Focus on plant sciences at the Julius von Sachs Institute

A functional sperm tail is essential for successful reproduction. Defects in its development often lead to infertility. This is also shown by a recent international study involving researchers from Würzburg.

When ant pupae are infected by pathogens, they change their body odour. In this way, they warn the colony of the risk of infection - and thus seal their death.

Glossy flowers are visible to bees from a distance, but make color recognition difficult up close. They thus represent a visual compromise of nature, as a new study by the University of Würzburg shows.

Even in sunny forest gaps, browsing by roe deer prevents the natural regeneration of many tree species. Researchers at the University of Würzburg show just how strongly these ungulates shape forest development.