Genetius

Portulaca oleracea essential oil, encapsulated in folic‑acid‑modified spermine‑PLA‑PEG nanocapsules, showed enhanced antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and induced apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF‑7 cells. The nanocarriers provided improved solubility, stability, pH‑responsive release, and targeted delivery, as confirmed by physicochemical characterisation and bioassays. Co‑encapsulation with quercetin further increased the anticancer efficacy, achieving an IC₅₀ of 11.21 µg ml⁻¹.

The study examined how the nucleus positions itself during polarized growth of root hair cells by manipulating hormonal, nutrient, and environmental conditions. Live-cell imaging combined with quantitative analysis revealed that the nucleus maintains an internal scaling relationship regardless of external changes, challenging traditional textbook depictions. These insights have broad implications for cell biology and agricultural adaptation to climate change.

The study characterizes a plasma membrane-localized, calcium‑permeable force‑gated channel named Rapid Mechanically Activated (RMA) in plants, using patch‑clamp and pressure‑clamp to elucidate its rapid activation, inactivation, and irreversible adaptation upon repeated mechanical stimulation. Kinetic modeling shows the channel functions as a pass‑band filter for frequencies between 10 Hz and 1 kHz, supporting its role in transducing high‑frequency mechano‑stimuli such as insect vibrations.

The study identifies HHO5, a phylogenetically distinct HHO transcription factor, as a dual activator/repressor that modulates nitrogen-dose dependent gene expression and growth, with expression confined to phloem and regulated by nitrogen levels. A single HHO5 mutant reveals misregulation of N‑responsive genes, and network analysis links HHO5 to ~70% of its downstream N‑dose targets via intermediate TFs.

The study uncovers a hidden, evolutionarily conserved disorder-containing START (dSTART) domain within plant HD-ZIPIII and HD-ZIPIV transcription factors, demonstrating that dSTART is essential for proper subcellular localization, DNA-binding specificity, and developmental function. It also identifies phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid species as candidate ligands, linking lipid binding to transcription factor regulation.

The study conducts a meta‑research analysis of European taxonomic activity over the past decade by mining publication metadata from OpenAlex, Wikidata, and GBIF, identifying over 31,000 authors and mapping their taxonomic and institutional distribution. By comparing this supply of expertise with the demands of European biodiversity policies, the authors reveal pronounced imbalances in taxonomic capacity across groups and regions, highlighting taxa of policy relevance that are under‑studied. The work demonstrates how openly available data can assess taxonomic capacity and offers an open, reproducible framework for strategic planning and investment in taxonomy.

Long-term organic farming with cover crops was shown to enhance soil disease suppressiveness by altering rhizosphere chemical composition. Using untargeted metabolomics, the study compared soil metabolites from organically managed fields with different cover crop termination methods to conventional plots, identifying over 2,500 distinct compounds and a richer pool of bioactive chemicals in cover-cropped soils. These metabolic changes are implicated in creating conditions less favorable to pathogens.

The authors present an open‑source R‑based workflow that automates the analysis of positive fluorescent selection in plant protoplasts after transient effector gene expression, reducing manual effort and subjective bias. By integrating flow cytometry data processing, the pipeline improves reproducibility and scalability for rapid studies of gene regulation and signaling in plants.

The study integrates high‑resolution satellite mapping, field surveys of banana fields, farmer questionnaires, and mathematical disease modelling to generate the first national‑scale map of banana cultivation and BBTV risk in Benin, identifying southern regions as hotspots. It reveals that informal seed exchange, low farmer awareness, and socioeconomic vulnerability drive BBTV spread, and modelling shows injection of clean planting material as the most effective control strategy nationally.

The study uses melissopalynology—microscopic pollen analysis of honey—to determine botanical and geographical origins, highlighting the dominance of Asteraceae and Fabaceae pollen and underscoring its utility for honey authentication, fair pricing, and adulteration detection. It also contributes to building a comprehensive melissopalynological database for future honey quality control research.