All wound up: A reversible molecular whirligig
Over the last few decades, researchers have built minuscule molecular machines that rotate or shuttle other molecules. However, it's difficult to determine the mechanical work and forces that these tiny contraptions produce, which is important when u.....»»
Scientists perform real-time environmental sensing over 524 kilometers of live aerial fiber
In a new field trial, researchers show that a real-time coherent transceiver prototype can be used for continuous sensing over a 524-km live network aerial fiber wound around high-voltage power cables suspended from outdoor poles......»»
From octopus to elephant: A molecular zoo of epigenetics
Our genes are encoded in the DNA sequence of the genome, which is highly similar across the diverse cell types of our body. Yet, each cell can only access those genes that are in an epigenetically permissive state. The epigenome thus provides a form.....»»
CO molecular tilting detected by red-shifted TERS
The invention of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques, including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), has led to a paradigm shift in the visualization and understanding of surface structures and related propert.....»»
The effects of tightening a molecular knot
A study conducted by Anne-Sophie Duwez and Damien Sluysmans from the NANOCHEM group at the University of Liège (Belgium) has made it possible to decode the mechanical response of small-molecule synthetic overhand knots by single-molecule pulling exp.....»»
Understanding the alpha smooth muscle actin–driven foreign body response during wound healing
The foreign body response is a clinically relevant process that can lead to issues with biocompatibility in implanted medical devices due to fibrosis. While the inflammatory nature of the foreign body response is already established, bioengineers sti.....»»
Building better enzymes—by breaking them down
Enzymes have the potential to transform the chemical industry by providing green alternatives to a slew of processes. These proteins act as biological catalysts, and with the help of molecular engineering, they can make naturally occurring reactions.....»»
Now on the molecular scale: Electric motors
Electric vehicles, powered by macroscopic electric motors, are increasingly prevalent on our streets and highways. These quiet and eco-friendly machines got their start nearly 200 years ago when physicists took the first tiny steps to bring electric.....»»
Protecting biocatalysts from oxygen
Certain enzymes from bacteria and algae can produce molecular hydrogen from protons and electrons—an energy carrier on which many hopes are riding. All they need for this purpose is light energy. The major obstacle to their use is that they are des.....»»
Study shows circadian clock helps cells recover during starvation
Cells with a functioning molecular clock are better able to adapt to changes in glucose supply and can recover faster from long-term starvation, according to a study published today in eLife......»»
Insights into the formation of ATP synthase: A new important function of the folding helper Hsp70
Scientists led by Prof. Thomas Becker, Director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), have gained new insights into the formation of ATP synthase, the turbine of the cells' power plants, the mit.....»»
Weiss-Kruszka syndrome and the failure to establish neuronal identity
Weiss-Kruszka syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by craniofacial anomalies, developmental delay, and autistic features. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and t.....»»
New metric of molecular evolution in the search for the genetic basis of phenotypic traits
With its powerful digging shovels, the European mole can burrow through the soil with ease. The same applies to the Australian marsupial mole. Although the two animal species live far apart, they have developed similar organs in the course of evoluti.....»»
Study creates new open-access database to better identify plastic pollution sources
Research led by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) provides a new open-access Raman spectral library that can be used to detect molecular "fingerprints" of particles and better trace sources of ocean plasti.....»»
Enabling nanoscale thermoelectrics with a novel organometallic molecular junction
The Seebeck effect is a thermoelectric phenomenon by which a voltage or current is generated when a temperature difference exists across a conductor. This effect is the basis of established and emerging thermoelectric applications alike, such as heat.....»»
Harnessing tumor"s power to heal non-healing wounds
Scientists have discovered a way to train healthy immune cells to acquire the skills of some tumor cells—but for a good purpose—to accelerate diabetic wound healing. This remarkably promising finding, recently published in EMBO Molecular Medicine.....»»
Breakthrough in plant breeding: Grafting and mobile CRISPR for genome editing in plants
A ground-breaking twist to the CRISPR tool—aka "genetic scissors"—is being put to use to edit plant genomes by scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, signaling a methodology change. The discovery, recently publish.....»»
Scientists uncover a novel cellular mechanism that regulates aging and fertility
Research at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), published today in the journal Nature Aging, reveals a fundamental quality control mechanism that operates in cells.....»»
How to get an App Store refund from your iPhone or iPad
Whether you accidentally purchased the wrong season of your favorite show or wound up buying an app that was a dud, here's how to request a refund directly from Apple.Everyone eventually winds up buying something they regret — it happens. This incl.....»»
Researchers discover "Humpty-Dumpty" water-based mechanism of human sex reversal at edge of developmental ambiguity
Researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered a molecular "clamping" mechanism within a male-specific protein-DNA complex whose mutation causes sex reversal: children with XY chromosomes but female bodies, a condition called.....»»
Collective circular dichroism by chiral plasmonic nanoparticles
Molecular chirality refers to the geometrical property of molecules with broken mirror symmetry. Characterizing molecular chirality and understanding their roles in physiochemical situations has been important in broad research scope such as, biology.....»»