations for walking upright and made the Hammerschmiede excavation site famous.

Research team at the University of Freiburg identifies new membrane protein Sd-Amt1 A team led by Freiburg biochemist Susana Andrade has characterised a new membrane protein that allows microorganisms to repurpose ammonium transporters (Amts) as receptors. Ammonium transporters clearly distinguish between ammonium, potassium and water.

Some cancer drugs cause severe side effects because they are not working accurately enough. A team at the University of Würzburg led by biochemist Caroline Kisker has now discovered why. The small protein ubiquitin is involved in almost every cellular process in our body: it orchestrates the stability and function of the vast majority of proteins.

Largest genetic study on RLS to date An international team of researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Munich has conducted the largest genetic investigation of restless legs syndrome (RLS) to date. The study represents a significant advancement in deciphering the genetic basis of this disorder and opens novel pathways for patient care.

Genetic analyses of Celtic burial mounds from 500 BCE reveal close relationships and provide new insights into the power structures of early Celtic elites The Celtic culture of the pre-Roman Iron Age in Western and Central Europe has left numerous traces to this day, not least in the form of enormous burial mounds and spectacular archaeological artifacts.

A surface protein helps viruses to enter cells. This has far-reaching consequences for the infection. How exactly do Sars-Cov-2 particles enter host cells? An international team led by Dr Richard Brown from Dr Daniel Todt's Computational Virology group at the Department of Molecular and Medical Virology at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, together with researchers from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, investigated this question.