A silica nanostructure with chemo-enzymatic compartmentalization
As COVID-19 vaccinations are well underway, people await a return to normal life. However, fears also grow due to unforeseen side effects like the rare thrombosis. In the body, life is maintained by the movement of substances or energy. Chemical reac.....»»
Powering nitrogenases: Researchers find new targets for improving biocatalysts
Nitrogenases are considered promising candidates for the sustainable enzymatic production of ammonia and carbon compounds. Unfortunately, one bottleneck in this complex process, the supply of electrons to the enzymes, has remained a mystery until now.....»»
Unlocking artemisinin production secrets in Artemisia annua: The role of DBR2-like gene variations
Artemisia annua is the only known plant source of potent antimalarial artemisinins, and its chemotypes are classified as low- and high-artemisinin producing (LAP and HAP). However, the different mechanisms of artemisinin production by these two chemo.....»»
Silica may influence microbial communities in hydrothermal fields
In recent years, the hydrothermal alteration of olivine has attracted the attention of geologists, biologists, and chemists. It significantly influences the physical and chemical properties of the oceanic lithosphere, and it plays an important role f.....»»
Hacking DNA to make next-gen semiconductor materials
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Columbia University, and Stony Brook University have developed a universal method for producing a wide variety of designed metallic and semiconductor 3D nanostructure.....»»
Tumor microenvironment-activated nanostructure enables precise multi-modal therapy
Recently, a research team led by Prof. Wu Zhengyan from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration Binzhou Medical University, successfully designed a nanostructure that improves the detection and treatment of.....»»
Greener and feasible production: Enzymatic methods for mono- and diacylglycerol synthesis in the food industry
MAGs, predominantly in 1(3)-MAG form, and DAGs, with 1,3-DAGs as the more stable isomer, are crucial in food, cosmetic, and other industries. While MAGs are vital emulsifiers, comprising 75% of global production, DAGs are known as functional cooking.....»»
Oral delivery a possibility for silica-based nanocarriers for therapeutics
Take a pill, or get a shot? Given the choice, most people would likely go for the former......»»
Discovery of structural regularity hidden in silica glass
Glass—whether used to insulate our homes or as the screens in our computers and smartphones—is a fundamental material. Yet, despite its long usage throughout human history, the disordered structure of its atomic configuration still baffles scient.....»»
Fabricating fused silica optics with a high laser-induced damage threshold
Residual processing defects significantly reduce fused silica optics' laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT), which seriously limits their performance and lifetime in high-energy laser applications. Extensive research has been conducted to eliminate a.....»»
Researchers describe advances in mass spectrometry analysis to improve identification of glycopeptides
Glycosylation is the attachment of carbohydrates to the backbone of a protein through an enzymatic reaction. It plays a critical role in determining protein structure, function and stability. A protein that is glycosylated is known as a glycoprotein......»»
Scientists unravel the chemical mechanism behind silica-coated nanodiamonds
Coating something rare—tiny shards of diamond—with the main ingredient in sand might sound unusual, but the end result turns out to have a number of valuable applications. The trick is, nobody knows for sure how the two materials bond......»»
Striking gold with molecular mystery solution for potential clean energy
Hydrogen spillover is exactly what it sounds like. Small metal nanoparticles anchored on a thermally stable oxide, like silica, comprise a major class of catalysts, which are substances used to accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed the.....»»
Silica particles found in food and makeup could be chemically reactive, study finds
New Stanford University research has revealed that the mineral silica, a common food additive and popular cosmetics ingredient, is not a chemically inert substance, as has long been supposed......»»
Exploring an eco-friendly enzyme to create key chemical building blocks
Using energy from light to activate natural enzymes can help scientists create new-to-nature enzymatic reactions that support eco-friendly biomanufacturing—the production of fuels, plastics, and valuable chemicals from plants or other biological sy.....»»
A new type of quantum bit in semiconductor nanostructures
Researchers have created a quantum superposition state in a semiconductor nanostructure that might serve as a basis for quantum computing. The trick: two optical laser pulses that act as a single terahertz laser pulse......»»
Laser-controlled intracellular flows in temperature-sensitive biological cells
Micromanipulation techniques are widely adopted in materials science, colloidal physics and life sciences for various applications, ranging from nanostructure assembly and particle trapping to spatio-temporal analysis of cell organization. Introduced.....»»
Has the century-old mystery of Antarctica’s “Blood Falls” finally been solved?
The culprit: tiny non-crystalline nanospheres rich in iron, silica, calcium, aluminum, etc. Enlarge / Blood Falls seeps from the end of the Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney. Scientists believe a buried saltwater reservoir is partl.....»»
DNA-repair protein complex is a shapeshifter, reconfiguring itself to meet the demands of each task
Transcription factor IIH, or TFIIH, pronounced "TF two H," is a veritable workhorse among the protein complexes that control human cell activity. It plays critical roles both in transcription—the highly regulated enzymatic synthesis of RNA from a D.....»»
Probing the mysteries of neutron stars with a surprising earthly analog
Ultracold gases in the lab could help scientists better understand the universe. Enlarge / Spectral analysis indicates that silica is present in this supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A. (credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ O. Krause (Steward.....»»
This is the world’s smallest 3D-printed wineglass, Swedish scientists claim
Scientists also made a tiny optical resonator for telecommunications out of silica glass Enlarge / The world’s smallest 3D-printed wineglass in silica glass (left) and an optical resonator for fiber optic telecommunication, pho.....»»