All vertebrates have small bioinorganic “earstones” in their inner ear labyrinth that are essential for hearing and balance. While otoliths play a vital anatomical role in fish, their true value to science is as biochronometers, ...

During Arabidopsis seed development, the epidermal cells of the seed coat produce large quantities of pectinaceous mucilage polysaccharides. Following imbition, mucilage is released from these cells and forms a thick ...

People with diabetes are at risk of developing myocardial abnormalities known as diabetic cardiomyopathy. This is characterised by diabetes-induced left-ventricular (LV) impairment, which develops independent of hypertension, ...

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are responsible for fast excitatory synaptic transmission in insect central nervous system. Their role as targets for commercial insecticides have resulted in extensive studies ...

Land clearing and modification of natural habitats is threatening biodiversity globally. In Australia, most native grassland habitats have been heavily modified for agriculture, including cropping and grazing. Grassland ...

Conspicuous large-scale diversity patterns and the disparity of species-richness across different taxonomic groups have fascinated naturalists for centuries. In recent years, advances in molecular techniques have facilitated ...

Conservation resources are scarce, whether it is time, money or effort. Therefore, wise spending is important and decisions need to be made on how to prioritise limited resources between different conservation actions. ...

The molecular mechanism by which mixed linkage, (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan, a non-cellulosic polysaccharide, is synthesised by cellulose synthase-like (CSL) F6 was explored. CSLF6 was shown to be crucial for development in the ...

The Heliozelidae (Adeloidea: Lepidoptera) are a family of small, primitive day-flying moths with a worldwide distribution. In recent years, potentially hundreds of new species have been collected around Australia, predominantly ...

Plant root hairs are tubular shaped cells emerging from the outermost cell layer of the root. They substantially extend the root surface, thereby optimise the plant’s capacity to absorb water and nutrients. Root hairs, ...