Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable element for all life on Earth and, during the past decade,
concerns about the future of its global supply have stimulated much research on soil P and …

Leaf wax components of terrestrial plants are an important source of biomass in the geological
records of soils, lakes and marine sediments. Relevant to the emerging use of plant wax …

The isotopic composition of different materials can be imaged by secondary ion mass
spectrometry. In biology, this method is mainly used to study cellular metabolism and turnover, by …

Aged proteins can become hazardous to cellular function, by accumulating molecular damage.
This implies that cells should preferentially rely on newly produced ones. We tested this …

An isobathic transect of marine surface sediments from 1N to 28S off southwest Africa was
used to further evaluate the potential of the chain length distribution and carbon stable isotope …

Marine phytoplankton are responsible for about half of the photosynthesis on Earth. Many
are mixotrophs, combining photosynthesis with heterotrophic assimilation of organic carbon, …

Palaeoenvironmental assessment of past C 3 and C 4 vegetation distributions relies on end
member data from plant analyses. In southwestern Africa, end member data of the carbon …

Many microorganisms produce resting cells with very low metabolic activity that allow them
to survive phases of prolonged nutrient or energy stress. In cyanobacteria and some …

Synaptic transmission relies on the continual exocytosis and recycling of synaptic vesicles.
Aged vesicle proteins are prevented from recycling and are eventually degraded. This …

The colonization of bacterial communities and biofilm formation on microplastics (MPs) have
aroused great concern recently. However, the influence of time and polymer types on the …