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.....»»
Light and nickel found to simplify cross-coupling reactions
Cross-coupling reactions—chemical transformations in which two fragments are joined together—are a valuable tool in the synthesis of organic molecules. Applications range from drug development and synthesis of naturally occurring molecules to mat.....»»
Fossil reveals smallest sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Jurassic
A tiny relative of titanosaurs has been uncovered in South Africa......»»
Researchers develop universal MHC molecules that can be produced rapidly at scale
Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) proteins play an essential role in the immune system of all jawed vertebrates. The MHC-I displays peptide fragments of proteins from within the cell on the cell surface, "presenting" them to the immune.....»»
A new dynamic probe of electric forces between molecules
Molecules in water and other polar media are subject to strong electric forces. Such forces originate from their liquid environment, which at ambient temperature undergoes ultrafast structural fluctuations. A new method maps the optical absorption of.....»»
Foamstars finds a happy middle ground between Splatoon and Overwatch
We played a few matches of Foamstars at Summer Game Fest and are already digging its soapy multiplayer chaos......»»
Unlocking early Earth chemistry: Salt-induced changes in polyester microdroplet structure
Billions of years ago, Earth was an extremely hostile planet with active volcanoes, a harsh atmosphere, and no life. This prebiotic Earth, however, was filled with a wide array of abiotic organic molecules derived from its early environment, which un.....»»
Pulling its weight: Team identifies protein key to chromosome movement during cell division
During cell division, chromosomes, i.e., molecules containing our genetic material, must be properly replicated and segregated so that each daughter cell receives a complete and accurate set. Now, in an article published in Molecular Cell, a team led.....»»
A novel green photoreactor for the synthesis of desirable chiral enantiomers
Chirality of molecules is a crucial consideration in drug development as the enantiomeric purity of a compound can significantly impact its pharmacological properties. Chiral molecules possess mirror-image enantiomers that can exhibit distinct pharma.....»»
Illuminating the molecular ballet in living cells using an ultrafast camera
Researchers at Kyoto University, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), and Photron Limited in Japan have developed the world's fastest camera capable of detecting fluorescence from single molecules. They describe the.....»»
Germany returns "stolen" dinosaur fossil to Brazil
A fossil from a rare dinosaur that roamed South America 110 million years ago has been returned to Brazil from Germany, ending a diplomatic spat triggered by charges that researchers stole it......»»
Webb Space Telescope detects universe"s most distant complex organic molecules
Researchers have detected complex organic molecules in a galaxy more than 12 billion light-years away from Earth—the most distant galaxy in which these molecules are now known to exist. Thanks to the capabilities of the recently launched James Webb.....»»
Recombinant and tunable spidroin hydrogels for drug release and cell culture
In a new study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet show that recombinant spider silk protein hydrogels have many attractive features. They allow encapsulation of cells and bioactive molecules simply by incubation at 37°C. They are transparent, whi.....»»
Flat fullerene fragments attractive to electrons, shows study
Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan have gained new insights into the unique chemical properties of spherical molecules composed entirely of carbon atoms, called fullerenes. They did it by making flat fragments of the molecules, which surprising.....»»
Study demonstrates one of the world"s fastest electron microscopes in action
Electron microscopes give us insight into the tiniest details of materials and can visualize, for example, the structure of solids, molecules or nanoparticles with atomic resolution. However, most materials in nature are not static. They constantly i.....»»
Interview: How System Shock balanced faithful recreation and modern design
Digging into gore, textures, wayfinding, environment, and old-school difficulty. Enlarge / Remaking and remastering a revered game may be nearly as tricky as remaking a space station employee as a cyborg enforcer. After.....»»
Apple"s Lisa entombment was just the beginning, shows new documentary
Digging up the story about thousands of buried, unsold Lisa computers led to an interesting story about sabotage, Steve Jobs, and more.Steve Jobs with an Apple LisaNot all icons shine for the right reasons. Apple's Lisa computer, for example, is the.....»»
Team develops novel algorithm for sharper protein films
Proteins are biological molecules that perform almost all biochemical tasks in all forms of life. In doing so, the tiny structures perform ultra-fast movements. In order to investigate these dynamic processes more precisely than before, researchers h.....»»
How insects track odors by navigating microscale winds
How do flying insects like important pollinators locate odor sources in the great outdoors, despite encountering highly variable wind conditions? They use odor plumes—which travel like smoke and form when the wind blows odor molecules from their so.....»»
Meteoritic and volcanic particles may have promoted origin of life reactions
Precursors of the molecules needed for the origin of life may have been generated by chemical reactions promoted by iron-rich particles from meteors or volcanic eruptions on Earth approximately 4.4 billion years ago, according to a study published in.....»»
Ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy: Watching molecules relax in real time
Designing the next generation of efficient energy conversion devices for powering our electronics and heating our homes requires a detailed understanding of how molecules move and vibrate while undergoing light-induced chemical reactions......»»