Lichtgedanken 05

Rubrik 55 05 | LICHT GEDANKEN Ticker Flying germs Armrests, folding tables, seat belts: dangerous pathogens settle on numerous surfaces in passenger aircrafts. With the ever-increasing air traffic, germs are also travelling around the world. Jena-based materials scientists wor- king with Prof. Dr Klaus D. Jandt have now systemati- cally analysed where the germs are most common and how the number of germs on airplanes can be reduced (DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2018.07.011). »Infectious hotspots« include seat covers, door handles, and toilet flushing but- tons. According to the team of researchers, the survival of microbes is highly dependent on the materials and on the physicochemical surface properties. The scientists are currently working on new antimicrobial material con- cepts to be used in aircrafts in particular.  AB Parasite protects its host Parasitism is a totally one-sided life form: the parasite en- riches itself at the expense of its host. But Jena pharma- cists have now discovered that parasites may also consi- der their host in certain circumstances—all in their own interest, of course. The researchers investigated so-called »mobile elements«. These are sections of DNA which in- filtrate the genome of host cells or organisms and multiply for their own benefit. In the study, the research teamwas able to show that mobi- le elements do not infiltrate and multiply indiscriminately in the genome of the amoeba dictyostelium discoideum. They only establish themselves at very specific locations in the genome, namely where they do not damage the amoeba (DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky582).  sh Reading risk behaviour in the brain Anxious people take fewer risks—not a surprising fin- ding. But a team of psychologists working with Dr Bar- bara Schmidt (photo above, left) and partners from Würz- burg and Victoria (Canada) has now succeeded in making this decision-making process in the brain visible—and, as a result, to predict the behaviour of individuals (DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13210). The researchers carried out an experi- ment to measure the risk behaviour of test subjects, whilst also observing their brain activity using electroencepha- lography (EEG). The results showed that a certain brain activity—the frontal midline theta power—is especially high during the decision-making process. It shows cogni- tive control— in other words, intensive deliberation—du- ring the decision-making process.  sh Mountain air is good for moths Tropical moths are larger in the mountains. This is the result of a study conducted by Jena scientists working together with colleagues from Marburg and Connecti- cut (USA). They measured over 19,000 moths from 1,100 different species (DOI: 10.1111/ecog.03917.). They wanted to find out whether the size of tropical moths changes in line with the sea level. »Body size plays a key role in the ecology and evolution of organisms«, explains Dr Gunnar Brehm, the lead author of the study. It would seem that the »temperature-size rule«, which was previously only applied to mammals and birds, also applies to moths. It states that animals develop as larger individuals at lo- wer temperatures. The researchers were able to prove the trend for various species and also within the species. AB