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The T6SS, an all-rounder of many - but not all - bacteria.
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a molecular mechanism that enables certain bacteria to kill competitors, manipulate host cells and absorb nutrients. Who would want to be without such superpowers? In fact, this secretion apparatus is widespread among bacteria. At the same time, however, there are many bacterial species that completely lack this feature. Even among strains of the same species, some have a T6SS and others do not. What could this be related to?
Laying of the foundation stone: New building at the Max Planck Institute in Plön officially started
The foundation work on the shore of the Schöhsee has been completed. Today's laying of the foundation stone is now the official start of construction for the new building of the research institute in Plön.
Why do we age? The role of natural selection
The evolution of aging is a particularly exciting field in theoretical evolutionary research. Scientists are trying to figure out why and when the phenomenon of aging developed over the course of evolution. Mathematical models can help to develop theories for a better understanding of aging. At the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, intensive research has also been carried out in this area in recent years in the Department of Evolutionary Theory.
Animal vaccines with self-spreading viruses
Since the first lab-modified virus capable of replication was generated in 1974, an evidence-based consensus has emerged that many changes introduced into viral genomes are likely to prove unstable if released into the environment. On this basis, many virologists would question the release of genetically modified viruses that retain the capacity to spread between individual vertebrate hosts. Researchers from Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States now point out in a policy piece that despite these concerns, self-spreading vaccines for animals are being researched in Europe and the US. They are intended to limit the spread of animal diseases or disease spillover to humans.
Tracking down the origin of cholera pandemics
The bacterium Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera and is responsible for seven known pandemics. The seventh cholera pandemic began in 1961 and is still active. Unlike previous pandemics, it is caused by cholera strains of a slightly different type. How did the modified cholera strains develop and spread, and what might have contributed to their success? Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Plön and CAU Kiel, in an international team with colleagues from City College New York and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, have now gained new insights into a molecular mechanism that provides insight into the interactions between cholera bacteria and may have played a role in the emergence of the seventh pandemic.
Transposable Elements: What role do they play in genome evolution?
„Transposable elements (TEs)" are small DNA segments found in nearly all genomes across the tree of life. Their function is not fully understood, but their properties are remarkable: they can integrate themselves into DNA and also replicate there on their own, independent of their host. Therefore, it is assumed that the proliferation of TEs has contributed decisively to the genome size of eukaryotes. However, TEs are also found in prokaryotes, which have much smaller genomes. Moreover, their genomes are significantly streamlined, meaning a much smaller proportion is non-coding. What's behind this?
COVID19 pandemic explained
Researchers from the department of Evolutionary Theory have collected scientific information and statistics about the COVID19 pandemic and explained it for the public on a special website.
News
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a molecular mechanism that enables certain bacteria to kill competitors, manipulate host cells and absorb nutrients. Who would want to be without such superpowers? In fact, this secretion apparatus is widespread ...
The foundation work on the shore of the Schöhsee has been completed. Today's laying of the foundation stone is now the official start of construction for the new building of the research institute in Plön.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented global response in the form of social distancing and lockdown. Currently, the greatest hope rests on global vaccination against the virus. This is based on the assumption that social and economic ...
The evolution of aging is a particularly exciting field in theoretical evolutionary research. Scientists are trying to figure out why and when the phenomenon of aging developed over the course of evolution. Mathematical models can help to develop ...