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.....»»
Chemists successfully use light to regulate structural conversion of chiral molecules
A team of chemists from the University of Münster have developed a novel concept in which a mixture of molecules that behave like mirror images is converted to a single form using light as external energy source. The conversion has applications in t.....»»
A new way to identify chiral molecules with light could vastly improve detection efficiency
Chiral molecules are those that have two versions that are mirror images, like our right and left hands. These molecules have the same structure but different properties when they interact with other molecules, including those inside our bodies. This.....»»
Making the most out of boreal plant resources
Plants produce molecules to interact with their environment and protect themselves against external threats. These molecules can also have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, some of which are beneficial to human health. Thes.....»»
Researchers find fossilized nonflying precursor to pterosaur in Brazil
A team of paleontologists from Brazil, Argentina and the U.S., has found the fossilized remains of a creature they describe as a precursor to the pterosaur at a dig site in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In their paper published in the journal Nature, th.....»»
Nano-thin "liquid-like" coatings may pave the way for a "self-cleaning" world
University of Sydney researchers have observed oil molecules retaining their 'liquid-like' properties when they are chemically attached as an extremely thin layer to solid surfaces, opening new possibilities for designing sustainable materials with n.....»»
Researchers develop versatile and low-cost technology for targeted long-read RNA sequencing
In a development that could accelerate the discovery of new diagnostics and treatments, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a versatile and low-cost technology for targeted sequencing of full-length RNA molecules......»»
Scientists theorize a hidden phase transition between liquid and a solid
Anything made out of plastic or glass is known as an amorphous material. Unlike many materials that freeze into crystalline solids, the atoms and molecules in amorphous materials never stack together to form crystals when cooled. In fact, although we.....»»
Decoding how molecules "talk" to each other to develop new nanotechnologies
Two molecular languages at the origin of life have been successfully recreated and mathematically validated, thanks to pioneering work by Canadian scientists at Université de Montréal......»»
Scientists explore dinosaur "coliseum" in Denali National Park
University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists have discovered and documented the largest known single dinosaur track site in Alaska. The site, located in Denali National Park and Preserve, has been dubbed "The Coliseum" by researchers......»»
Gold buckyballs, oft-used nanoparticle "seeds" found to be one and the same
Rice University chemists have discovered that tiny gold "seed" particles, a key ingredient in one of the most common nanoparticle recipes, are one and the same as gold buckyballs, 32-atom spherical molecules that are cousins of the carbon buckyballs.....»»
A New Idea for How to Assemble Life
How would scientists even recognize biological signs of life beyond Earth? Assembly theory proposes a way to identify molecules made by living systems—even those using unfamiliar chemistries......»»
Bioengineered tool unmasks cancer cells
Cancer cells can evade the body's immune defenses by exploiting a normally helpful and ubiquitous group of molecules known as mucins. Now, Stanford researchers have engineered a biomolecule that removes mucins specifically from cancer cells—a disco.....»»
Research team demonstrates a new "primary standard" for measuring ultralow pressures
A vacuum chamber is never perfectly empty. A small number of atoms or molecules always remain, and measuring the tiny pressures they exert is critical. For instance, semiconductor manufacturers create microchips in vacuum chambers that must be almost.....»»
Bringing ultrafast physics to structural biology reveals the dance of molecular "coherence" in unprecedented clarity
How molecules change when they react to stimuli such as light is fundamental in biology, for example during photosynthesis. Scientists have been working to unravel the workings of these changes in several fields, and by combining two of these, resear.....»»
Using AI to find antibodies is fast and produces unimagined molecules
Automation means drug discovery process is less "artisinal" and more streamlined. Enlarge / Researchers use CyBio FeliX workstations to extract and purify DNA samples for testing (credit: LabGenius) At an old biscuit fac.....»»
Fossilized feces found to be infested with parasites from more than 200 million years ago
Fossilized feces preserve evidence of ancient parasites that infected an aquatic predator over 200 million years ago, according to a study published August 9, 2023, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Thanit Nonsrirach of Mahasarakham University,.....»»
What’s caused the average iPhone sales price to drop?
The average selling price for iPhone in the US has been moving in one direction since 2017 – up. But analysts at CIRP noticed that for the first time in a June quarter in the last six years, the metric dropped. Digging into what’s going on, the f.....»»
AI Is Building Highly Effective Antibodies That Humans Can’t Even Imagine
Robots, computers, and algorithms are hunting for potential new therapies in ways humans can’t—by processing huge volumes of data and building previously unimagined molecules......»»
Researchers use enzymes to develop a new class of materials for biocatalytic processes
Industrial biocatalysis with enzymes is deemed to be a "game changer" in the development of a sustainable chemical industry. Enzymes can be used to synthesize an impressive range of complex molecules, including pharmaceutical substances, under enviro.....»»
A biochip that can be used to perform rapid genetic screening of thousands of molecules
A team of materials scientists and engineers at Stanford University, working with a colleague from ETH Zürich and another from Washington University in St. Louis, has developed a biochip that can be used to screen thousands of molecules and that was.....»»