Birds" dazzling iridescence tied to nanoscale tweak of feather structure
The iridescent shimmer that makes birds such as peacocks and hummingbirds so striking is rooted in a natural nanostructure so complex that people are only just beginning to replicate it technologically. The secret to how birds produce these brilliant.....»»
First atom-level structure of packaged viral genome reveals new properties and dynamics
A computational model of the more than 26 million atoms in a DNA-packed viral capsid expands our understanding of virus structure and DNA dynamics, insights that could provide new research avenues and drug targets, University of Illinois Urbana-Champ.....»»
Birds, beetles, bugs could help replace pesticides: Study
Natural predators like birds, beetles and bugs might be an effective alternative to pesticides, keeping crop-devouring pests populations down while boosting crop yields, researchers said Wednesday......»»
Team successfully synthesizes atomically precise metal nanoclusters
A research team has successfully synthesized a metal nanocluster and determined its crystal structure. Their study provides experimental evidence for understanding and designing nanoclusters with specific properties at the atomic level. Metal nanoclu.....»»
Fossil named "Attenborough"s strange bird" was the first of its kind without teeth
No birds alive today have teeth. But that wasn't always the case; many early fossil birds had beaks full of sharp, tiny teeth. In a paper in the journal Cretaceous Research, scientists have described a new species of fossil bird that was the first of.....»»
Ballistic transport in long molecular wires: Porphyrin nanoribbons
The conductance of classical electric components typically decays with increasing length. In general, this is also the same behavior found at the nanoscale with 1D molecular wires. Now, researchers have demonstrated that, once more, things are differ.....»»
Study reveals the crow"s best friend: Humans
A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) has examined what happens to birds that are accustomed to living around humans, when their habitat is suddenly emptied of the presence of humans. Among other birds, the researchers tested crows, ringneck par.....»»
Novel material degrades a widely used antibiotic that contaminates water
Levofloxacin is a widely used antibiotic prescribed to treat pneumonia, bacterial rhinosinusitis, bacterial prostatitis, pyelonephritis, urinary tract infections, skin disorders, and skin structure infections, among other conditions. The drug is prev.....»»
Researchers demonstrate 3D nanoscale optical disk memory with petabit capacity
The most popular words of 2023 were recently released, with AI Large Language Model (LLM) unquestionably topping the list. As a front-runner, ChatGPT also emerged as one of the international buzzwords of the year. These disruptive innovations in AI o.....»»
Bio-inspired materials showcase potential for protective equipment and textiles
Bio-inspired materials (BIM) are synthetic materials whose structure and properties are similar to natural materials or living matter. These materials have the potential to advance structural materials, textiles and protective equipment due to their.....»»
Similar genetic elements underlie vocal learning in mammals
The vocalizations of humans, bats, whales, seals and songbirds vastly differ from each other. Humans and birds, for example, are separated by some 300 million years of evolution. But scientists studying how these animals learn to "speak" have time an.....»»
Hydrogel spheres compose a microporous structure for localized mRNA delivery
In a significant leap forward in the realm of regenerative medicine, a team at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation has introduced a pioneering approach to mRNA therapy using microspheres made of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)—a gelatin-b.....»»
Research team reveals cellular and molecular basis of spur development in Impatiens uliginosa
As an important reproductive organ of angiosperms, flowers have a clear purpose and adaptive significance in their various characteristics. As a typical floral evolutionary feature, the floral spur is a tubular structure extending from the petal, whi.....»»
The Golgi organelle"s ribbon structure is not exclusive to vertebrates, contrary to previous consensus
Researchers report February 29 in the journal Cell Reports that the Golgi ribbon, an organelle structure previously thought to be exclusive to vertebrates, is also present in animal taxa, including mollusks, earthworms, and sea urchins......»»
Scientists reveal how light behaves in formless solids
For a long time, it was thought that amorphous solids do not selectively absorb light because of their disordered atomic structure. However, a new uOttawa study disproves this theory and shows that amorphous solids actually exhibit dichroism, meaning.....»»
Novel non-destructive inspection technique reconstructs inner hidden composition and structure of inspection targets
A research group at Chuo University, Japan, led by Assistant Professor Kou Li (Faculty of Science and Engineering), in collaboration with National Institute of Informatics, have developed a novel non-destructive inspection technique by effectively co.....»»
New tool helps decipher gene behavior
Scientists have extensively researched the structure and sequence of genetic material and its interactions with proteins in the hope of understanding how our genetics and environment interact with diseases. This research has partly focused on 'epigen.....»»
Avian influenza virus is adapting to spread to marine mammals
The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of.....»»
Study finds ability to solve food puzzles is the only predictor of innovation, brain size in wild birds
When certain species of wild birds and primates discover new ways of finding food in the wild, it can serve to measure their flexibility and intelligence......»»
Ecologist cautions researchers to look more closely at apparent mismatches between birds and their prey
Climate change may speed up the emergence of insects in northern countries at the end of winter. This may cause breeding birds migrating from the south to come too late to benefit from the insect peak if they do not adjust their travel schedules to t.....»»
Enhancing electrogenerated chemiluminescence of an iridium complex
Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) cells, characterized by their self-emissive nature, have gathered significant interest for prospective display applications due to their uncomplicated structure and straightforward fabrication process. These c.....»»