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unicellular

Daphnias or not to be... a sick Daphnia (the red one) and a healthy Daphnia. Photo: Einav Marcus

Despite the negative connotation: parasites have a positive effect on biodiversity and play a crucial role in maintaining it

New research shines a positive light on biological stigma
Different species of foraminifera. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The marine microorganisms that indicate climate change

What makes foraminifera species sensitive to heat?
A dedicated aquaculture system where the researchers grew three local species of algae. Photo: Tel Aviv University

Not only in sushi

"Super Algae" will be used to extract natural substances and medicines from the sea
Baking yeast. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Genetic research has revealed: this is how the "antenna" of the yeast works

The new discovery could shed light on the basic mechanisms that control sugar metabolism in other organisms, including humans.
An AIRE-ILC3 cell (in green) kisses a TH17 cell (in red) and thus commands it to proliferate (top row). In contrast, it does not bind to other T cells that are not designed to fight candida (bottom line)

The cells that prevent candida from returning

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have uncovered a mechanism of the immune system that helps fight Candida infections
Coral reef in the Red Sea. Image: depositphotos.com

What will be the lifeline of the coral reefs in the deep and shallow waters?

A new study estimates that there is little basis for the hope that coral reefs at great depth will help the survival of corals in shallow waters
Spirulina. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Breakfast of champions

When did unicellular algae become so nutritious - and how the change paved the way for an evolutionary leap
In the photo: Phytoplankton algae of the coccolithophore type, through an electron microscope

First clues to the extinction of species in the Gulf of Eilat

A new study found that a significant decrease was observed in the amount of one of the phytoplankton species in the Gulf of Eilat "You can look at this as the 'canary in the coal mine', signaling that the impact of global climate change is already evident"
A 2,700-year-old stone toilet (Photo: Yuli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

The hygiene patterns of the wealthy of Jerusalem during the days of the First Temple

Intestinal worm eggs discovered in toilets from that period reveal that the upper class also suffered from infectious diseases due to poor hygiene conditions
Dave Cummings holds a branch of reed partially coated with gliotrichia. Photo: Dr. Tamar Zahari

Blue in surprise

Is a new blue algae (cyanobacteria) accidentally discovered in the Sea of ​​Galilee an invasive species that may harm the natural environment? Or is it actually a discovery that will enrich the ecosystem unique to the region? Israeli researchers are trying to crack the mystery
Imaging of a ring-shaped malaria parasite that lives inside a red blood cell and secretes vesicles carrying the S20 proteasome (colorful barrel-like structures)

kills them softly

The viruses (hexagons) attack the algae. Credit - Technion spokesmen

Unique light receptors shared by marine giant viruses and the algae they infect

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According to Prof. Oded Beja, "From the genomic mapping we conducted, we concluded that the evolutionary origin of the genes is in the algae, not in the virus, and we estimate that at some point in evolution, the virus 'stealth' accelerated the genes into rhodopsins in a way that allows it to carry out some kind of manipulation related to sensing light"
Birds of prey peck at the carcass of an elephant killed by lions in Botswana. Photo: shutterstock

Elephants die in secret

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As of March, about 330 dead elephants were found in Okavango and its surroundings, the initial assumption that the elephants were killed by poachers was disproved since the elephants were not robbed. A second assumption was that the death was caused by the anthrax virus, but it turned out that this was not the cause of death either, other animals were not harmed. The authorities investigated the deaths and apparently found the culprit, Cyanobacteria.
Microalgae. From jumpstory

Scientists have succeeded in increasing the efficiency of the photosynthesis process in algae by an order of magnitude

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A study by researchers at Ben Gurion University shows that increasing the photosynthetic efficiency 3 to 10 times at light intensities similar to the intensity of sunlight, which is used in conventional growing facilities, is possible
The porous and helical structure of algae as deciphered at the synchrotron. Photo: Technion spokespeople

The structure of red algae is deciphered

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Algal cells respond in different ways to identical stress conditions. Illustration: Prof. Assaf Vardi's laboratory, Weizmann Institute

survival of the few

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The world champions in evolution. Illustration: Yuval Robichak, for the Weizmann Institute

The world champions in evolution

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Algal particles emitted from samples infected with the virus. Instead of particles up to a micron in size, phytoplankton remains up to four microns in size were discovered

Where does the algae go after they die?

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Phytoplankton bloom of the species Emiliania huxleyi, photographed from space. Source: Landsat image from 24th July 1999, courtesy of Steve Groom, Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

The algae security breach

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Foraminifera. Source: Courtesy of Ben Gurion University.

Animals that create green skeletons are able to grow in extreme temperatures

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The process of breaking down substances inside the cell - the description of the mechanism discovered by the winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine, Yoshinori Osumi

Nobel Prize for Medicine to Yoshinori Osumi - discovers the process of transporting cell materials for decomposition

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Tsimada - living marine creatures that stick to ships. Photography: Yossi Cohen

Prevention of underwater biological coating on vessels inspired by marine vessels (part 1)

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The spill in the Gulf of Mexico left behind enormous destruction and damages, some of which are irreversible. Photo: Green Fire Productions, Flickr

Oil-degrading bacteria

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Coral reef. Photo: shutterstock

A tiny aquarium makes it possible to study the effect of climate change on microscopic processes in corals

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Cyanobacteria living in the sea or in fresh water protect themselves from excess light radiation by activating the orange carotenoid protein (OCP). The OCP is activated by strong light and changes its color from orange to red. The picture shows three cells, one in full light (above, reddish color), one in shadow (below, the color of their spot) and one in the middle. In the article, the mechanism of action of the OCP was proposed: after activation, the amino-end of the protein "digs" into the antenna complex called the phycobilisome, thereby preventing the flow of energy to the reaction centers. Illustration: Itai Goldschmid

The autophagy of the cyanobacteria

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