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.....»»
Matchmaking (with AI) to help proteins pair up
Successful matchmaking with protein molecules is like all other kinds of matchmaking: The two must click for it to work......»»
Isle of Wight fossil suggests Europe had its own family of small herbivorous dinosaurs
Scientists have discovered a new species of small plant-eating dinosaur on the Isle of Wight in southern England (UK). The new species, Vectidromeus insularis, is the second member of the hypsilophodont family to be found on the island, suggesting th.....»»
A microwave shield yields ultracold dipolar molecules
Almost a century ago, physicists Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein predicted a theoretical state of matter in which individual particles would, at extremely cold temperatures and low densities, condense into an indistinguishable whole. These so.....»»
Nature"s great survivors: Flowering plants survived the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs
A new study published in Biology Letters by researchers from the University of Bath (UK) and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) shows that flowering plants escaped relatively unscathed from the mass extinction that killed the dinosaur.....»»
Billion-light-year-wide "bubble of galaxies" discovered
Astronomers have discovered the first "bubble of galaxies," an almost unimaginably huge cosmic structure thought to be a fossilized remnant from just after the Big Bang sitting in our galactic backyard......»»
Novel membrane could reduce energy expenditure in separating molecules for desalination, drug development
Separating molecules is critical to producing many essential products. For example, in petroleum refining, the hydrocarbons—chemical compounds composed of hydrogens and carbons—in crude oil are separated into gasoline, diesel and lubricants by so.....»»
Extending the playing field for organosulfur: A new way to synthesize sulfonate esters
Organosulfur compounds are organic molecules that contain one or more sulfur atoms bonded to carbon atoms. They not only play fundamental roles in biological processes but also have wide applications in many industries, such as pharmaceuticals, agroc.....»»
The internet just learned how the dinosaurs went extinct
Apparently, the internet thought the asteroid obliterated every dinosaur on impact — like they all happened to be having a meeting in that exact spot. The online jokes have been great. The internet got to talking about dinosaurs and, frankly,.....»»
Novel device combines nanopores with electronic signals for disease detection
In living organisms, cells have a very high capacity to process and communicate information by moving molecules or ions through tiny channels that span the cell membrane. UC Santa Cruz Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Marco Rolandi's.....»»
Ever wonder how your body turns food into fuel? Researchers tracked atoms to find out
Inside our bodies at every moment, our cells are orchestrating a complex dance of atoms and molecules that uses energy to create, distribute and deploy the substances on which our lives depend......»»
Scientists synthesize new organometallic "sandwich" compound capable of holding more electrons
Organometallic compounds, molecules made up of metal atoms and organic molecules, are often used to accelerate chemical reactions and have played a significant role in advancing the field of chemistry......»»
If Earth were an exoplanet, JWST would know there"s an intelligent civilization here
If we're going to look for life on other worlds, why not start with the one planet we know has life? Earth's atmosphere is rich with oxygen and molecules such as methane, which strongly suggest the presence of life. It also has traces of molecules su.....»»
AI "nose" predicts smells from molecular structures
In a major breakthrough, scientists have built a tool to predict the odor profile of a molecule, just based on its structure. It can identify molecules that look different but smell the same, as well as molecules that look very similar but smell tota.....»»
How hydrophobicity shapes protein assemblies
Through a nuanced balance of electrical and hydrophobic forces, biological molecules self-assemble into the large functional structures that maintain life's vital functions. Understanding how proteins self-assemble requires knowledge of both forces......»»
Inhalable molecules neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in mice
Nanofitins, which are derived from a protein found in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius—an archaeal microorganism found in hot springs—successfully neutralized SARS-CoV-2 in mice and were well-tolerated. When inhaled by the rodents, the engineered nanofi.....»»
Scientists confirm decades-old theory of non-uniform distribution of electron density in aromatic molecules
Scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Prague, the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and Palacký University Olomouc, have once again successfully uncovered the mysteries of the world of molecules and.....»»
For a new approach to fighting malaria, study focuses on special RNA molecules in human malaria parasite
The mosquito-borne infectious disease malaria resulted in about 241 million clinical episodes and 627,000 deaths in 2020. In young children and pregnant women living in areas where the disease is endemic, a major cause of death is Plasmodium falcipar.....»»
Researchers produce polymers from ballbot-type carbenes for the first time
N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are small, reactive ring molecules that bond well with metallic surfaces, and which over the past few years have attracted a great deal of interest in the field of the stable chemical modification of metallic surfaces......»»
Quantum computer unveils atomic dynamics of light-sensitive molecules
Researchers at Duke University have implemented a quantum-based method to observe a quantum effect in the way light-absorbing molecules interact with incoming photons. Known as a conical intersection, the effect puts limitations on the paths molecule.....»»
New experimental research measures the speed of molecular charge migration for the first time
To discover how light interacts with molecules, the first step is to follow electron dynamics, which evolve at the attosecond timescale. The dynamics of this first step have been called charge migration (CM). CM plays a fundamental role in chemical r.....»»