video never. have the benefit of. songs to sing along to and download to is the combo from super fun to be able to. have varied courses clip into active exercises arguing about it d w dot com slash adoption and on facebook in the app store. learn german for free with the devil you. hello and welcome to tomorrow today the science show on d w coming up on this edition. learning from nature's example how bad plants and insects can produce agriculture. the science behind medicinal plants researchers are

unlocking leonsis. but first spiders and their potential role in medicine there's so could save lives. mother nature is a master of invention science can learn a lot from the incredible materials around us like bamboo it's light flexible and still extremely sturdy because of the knots along the stem. cassopolis silk is another it warms up in the cold and cools down in the heat nature spins out all kinds of fascinating materials some could even be used to heal us. every year nearly three hundred thousand people have a heart attack in germany alone many of those who survived face dealing with a weakened heart for the rest of their life. that's because the heart muscle tissue

damaged in an attack contra regenerate scar tissue forms which affects the hearts ability to pump. but this might be about to change thanks to spiders they could help millions of people regain a strong and healthy heart. find their path the spiders are simply amazing when it comes to producing materials they are masters at manufacturing remarkable fibers. it's the spider silk that has scientists excited it's made up mainly of proteins and it's a biological model a strand maybe two thousands of a millimeter wide yet it's tougher and stronger than any other known fiber. it's possible to milk spiders to. the material is being used more and more in the field of medicine for example the dressing. used inside our bodies. the most exciting aspect of these fibers is that they are

invisible to the body so they can be used as a bio shield in stealth mode anything you wrap and so is no longer regarded as a foreign substance by the body this is a great achievement we can avoid triggering any reaction on the part of the body to the surface of so. ideal as a scaffolding material. that the university and. natural spider to grow heart muscle cells. microscope you can see individual cells contracting rhythmically. there is a downside natural. insufficient quantity. the problem was we couldn't produce. cells of the same quality or in sufficient

quantities so we abandon the project because we thought we could never implemented in humans. but in the meantime thomas scheiber over in by a god was working on a possible solution to the problem artificial spider silk. the bank was we had one advantage before us twenty years of research had failed so we knew what not to do. after many years of work scheibel foreshock a way to engineer spider silk protein. good health. to achieve this he first had to decipher the d.n.a. of the spider then he identified the blueprint of a certain silk protein and translated it into the language of the bacteria and then planted these genes into the genome of the bacteria which could then produce the valuable silk protein. that was the plan and it worked.

right now large amounts of the spider silk protein can be produced in so-called for mentors. after several rounds of purification and processing the protein is reduced to a white powder this powder can vent be processed as needed in huge quantities. we produce tons of silk protein in one hundred twenty thousand leader bioreactors it is in fiction anymore it's already in reality. the protein is being tested as a coating on breast implants to improve bio compatibility and decrease the chance of an adverse response. it's probably also well suited as a coating for artificial heart valves. sprayed on as a fin film the silk protein would make the foreign parts almost invisible to the

body. and the synthetic protein looks like a fantastic resource for felix angle in his quest to grow new heart muscle cells as a gel it can be used in three d. printing. three d. technology is available we all know we can print non-living matter and now we're seeing it's possible to print a living matter as well. perhaps one day we might be able to print heart muscle blood vessel and connective tissue cells in just the right combination . for now the initial experiments show that heart muscle cells produced in this way can form a structure and beat synchronously for several weeks. in the future it might be possible to apply such engineer tissue to damaged areas of the heart and give it new strength. but the prospect of replacing and renewing

heart muscle in humans is still quite distant the individual components of the printed heart tissue would have to grow together and form a single well formed unit and the implanted to she would have to be able to beat in sync with the recipient's heart nevertheless there is growing confidence that this goal will eventually be achieved with the help of high tech spider silk. it seems there's no end to nature's curative powers have you ever thought of metals as medicine. how about ginger as a natural antibiotic. all sage to treat a sore throat. they say is i'm a to see little treasure trove. there's still so much left to discover.

it's knowledge dating back thousands of years the healing affects of plants and hopes knowledge that was of great importance in the middle ages and then to some extent forgotten. but many scientists are now developing a curiosity for these plants and medical practitioners are rediscovering their healing powers. to be marable remedies are often underestimated they shopwoman conventional medicine sometimes they're the first choice. where in town or snare frankfurt with interest from put karma she's looking for hopes for medicinal tease today she mostly wants young nettles and birch and black briefs. and some independents and nettles and birch leaves because they flush out the urinary system . and black berry leaves have an anti inflammatory effect in the mouth want to use all three to make an herbal blend quite and it's like a home remedy i've holds up with you can. also heard it at frankfurt's paghman

garten botanical gardens she knows the potential of plants to protect themselves against pests and pathogens they often contain oils bitter substances and absolutes that kill germs. like willows along with many other active ingredients that contain salicylic acid compounds at the end of the nineteenth century chemists developed these substances in two thousand of the most. fever and pain relief medications. aspirin. there are more than seven hundred plants in germany known to have medicinal effect a new ones are discovered around the world all the time. research under this hansel is trying to unlock more secrets from the plant world he's investigating marshmallow root and cats whiskas which contain substances that could help really coughs and urine every tract infections. the research is job is to develop new

drugs and improve the ones that are already available. that's the future the problem is the sheer multitude of substances in these magician all plants often we know the plant has an effect but many times we don't know which of the countless substances is responsible that's what our research is about cracking lish code so we can develop more effective medications we're. going to come and we're going to put. red sage is also an intriguing plant it's known to have a wound healing effect but there are over fifty attentional active ingredients so which one is responsible for healing when. researches are trying to find the same human skin cell cultures they treat them each with just one isolated substance from the sage plant. the question is does the substance promote cell growth. because for a wing to heal new skin cells have to grow in that area. the

song also tested a few days later it's a painstaking test but the results could be huge. it would be a design it would be such a great breakthrough to identify which substances have the most positive effect on wound healing especially for bedridden patients with wounds that are hard to treat hopefully our research will help us to develop new drugs. scientists haven't tested all the substances yet but they hope to find the active ingredient within a year old tape and to develop a drug from it. the research is further along for other medicinal plants. from the s m it's a clinic in western germany he treats patients every day with highly effective herbal drugs the clinic is one of six acute care clinics across the country that

focus on complementary and alternative medicine half of all patients at the clinic receive it usually alongside conventional medicine. for a severe cough for example but also to fight urinary tract infections and chronic gastrointestinal diseases or to lower cholesterol levels. the clinic uses more than fifty plant based medicines in the internal medicine department alone and house them so fifteen years. of supplementing conventional medicine with herbal remedies can offer big results. like for nonspecific back pain and i am and many people suffer from. visual unspecific back pain can be greatly helped by using herbal medicine because it's the biggest advantage of these herbal drugs is that they often cause fewer side effects significantly fewer herbal medicine also plays a major role in treating respiratory diseases it can alleviate the symptoms which

means less coughing less pain in the limbs and faster healing and there's no conventional alternative to this herbal remedy that's on a par in terms of side effects. if you can use a lot so want to be fancy. of course it's always important to speak to a doctor about the cause of an illness and the treatment plan. self medicating with herbal remedies alone can be life threatening. it's a danger that isn't spawn put karma is aware of. even though the hope she collects are considered completely safe she's very careful and she knows when to seek medical attention. in this matter doesn't she. if i notice a slight infection in my bladder or kidneys i use these plans. done but

i monitor myself carefully. if after two or three days there's no improvement i would definitely go to a doctor and have it checked out. but just bruise some of the black prelate she's collected straight away so that the active ingredients can infuse best. she tries the rest to make tea plans for later medicine cabinet scavenged from nature. even pesky weeds can help to heal us. we are still on facebook if there are any natural remedy use you swear by. but been ok yeah as upon tang is a fan of nettles because they can defend themselves and defend us. caprice it could work every year carnegie thinks i know vera is probably the best skin remedy she knows it has a powerful effect on the skin especially when it's combined with lemon juice and

other natural products. and stim are just better gratis says ginger is the first thing he takes when he's ill and it's even better with a bit of honey and lemon. thanks for your comments. a seed becomes a seedling it grows its first leaves. and then flowers and eventually the fruit that feeds of its own and so the cycle begins again but plants change constantly depending on the time of day. josh upgrade from ghana sent in this photo with a question for us. why do flowers close at night and how do they do it. the flowers don't only move when the wind blows.

or when you give them to your sweetheart. it all happens so slowly that the movement is best captured with time lapse photography. a rose bursts into bloom. wearing plants open and close their blossoms every day not all at night but at different times depending on their needs why is that they only pollinators to carry their pollen to other flowers and fertilize them. but it flowers all over and at the same time the competition for the piece or balancer of birds would be very great. crocuses do close their flowers at night the theory is that they do so to protect their pollen from the damp and the cold but how do they do it. at the sporty it's easy to see how it works that young people use their muscles and joints to make their dance moves.

but flowers all they have to do is stand there to attract pollinators with their beautiful colors nectar and fragrance. but they do also have joints of a sword where the petals grow out of the stone. when the water pressure inside increases the bloom opens. when the pressure subsides the flower closes and takes or rest. it out what is red why are they buying do you have a science question that you've always wanted answered we're happy to help out send it to us as a video text ovoid well if we answer it on the show we'll send you a little surprise as a thank you. come on just ask. you'll

find us at d w dot com slash science on twitter did over here underscore site tech and on facebook d.w. dot science. flower is open up to lure in their insect visitors like bees bees live in communities sophisticated systems with a clear division of labor nurse bees look after the larvae worker bees build the honeycomb from where else and they fly article like nectar to make honey as a small mm these can do things they'd never be able to do on their own that's what our web video is all about this week. how do peace defy the wind. once a year honeybees head out to form a new colony. to rest during their search they gather under branches to huddle together. that scientists wanted to know how

honeybees swarm holds together in the wind. so in the land they built these movable platforms to simulate wind. when the swarm a shaken the bees are exposed to extreme loads especially those directly on the board. these responded by spreading out. flacid current makes a small more stable. researches track the movements of individual beast and found that they crawl in the direction of the high and low and. when all the bees follow that rule the cone becomes flatter. then the colony becomes more stable and can withstand the wind smallman teligent makes for

a stronger colony. these butterflies and other insects need large medicine grasslands to thrive. that's industrial monoculture is humming that biodiversity that's bad for the bugs especially the polonaises we rely on scientists are looking for a solution. researchers at the university of bonn visit these fields regularly to count the insects this is a research facility of the agriculture department across the rhine in half their aims to make farms and farming more insect friendly. the fields here are bordered by hedge rows and wildflowers. thomas doing says they attract all kinds of insects.

more than fifty species of ground beetle spend the winter in these hedges when spring comes they get to work as a lot of ground beetles eat parasites there are lots and lots of these beetles here in the field so they consume lots and lots of pests. with the hedges flowers and grasses the agricultural ecologists have created habitat. for beneficial insects that eco pests reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides. here's a lady bird lover it feeds on aphids fun. by promoting beneficial bugs we can substantially reduce the pest population reduce not eliminate some always remain as you can see here on these beans. but

we can succeed in stabilizing the system. alongside the hedges the flowers around the field don't all bloom at the same time . but in sequence the insects never run out of food. many different species of insect make use of the flowers. this part of the field is known as the head land or turn row where the tractors turn or. because of the heavy traffic the soil tends to be rather compacted. so the yield here isn't so great. when it comes to crops the area may not be so attractive in economic terms. but we can use it to house

insects. it's not just the edges of the field that look different the field itself has to. know weed killers are used here so insects find food throughout the fields seeds pollen nectar from poppies and cameo. the downside is that the wild flowers compete with the crops for nutrients in the soil . you have to accept some degree of wheat. farming you can never keep all weeds a day that's not the aim anyway. overall organic farming yields about twenty percent less than conventional farming. on the other hand by deploying beneficial bugs and a range of other measures we can ensure that yields are relatively stable.

drilling and his colleagues use mechanical methods to deal with weeds not chemicals . the equipment can only be used between the rows of crops any weeds right up against the wheat remain. the crop rotation is carefully planned six different crops over a six year cycle and then it starts all over again. each crop takes a different mix of nutrients from the soil depletion is slower and more balanced. the insects thrive in the good soil. there's no need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizer its job is done by the legumes such as clover and beans that make up part of the rotation cycle their roots bind nitrogen from the air and make it available to the soil. crop rotation is

a key part of organic farming with it you can kill two birds with one stone well not just two but ten. here is nothing like what you have with say a maze monoculture the soil structure is much much better. than nice and crumbly it is. this has to do with lots of beneficial insects letter disease prevention. and better way to control. the rotation has lots of advantages that all come together. biodiversity here is thirty percent greater than in conventionally farm fields and when it comes to pollinators it's fifty percent greater blossoming had frozen borders no pesticides less fertilizer plus crop rotation this winning combination is bearing

fruit and veg and here's a while being. well served by so many species. me me me me me me me me. and that's all for now and next time we'll be lifting off with storks sun our base of time as the novice they're flying skills determine how well the group coordinates its migration patterns and which birds will make the longest journey join us for that see you say goodbye.

to. your work possible trainwreck. of breasts. around six hundred years ago. in the renaissance. architects. scientists and artists. of the darkest middle ages

fifteen to. sixteen minutes long d.w. . and your replaceable chain reaction of breasts. began around six hundred years ago. in the renaissance the revolution in thought enabled this mission see that people became aware of their abilities and strengths in a new way there was an outpouring of self-confidence and mentions it's the first. architects. scientists. and artists. to contribute invented completely new things and topple the ancient giants who had

originally been its teacher who see the. culture of out of the darkest middle ages into a play. on t.w. . or go by key to seek for food. to prevent contamination. separate draw and cook foods to avoid cross contamination. thoroughly to kill microorganisms. keep food safe temperatures. to prevent bacteria.

use safe water and safe raw materials to avoid content. producers are the ones primarily responsible for the safety of the food you buy but you can protect yourself and your family from diseases and home by plying the five keys to see food use them you also have a role to play. sri lanka's president has called a meeting to review possible intelligence failures after a series of explosions during easter services sunday killed at least two hundred ninety people and injured five hundred more three explosions struck catholic churches in the capital colombo and two other towns separate blasts targeted luxury

hotels police arrested several people and are investigating the incident as an attack by religious extremists although no group has claimed responsibility.