When active filaments are exposed to localized illumination, they accumulate into stable structures along the boundaries of the illuminated area. Based on this fact, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) developed a model that can be used to simulate the self-organization of thread-like living matter. This model provides important insights for potential technical applications in the formation of structures.

Exercise can have benefits at the level of neurons, through chemical and mechanical effects, MIT researchers find. The discovery could inform exercise-related therapies for repairing damaged and deteriorating nerves. 

An international research team led by the universities of Göttingen and Hohenheim in Germany has gained new insights into how the interaction of birds, bees and bats significantly increases the quantity and quality of macadamia nuts. Furthermore, the effectiveness of their ecosystem services – pollination and biological pest control – depends on the altitude of the area and whether it provides natural habitats. The University of the Free State and the University of Venda in South Africa were also involved in this research. The results were published in Ecological Applications.