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There is evidence in plants that another type of membrane lipid called phosphatidylserine can also affect the formation of microdomains that mediate the regulation of GTPases, Ca2+ or ROS signalling13.

Wijeyesakere, S. J., Bedi, S. K., Huynh, D. & Raghavan, M. The C-terminal acidic region of calreticulin mediates phosphatidylserine binding and apoptotic cell phagocytosis.

Collecting cellular fragments coated in phosphatidylserine and introducing them to areas of inflammation can dramatically improve healing by persuading the immune system to stand down.

Instead, Dr Ebara wondered whether he could build polymers decorated with artificial phosphatidylserine.

This is achieved, at least in part, through reduction of the levels of mitochondrial phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, which is involved in the synthesis of mitochondrial phosphatidylethanolamine.