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Interactions between Proteins and Soil Mineral Surfaces: Environmental and Health Consequences

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Proteins have long been recognized as important compounds in the biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial ecosystems. They can, for example, provide a source of nitrogen for plants and soil microorganisms following proteolysis and ammonification. Extracellular enzymes liberated in soil are essential catalysts in the mobilization of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur from macromolecular organic matter. Proteins are also implicated in new environmental topics, such as soil carbon storage, horizontal transmission of spongiform encephalopathies and potential negative effects of insecticidal toxins released from transgenic plants.

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December 2025 --The Variscan Orogeny in Europe – Understanding Supercontinent Formation

The Variscan orogen formed between 380 and 300 million years ago through several accretionary and collisional cycles, culminating with the construction of the Pangea supercontinent. This process occurred via sequential opening and closure of oceanic basins, synchronous detachment of Gondwana derived continental ribbons, and their outboard amalgamation onto the Laurussia margin. The Variscan orogen is rather unique compared with other orogenic belts on Earth: its overthickened and dominantly magmatic crust in the central belt, surprisingly minor mantle involvement in the magmatic and geodynamic processes, coherent and pulsed magmatism along the collision suture, and its complex accretionary history. Because its final product, Pangea, is the youngest and best-understood supercontinent on Earth, the Variscan orogeny offers clues for understanding the mechanisms of supercontinent formation.