Digging into the molecules of fossilized dinosaur eggshells
Dinosaurs roamed the Earth more than 65 million years ago, and paleontologists and amateur fossil hunters are still unearthing traces of them today. The minerals in fossilized eggs and shell fragments provide snapshots into these creatures' early liv.....»»
Saturn"s moon is a testing ground to gain a better understanding of the methane molecule
Titan is the second-largest moon in the solar system and the only one with a dense atmosphere. At the top of this atmosphere, rich in nitrogen and methane, the sun's radiation produces a great diversity of organic molecules, some of which we also fin.....»»
Ultraviolet spectroscopy: A leap in precision and accuracy at extremely low light levels
Ultraviolet spectroscopy plays a critical role in the study of electronic transitions in atoms and rovibronic transitions in molecules. These studies are essential for tests of fundamental physics, quantum-electrodynamics theory, determination of fun.....»»
New analysis uncovers major issues with earlier suggestions that Spinosaurus pursued prey underwater
For years, controversy has swirled around how a Cretaceous-era, sail-backed dinosaur—the giant Spinosaurus aegyptiacus—hunted its prey. Spinosaurus was among the largest predators ever to prowl the Earth and one of the most adapted to water, but.....»»
Scientists use a new type of nanoparticle that can both deliver vaccines and act as an adjuvant
Many vaccines, including vaccines for hepatitis B and whooping cough, consist of fragments of viral or bacterial proteins. These vaccines often include other molecules called adjuvants, which help to boost the immune system's response to the protein......»»
Chemists break barriers and open up super-resolution molecule mass analysis
A team of chemists led by Prof. Albert Heck puts a new spin on analyzing and understanding molecules. By ingeniously improving current measuring equipment, the team was able to trap and observe individual molecules for a much longer period—up to 25.....»»
Fossils of giant sea lizard with dagger-like teeth show how our oceans have fundamentally changed since the dinosaur era
Paleontologists have discovered a strange new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived near the end of the age of dinosaurs. Their findings, published in Cretaceous Research, show a dramatically different ocean ecosystem to what we.....»»
Research team develops protein-based microcapsule for point-of-care diagnostics
Aptamers, the nucleic acid-based biosensors with the ability to bind specific proteins or small molecules, offer a way to identify target molecules without the complexity of analytical apparatuses. While being increasingly used in diagnostic applicat.....»»
Brown bears digging up artificial forests, study shows
Brown bears foraging for food in the Shiretoko Peninsula of Hokkaido, Japan, have been disrupting tree growth in artificial conifer forests, according to a new study published in Ecology. Researchers compared soil and tree samples from human-forested.....»»
Novel RNA- or DNA-based substances can protect plants from viruses, scientists show
Individually tailored RNA or DNA-based molecules are able to reliably fight off viral infections in plants, according to a new study by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences......»»
How molecular "handedness" emerged in early biology
Molecules often have a structural asymmetry called chirality, which means they can appear in alternative, mirror-image versions akin to the left and right versions of human hands. One of the great mysteries about the origins of life on Earth is that.....»»
Light stimulates a new twist for synthetic chemistry
Molecules that are induced by light to rotate bulky groups around central bonds could be developed into photo-activated bioactive systems, molecular switches, and more......»»
New species of ancient vampire squid unearthed in Luxembourg
A trio of paleontologists in Germany has found a fossilized vampire squid that they dated to 183 million years ago. In their paper published in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, Robert Weis, Ben Thuy and Dirk Fuchs describe where the fossil was fou.....»»
Trapping and excitation of the simplest molecule: Precise measurement matches theoretical predictions
The simplest possible molecule H2+ was one of the very first molecules to form in the cosmos. This makes it significant for astrophysics, but also an important object of research for fundamental physics. However, it is difficult to study in experimen.....»»
New molecules, inspired by space shuttles, advance lipid nanoparticle delivery for weight control
Inspired by the design of space shuttles, Penn Engineering researchers have invented a new way to synthesize a key component of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the revolutionary delivery vehicle for mRNA treatments including the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moder.....»»
Researchers discover cause of initial spike in immune response when pathogens attack plants
When pathogens attack plants, the plant cells almost immediately react. The plant's cells begin to produce different kinds of small molecules called secondary messengers. These messengers travel throughout the cell membrane to begin the process of ac.....»»
Chemists synthesize unique anticancer molecules using novel approach
Nearly 30 years ago, scientists discovered a unique class of anticancer molecules in a family of bryozoans, a phylum of marine invertebrates found in tropical waters......»»
Researchers develop molecules for a new class of antibiotics that can overcome drug resistant bacteria
About a decade ago, researchers in UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Guillermo Bazan's lab began to observe a recurring challenge in their research: Some of the compounds they were developing to harness energy from bacteria were instead killing th.....»»
New synthesis method uses light reaction on a water surface
By forming chemical bonds between atoms, complex molecules such as those needed for medicines, crop protection products, or high-performance materials are prepared using synthetic chemistry. Such synthesis reactions typically require organic solvents.....»»
AI will let us read "lost" ancient works in the library at Herculaneum for the first time
On 19 October 1752, a discovery was made 20 meters underneath the town of Resina, near Naples in Italy. Peasants digging wells in the area around Mount Vesuvius had struck marble statuary and mosaic pavements—and they also found lumps of carbon......»»
Programming cells to organize their molecules may open the door to new treatments
Researchers can engineer cells to express new genes and produce specific proteins, giving the cells new parts to work with. But, it's much harder to provide cells with instructions on how to organize and use those new parts. Now, new tools from Unive.....»»