Liquid droplets shape how cells respond to change, shows study

Phys.org— Healthy cells respond appropriately to changes in their environment. They do this by sensing what's happening outside and relaying a command to the precise biomolecule in the precise domain that can carry out the necessary response.

Phys.org—Cell contraction drives the initial shaping of human embryos, study finds. Human embryo compaction, an essential step in the first days of an embryo's development, is driven by the contractility of its cells. This is the finding of a team of scientists from CNRS, Institut Curie, Inserm, AP-HP and the Collège de France. Published in the journal Nature, these results contradict the presupposed driving role of cell adhesion in this phenomenon and pave the way for improved assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Phys.org—Study shows climate change and mercury pollution stressed plants for millions of years. The link between massive flood basalt volcanism and the end-Triassic (201 million years ago) mass extinction is commonly accepted. However, exactly how volcanism led to the collapse of ecosystems and the extinction of entire families of organisms is difficult to establish.

Phys.org—Study shows climate change impact on China's dry–wet transition zones. Climate change is significantly altering bioclimatic environments in China's dry–wet transition zones, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Hydrology.