Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Life Sciences
CasPEDIA Database: A Functional Classification System for Class 2 CRISPR-Cas Enzymes
Published: 2023-08-17
Subjects: Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology, Bioinformatics, Life Sciences
CRISPR-Cas enzymes enable RNA-guided bacterial immunity and are widely used for biotechnological applications including genome editing. In particular, the Class 2 CRISPR-associated enzymes (Cas9, Cas12 and Cas13 families), have been deployed for numerous research, clinical and agricultural applications. However, the immense genetic and biochemical diversity of these proteins in the public domain [...]
On the use of individual-based models in predictive plant ecology
Published: 2023-08-17
Subjects: Life Sciences
The use of IBM may be the only possible method for getting quantitative insights into some dynamical aspects of animal populations with complicated behavior, but this is surely not the case in plant ecology, where relevant plant population models have been formulated and used for decades. In my opinion, credible predictive plant ecological models is most effectively performed using population [...]
The feeding apparatus of ants: An overview of structure and function
Published: 2023-08-16
Subjects: Life Sciences
Ants are a dominant family of eusocial terrestrial insects with a diversity of ecologies, lifestyles and morphologies. Ant diet preferences range from strict carnivory through omnivory to almost complete herbivory in species feeding on seeds or exudates of plant sucking insects. While several studies have investigated ant feeding performance on different substrates, comparatively little is [...]
Feedback loops drive ecological succession; towards a unified conceptual framework
Published: 2023-08-16
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
The core principle shared by most theories and models of succession is that plant-environment (PE) feedback dynamics drive a directional change in the plant community, following a major disturbance. The most commonly studied feedback loops are those in which the regrowth of the plant community causes changes to the biotic (e.g., dispersers) or abiotic (e.g., soil nutrients) environment, which [...]
Botany and Geogenomics: constraining geological hypotheses in the Neotropics with large-scale genetic data derived from plants
Published: 2023-08-09
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Decades of empirical research have revealed how the geological history of our planet shaped plant evolution by establishing well-known patterns (e.g., how mountain uplift resulted in high rates of diversification and replicate radiations in montane plant taxa). Under this approach, information is passed from geology to botany by interpreting data in light of geological processes. Instead, in this [...]
The unfulfilled potential of dogs in studying behavioural ecology and evolution during the Anthropocene
Published: 2023-08-07
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoology
Dogs are an exceptional resource for studying ecological, behavioural and evolutionary processes. However, several widespread misconceptions limit our understanding of dog behaviour and inhibit the use of dogs as model study systems in diverse areas of biological science. These include extensive anthropomorphisation of dog behaviour, a profound bias towards almost exclusively studying pet dogs, a [...]
Leadership in Animal Groups: The Interplay between Individual Traits and Coordination Mechanisms
Published: 2023-08-07
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
In social systems, movement of individual group members scales up to spatiotemporal dynamics of the group. However, the level of influence on group movement dynamics can be variable among group members. The influence of an individual is often referred to as their leadership potential. However, despite the common occurrence of leader-follower patterns across various taxa, little is known whether [...]
Reply to: Recognizing and marshalling the pre-publication error correction potential of open data for more reproducible science
Published: 2023-08-07
Subjects: Life Sciences
Assessing risk of ecosystem collapse in a changing climate
Published: 2023-08-07
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment, Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences
Climate change has pervasive impacts on Earth’s ecosystems, but the diversity and complexity of ecosystems makes estimating the severity of impacts and the resulting risk of collapse difficult. In this perspective, we conceptualise the challenge of understanding how climate change alters ecosystems, and how to reliably measure those changes in ecosystem risk assessments, focussing on the IUCN Red [...]
Abiotic environmental factors driving the biomass and community structure of soil bacteria in an arid region
Published: 2023-08-07
Subjects: Life Sciences
Microbial communities are important determinants of ecosystem functions in deserts. However, bacterial communities and their relationship with edaphic conditions are poorly investigated in these extreme ecosystems. Here we examined the community structure and biomass of bacteria, including/focusing on nitrogen-fixing bacteria, across different soil habitats in Qatar, using high-throughput [...]
Hypotheses on the evolutional process and meaningful function of organisms: mitochondria, plants, mammals
Published: 2023-07-30
Subjects: Life Sciences
Mitochondrial coexistence in eukaryotic cells is an important theme in biology, and its process and relationship with the subsequent evolutionary history of life continue to be studied. The roles and functions of plants remain unknown and continue to be studied. Mammals have complex organs and well-developed immune systems, and reproduce by a specialized method called embryogenesis. In this [...]
The need of decoding life for taking care of biodiversity and the sustainable use of nature in the Anthropocene - a Faroese perspective
Published: 2023-07-30
Subjects: Biodiversity, Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Genetics and Genomics, Life Sciences
Biodiversity is under pressure, mainly due to human activities and climate change. At the international policy level, it is now recognised that genetic diversity is an important part of biodiversity. The availability of high-quality reference genomes gives the best basis for using genetics and genetic diversity towards the global aims of (i) protection of species, biodiversity, and nature, and [...]
A Comprehensive Assessment of Verticillium Wilt of Potato: Present Status and Future Prospective
Published: 2023-07-28
Subjects: Agricultural Science, Agriculture, Life Sciences, Plant Pathology, Plant Sciences
The fungal disease Verticillium wilt is a soil-borne pathogen that is caused by Verticillium dahliae. This disease affects a wide range of crops and can cause significant yield losses. Recent findings suggest that Verticillium wilt has been affecting potato crops in abundant demesne around the global world, including in North America, parts of Europe, and Asia. In some cases, the disease has been [...]
The untapped potential of phage model systems as therapeutic agents
Published: 2023-07-28
Subjects: Biology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Medical Microbiology, Microbiology
With the emergence of widespread antibiotic resistance, phages are an appealing alternative to antibiotics in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Over the past few years, many phages have been isolated from various environments to treat bacterial pathogens. While isolating novel phages for treatment has had some success for compassionate use, developing novel phages into a general [...]
Sources, effects and present perspectives of heavy metals contamination: soil, plants and human food chain
Published: 2023-07-27
Subjects: Life Sciences
Heavy metal (HM) poisoning of agricultural soils poses a serious risk to plant life, human health, and global food supply. When HM levels in agricultural soils get to dangerous levels, it harms crop health and yield. Chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) are the main heavy metals. The environment contains these metals in [...]