Pangolin scales, elephant tusks, rhino horn, and a rare wood all are preferred objects in the illegal wildlife trade. African giant pouched rats, with their keen sense of smell, however, could soon help to intercept this trade. Researchers showed that the rats can successfully sniff out parts of endangered animals and remember the scent months after training. Employing them in the field could increase pressure on wildlife smugglers and add a flexibly deployable tool to screen cargo, the researchers said.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team has clarified how in plants the boric acid channels, the conduits for the necessary element boron, are transported to the plasma membrane.