On the Radar

The pick of the science news

No oxygen zone

Italian and Danish researchers have found several species of multi-cellular animals living in suprising conditions – in permanently oxygen-starved waters at the bottom of the Mediterranean sea.

Their research on three species of Loricifera pulled from sediments of the L’Atalante basin show the tiny creatures are metabolically active and highlight specific adaptations to the extreme conditions.

“The discovery of these life forms opens new perspectives for the study of metazoan life in habitats lacking molecular oxygen,” write the researchers in the journal BMC Biology.

Blooming genes

Research involving Trinity College Dublin has shed light on the genetic processes that underlie flower development. Working on the well-characterised plant Arabidopsis thaliana, or thale cress, an international consortium has identified genes involved in orchestrating the start of flowering.

"We now know which genes need to be turned on and off so that flowers can form," said Prof Frank Wellmer of the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, an author on the study that was published in Science.

“This is an exciting step forward for our understanding of how flowering plants enter into the reproductive phase. Ultimately, we may be able to use this information to generate crop plants with improved yields.”

4

The number of female astronauts currently on the International Space Station, a record number of women in space at the same time