Articles tagged with Slime Molds
Researchers optimized lab culture conditions to boost levels of low-abundance chlorinated compounds in slime mold cells, identifying CDF-2 and CDF-3 as potent antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria. The compounds' similar molecular structure suggests a critical role in protecting against harmful bacteria.
Researchers have found new organisms that can capture carbon dioxide and clean pollutants from the environment. By exploring extremophiles in homes, scientists can gain insights into their unique characteristics and develop sustainable solutions.
Researchers have identified how Physarum polycephalum, a single-celled organism, stores and retrieves information about its environment through its network architecture. The slime mold weaves memories of food encounters into the architecture and uses stored information to make future decisions.
Researchers observed that giant unicellular slime molds change tube diameters in response to nutrient sources, imprinted in the hierarchy of thinner and thicker tubes. This reorganization persists for up to 30 minutes before the organism migrates toward the nutrient source, suggesting a mechanism for memory formation.
Researchers found that evolution can select for loner behavior in slime molds, which could provide an ecological insurance plan to ensure the survival of collective behavior. The study suggests that having some individuals stay out of the swarm may be part of the strategy of this organism.
Researchers have successfully mapped the cosmic web's filamentary structure using a slime mold-inspired algorithm, providing insights into dark matter's role in shaping the universe. The study revealed that denser regions of intergalactic gas are organized into filaments that stretch over 10 million light-years from galaxies.
Researchers use a Physarum-based algorithm to visualize the cosmic web's filaments, connecting galaxies and diffuse hydrogen gas. The model replicates the distribution of dark matter on large scales, providing a new tool for understanding the universe's structure.
Researchers found that slime molds can store knowledge of salty environments through absorption, allowing for up to a month of retention. The study suggests that the substance itself supports the slime mold's memory, rather than just the environment.
Researchers used slime mold to study cell positioning in complex structures, revealing the importance of cell-cell contact and chemotaxis. The study found that individual cells can be directed to their final destination by chemical signals, such as cAMP, and cell-to-cell touch.
Bees soar with web traffic algorithms, but ants and slime mold flop. Nature's design inspirations are valuable, but not always practical. Classic algorithms still outperform nature-inspired methods in static problems like the Traveling Salesman Problem.
A mathematical model suggests that slime molds can find an optimal physical distribution through a maze when exposed to intermittent light, which mimics real-world changing conditions. This finding aligns with properties of self-organized systems and may influence adaptive abilities in biological systems.
Researchers studied Physarum polycephalum's decision-making abilities using the two-armed bandit problem, finding it compares relative options to make adaptive decisions. The slime mold's algorithm exploits environments in proportion to their reward experienced through past sampling.
Researchers created logical circuits using living slime molds, which can process information and carry out Boolean logic operations. The slime mold-based system could potentially be used to build low-cost, biological computing devices and sensors.
Researchers have found that slime mold can compute a complex network similar to the Canadian highway system. This discovery provides evidence that nature is capable of computation, challenging our understanding of its capabilities.
Researchers discovered that slime mold cells organize into an epithelial layer with a structure and function similar to those in some animals. The layer secretes proteins, coating the fruiting body stalk with rigidity.
Rice researchers found that starving cells in slime mold have an advantage, pushing those that eat into selfless sacrifice. The study reveals a surprising strategy for survival and reproduction in single-cell organisms.
Researchers found that slime mold can self-organize into a nearly identical network to Tokyo's rail system, suggesting improved technological systems. The model captures the basic dynamics of network adaptability through interaction of local rules.
Researchers at Salk Institute and MRC discovered how slime molds synthesise the chemical signal DIF-1 using a unique type III PKS domain arrangement. This discovery informs the development of more efficient methods for producing modified polyketides for human use, highlighting the complexity of natural chemicals in biological systems.
A Guatemalan forest has been identified as the world's most diverse home of slime molds, with over 1,000 species collected by Ohio University researcher James Cavender. The discovery highlights the importance of these ancient organisms in maintaining soil health and fertility.