Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemical engineers said hydrogen peroxide has long been known to damage cells and their DNA. But now scientists have discovered the chemical appears to act as a signaling molecule in a critical cell pathway that stimulates growth, among other functions.

The protein, haditoxin, was discovered in Professor Manjunatha Kini's laboratory at the National University of Singapore. The study's co-author, S. Niru Nirthanan, now at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, said since haditoxin is structurally unique, it's expected to have unique pharmacological properties.

Researchers at the Universities of York and Portsmouth studied wood-eating gribble worms that damage wooden boats, piers and docks in coastal communities. The scientists, seeking to determine how the tiny worms digest wood, examined genes expressed in the guts of the marine isopods and found their digestive system contains enzymes that attack polymers in wood.

IBM and Stanford University researchers said their findings might also lead to a new recycling process that has the potential to significantly increase the ability to recycle and reuse common petroleum and plant-based plastics.

Technology provides yet another way to play music:

Socks over shoes surpass shoes over socks for strolling on slippery city slopes, says a study done in New Zealand. In other words – in the words of the study itself – “wearing socks over shoes appears to be an effective and inexpensive method to reduce the likelihood of slipping on icy footpaths”.

Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams and Patricia Priest did an experiment to test the wisdom of a local winter tradition. The trio, based at the University of Otago in Dunedin, published a report in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

They explain: “There are anecdotal reports that pedestrians who wear socks over the top of their footwear are less likely to slip and fall in icy conditions. Advocates of this practice include our local council (in Dunedin), which advises residents who prefer to walk (rather than drive) in icy conditions to ‘put a pair of old socks over your shoes to increase grip’”…

So begins this week’s Improbable Research column in The Guardian.