Algae and water fleas in lakes: Light color influences food webs

Phytoplankton is the basic food source for many aquatic organisms. A new study shows that the light spectrum is more important for these microalgae and for lake ecosystems than previously assumed.

University of Oldenburg

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A water flea under the microscope. The light colors in the lake influence its food source: microalgae. 

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Credit: Sebastian Neun / University of Oldenburg

Phytoplankton is an important component of the food-web and is predated by a wide variety of aquatic organisms, such as water fleas, copepods and fish. These microscopic algae also play a crucial role for Earth's climate, as they absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and produce oxygen in lakes and oceans worldwide. Phytoplankton obtains the energy needed for these processes from sunlight that penetrates through the water column. The light spectrum, which encompasses all the colours of the rainbow – from violet to indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red – plays a crucial role as well. Researchers have now discovered that these light colours influence not only phytoplankton, but also the predator-prey relationships in the lake. This was shown by a recent study conducted at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, in collaboration with the University of Greifswald. It was published October 13th 2025 in the Journal of Ecology.

Sensitivity of lake food webs

“So far, research on the ecological processes in water bodies has focused primarily on the amount of light,” says study author Sebastian Neun from the Plankton Ecology Group at ICBM. “We showed that the colour of light has a direct influence on phytoplankton, which in turn affects nutrient cycling in the lake ecosystem.”

According to the scientists, future research should take the light spectrum into greater consideration. “The amount of microalgae in many lakes is increasing, making them increasingly green,” explains study author and planktologist Dr. Maren Striebel. “Light conditions underwater will change even more in the future, and this will influence the sensitive relationship between microalgae and other more complex aquatic organisms such as crustaceans and fish.” High nutrient content of wastewater and agricultural runoff is promoting the growth of algae, especially in combination with higher temperatures, and leading to algal blooms in water bodies.

Lake near Wilhelmshaven becomes a research laboratory

In May 2022, the research team conducted an experiment in Lake Schortens, a lake near Wilhelmshaven in Lower Saxony. The scientists filled bottles with lake water containing phytoplankton, wrapped them with red, blue, and green light filter foils and placed them at different positions underwater.

Over a period of two weeks the team monitored how the microalgae developed under different light conditions and different nutrient levels. Phytoplankton was then fed to water fleas to draw conclusions about how different light and nutrient conditions influence the nutritional quality of phytoplankton for their consumers.

The result: the less light that is available to the microalgae underwater, the more important the colour of light became for their growth. Different phytoplankton species also reacted differently to light colour and nutrient content by altering the composition of fatty acids. This in turn influenced the growth of the water fleas, suggesting that the colours of light also influence lake food webs. “We can conclude that the spectrum of underwater light has a much greater influence than previously assumed,” says Neun.

The team around Neun and Striebel is already investigating the special role of different light colours for phytoplankton in a three-year research project. Once again, the focus is on Lake Schortens. Currently, the response of various phytoplankton species isolated from the lake is being tested in Plankton Ecology laboratories in Wilhelmshaven under different light conditions.

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Journal

Journal of Ecology

DOI

10.1111/1365-2745.70161 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Light spectrum matters: Interactive effects of light and nutrients on phytoplankton communities and trophic transfer

Article Publication Date

12-Oct-2025

 

New AI-powered method helps protect global chip supply chains from cyber threats

University of Missouri researchers use artificial intelligence to detect hidden hardware trojans through a method that’s 97% accurate.

University of Missouri-Columbia

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From smartphones to medical devices, computer chips power nearly everything we use today. But hidden deep inside these chips, there’s a little-known threat: hardware trojans — malicious modifications to a chip’s design that can steal data, weaken security and sabotage systems.

Traditionally, detecting hardware trojans has been an expensive, time-consuming and complicated process. Now, University of Missouri researchers are introducing a new artificial intelligence-driven method to find these threats faster and more easily than before, said Ripan Kumar Kundu, a doctoral candidate in Mizzou’s College of Engineering.

In a project led by Kundu, Mizzou’s team is leveraging existing large language models — the same type of AI that powers popular chatbots — to scan chip designs for hidden threats. The method doesn’t just identify suspicious lines of code with 97% accuracy; it also explains why it’s malicious, making the process more transparent.

“That explanation is critical because it saves developers from digging through thousands of lines of code,” Kundu said. “We’re making the process faster, clearer and more trustworthy.”

The system is flexible, too: It can run on local machines or through cloud services, making it useful for both open-source developers and large companies. It can also be integrated into chip-design processes across multiple industries, including consumer electronics, health care, finance and defense.

Why it matters

Unlike software viruses, hardware trojans can’t be removed once the chip is made. They go undetected until triggered by an attacker, and the results can be devastating — devices can malfunction, leak sensitive data or even disrupt national defense systems.

Because these chips are designed and built through a global supply chain, trojans can be added at almost any stage of production, making it difficult to identify them. Mizzou’s approach offers big advantages for the industries involved in this production pipeline. By catching trojans early, companies can avoid the huge financial and reputational damage of discovering them later, which leads to costly recalls of chips or destroyed products.

“These chips are the foundation of our digital world,” Khurram Khalil, a doctoral candidate in Mizzou’s College of Engineering and co-author of the study, said. “By combining the power of artificial intelligence with an understandable explanation, we’re building tools to protect that foundation at every step of the supply chain.”

The Mizzou team is also developing ways to automatically fix chips in real time, which can help prevent problems before they ever reach production. In addition, researchers see the potential for their method to help secure other critical systems, such as power grids and infrastructure.

The project is detailed in the study: “PEARL: An adaptive and explainable hardware trojan detection using open source and enterprise large language models,” which is published in IEEE Access. University of Missouri Curators’ Distinguished Professor Prasad Calyam and Associate Professor Khaza Anuarul Hoque are co-authors, as well as Eric Garcia, a student at Columbia College, and Ethan Grassia, a student at Loyola University.

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Journal

IEEE Access

DOI

10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3592030 

Article Title

PEARL: An adaptive and explainable hardware trojan detection using open source and enterprise large language models

 

Happiness is not found in fast fashion – reducing consumption improves body image and well-being

Appealing to personal well-being is a more effective way to reduce clothing consumption than invoking environmental concerns, reveals a new study from the University of Vaasa, Finland

University of Vaasa

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Essi Vesterinen

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Credit: University of Vaasa

According to a doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, appealing to personal well-being is a more effective way to reduce clothing consumption than invoking environmental concerns. Essi Vesterinen's research in marketing reveals that extending the lifespan of clothes is linked to better subjective well-being and a more positive body image.

Essi Vesterinen's doctoral research shows that the sustainability problem in the clothing industry cannot be solved solely by circular economy practices or by appealing to people's environmental awareness. Since people are prone to maximising their own benefit, personal and egoistic motivators are needed to drive change.

The fast fashion industry and the constant marketing barrage create the illusion that happiness can be found in new purchases. Vesterinen's research turns this setup on its head.

– Constantly chasing new trends and comparing yourself to others creates a feeling of inadequacy. According to my research, happiness is not increased by constant variety, but by focusing on your own existing wardrobe and extending the lifespan of your clothes, says Vesterinen.

The consumer is constantly fed two conflicting messages: consume more for the sake of economic growth, but consume less for the sake of the environment. Vesterinen argues that a well-being-oriented approach offers a solution to this contradiction. When the motive for reducing consumption is intrinsic and aimed at one's own well-being, the change is more permanent.

Finding your own style strengthens a positive body image

One of the most surprising and interesting findings of the study is the connection between extending the use of clothes and a better body image. According to Vesterinen, this is explained by the reduction of social comparison.

– When you are constantly browsing new arrivals and social media influencers, you compare yourself and your own body to models and the ideal images created by marketing. This causes inadequacy. When you instead focus on your own style and look for clothes that really fit and that you like, you end up owning clothes that you feel good in. This improves self-esteem and how you feel in your own body, Vesterinen explains.

The research redefines sustainable clothing consumption: it is, above all, about buying less, extending use, and reducing waste. This slows down the entire consumption cycle. The results are beneficial not only to consumers but also to educators, political decision-makers, and new business models, such as repair and rental services.

Vesterinen also calls for legislative measures, such as the planned fast fashion law in France and restrictions on advertising, especially for children and young people.

– The entire problem cannot be left to individual responsibility. We need a framework created by society, within which it is easier for the consumer to act for their own well-being and, at the same time, for the benefit of the environment, she summarises.

Doctoral dissertation

Vesterinen, Essi (2025) Sustainable consumption does not have to be altruistic: Subjective well-being as a self-benefit driver of change towards sustainable anti-consumption of clothing. Acta Wasaensia 561. Doctoral dissertation. University of Vaasa.

Publication pdf

Public defence

The doctoral dissertation of Essi Vesterinen, M.Sc. (Econ.), M.A., "Sustainable consumption does not have to be altruistic - Subjective well-being as a self-benefit driver for change towards sustainable anti-consumption of clothing," will be publicly defended on Friday, 17 October, 2025, at 12:00 PM in the Kurtén Auditorium of the University of Vaasa.

It is also possible to follow the public defence via a remote connection: https://uwasa.zoom.us/j/61405831830?pwd=tdezofYZZcYQZcbYXDQWd6izOg0zJm.1 Password: 714104

The opponent at the event will be Professor Minna Autio (University of Helsinki) and the custos will be Associate Professor Henna Syrjälä.

 

More milk, less methane in mixed pastures?

Research team conducts meta-analysis on the potential of diverse pasture lands for dairy farming

University of Göttingen

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Jersey cows – which were the breed studied in the meta-analysis – grazing in a pasture

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Credit: Martin Komainda

Allowing dairy cows to graze on fresh grass in open pastures for a significant proportion of the year seems more natural and sustainable. And there are proven advantages for the environment: stable grasslands promote biodiversity, protect the soil, and support carbon storage. However, farms face challenges as they are heavily dependent on the weather and the time of the year. Farming is more productive when the pastures have a wide variety of different grasses, herbs and legumes, such as clover and chicory. A research team at the University of Göttingen has analysed this strategy using a meta-analysis of a number of studies. The analysis showed that the diversity of pastureland has no effect on milk production or on emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, which cows emit mainly when they burp. However, a higher proportion of legumes can promote milk production. The results were published in the journal Food and Energy Security.

In this meta-analysis of 16 studies, the researchers compared grasslands with diverse vegetation and less species-rich pastureland and considered the effects on milk production and methane emissions, as well as the nutritional value of the feed. The fact that no clear correlations could be identified may be due to methodological reasons, as lead author Dr Martin Komainda at Göttingen University’s Institute of Grassland Science explains: “Ten of the studies lasted ten days or less. However, the productivity and nutritional value of grassland areas fluctuate within seasons and between years. To better account for this, more year-round and multi-year studies are needed.” Plant species that could affect methane emissions were also rarely found in the pastures studied.

However, the study does reveal one trend: the more legumes growing in the pasture, the higher the cows' milk yield. The species-rich pastureland did not have significantly higher proportions of these plants than the less diverse reference grasslands but the researchers emphasise that biodiversity in pastureland is worthwhile none-the-less: “Farms should consider the benefits of diverse grassland areas in terms of overall productivity and benefits to the ecosystem, rather than expecting immediate improvements in milk production or methane reduction.”

 

The study was funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Home Affairs.

 

Original publication: Komainda, M., Riesch, F. & Isselstein, J. Boosting Grassland Output and Lowering Methane Emission by Grazing Dairy Cows on Diverse Pastures? Food and Energy Security (2025). DOI: 10.1002/fes3.70113

 

Species-rich pastureland, including meadow clover and buttercups

Credit

Martin Komainda

Journal

Food and Energy Security

DOI

10.1002/fes3.70113 

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Boosting Grassland Output and Lowering Methane Emission by Grazing Dairy Cows on Diverse Pastures?