Defensins are one the largest group of antimicrobial peptides and are part of the innate
defence. Defensins are produced by animals, plants and fungi. In animals and plants …

Starvation is common among wild animal populations, and many individuals experience
repeated bouts of starvation over the course of their lives. Although much information has …

In situ adaptation to climate change will be critical for the persistence of many ectotherm
species due to their relative lack of dispersal capacity. Climate change is causing increases …

Tardigrades can survive remarkable doses of ionizing radiation, up to about 1,000 times the
lethal dose for humans. How they do so is incompletely understood. We found that the …

Background Wolbachia bacteria of arthropods are at the forefront of basic and translational
research on multipartite host-symbiont-pathogen interactions. These vertically transmitted …

For most biological processes, organisms must respond to extrinsic cues, while maintaining
essential gene expression programmes. Although studied extensively in single cells, it is still …

Phenotypic plasticity is a key life history strategy used by many plants and animals living in
heterogeneous environments. A multitude of studies have investigated the costs and limits of …

Insulin, a highly conserved peptide hormone, links nutrient availability to metabolism and
growth in animals. In fed states insulin levels remain high and in animals that are food …

Mosquitoes host communities of microbes in their digestive tract that consist primarily of
bacteria. We previously reported that Aedes aegypti larvae colonized by a native community …

The gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is an important biological mediator, playing an
essential role in many physiological and pathological processes. It is produced by …