Lipid droplets as endogenous intracellular microlenses
With the demand in real-time monitoring of endoplasmic variations and rapid detection of extracellular signals, a great number of approaches to bioimaging have been developed. The past few decades have witnessed a dramatic progress in optical imaging.....»»
Biologists sequence proteins by pulling them through nanopores
A team of chemical biologists at the University of Washington, working with colleagues at Oxford Nanopore Technologies, has developed a protein sequencing process that involves pulling proteins through nanopores in a lipid membrane. Their paper is pu.....»»
Arctic warming may fuel ice formation in clouds, observations suggest
The Arctic frequently experiences temperatures that support the formation of mixed-phase clouds that contain supercooled liquid droplets and ice crystals. The composition of such clouds plays a crucial role in the region's energy balance and climate.....»»
Light-activated polymerization methods unlock new possibilities for intracellular applications
Synthetic polymers play a crucial role in cell biology, serving as delivery vehicles for DNA and drugs, acting as fluorescent probes for cellular sensing, functioning as bioinks for tissue engineering, and mimicking biological functionality (e.g., ar.....»»
How particles of light may be producing drops of the perfect liquid
The world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator may be producing the world's tiniest droplets of liquid, right under scientists' noses. Researchers are digging into this subatomic enigma......»»
Lipid nanoparticle mRNA therapy improves survival in mouse models of maple syrup urine disease
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Gene Therapy Program, and Moderna, have shown that repeated administration of lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA therapy significantly extended survival and reduced serum.....»»
Research reveals pharmaceuticals are polluting England"s National Parks
Research from the University of York and the Rivers Trust has revealed widespread contamination of rivers in the parks, with antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory substances, lipid regulators and diabetes treatments bein.....»»
Modeling Earth systems at a quintillion calculations per second
Climate models compute vast amounts of information about Earth's climate system—from small water droplets to large-scale weather patterns—to re-create past climate or predict future climate. Accurately re-creating how Earth's energy (measured in.....»»
Raindrops grow with turbulence in clouds: New findings could improve weather and climate models
Scientists for decades have attempted to learn more about the complex and mysterious chain of events by which tiny droplets in clouds grow large enough to begin falling toward the ground. Better understanding this process, known as the "rain formatio.....»»
Bursting of underwater oil drops: How pollution may remain in water after oil spill cleanups
Oil drops from underwater oil spills can break into tinier droplets at the surface that remain suspended in the water, according to research from the University of Illinois Chicago. That means cleanups after disasters like the Deepwater Horizon spill.....»»
Intracellular mechanisms shown to promote spread of deadly bacterial infection
Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered novel protein mechanisms that promote the rapid spread of Vibrio vulnificus, a rare but lethal bacteria that can cause vibriosis and sepsis, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the.....»»
New approach uses "cloaked" proteins to deliver cancer-killing therapeutics into cells
An interdisciplinary collaboration has designed a way to "cloak" proteins so that they can be captured by lipid nanoparticles, which are akin to tiny bubbles of fat. These bubbles are small enough to sneak their hidden cargo into living cells, where.....»»
Droplets that swim toward dissolution could inspire fluid microbots
Researchers discovered that microscopic liquid droplets swim toward solvent conditions that favor their dissolution. This mechanism may underlie some transport processes within living cells, and could be exploited to develop fluid micro robots......»»
New method can create aquatic levitation at much lower temperature, has implications for cooling nuclear reactors
Splash a few drops of water on a hot pan and if the pan is hot enough, the water will sizzle and the droplets of water seem to roll and float, hovering above the surface......»»
Lipid nanoparticle-mRNA regimen reverses inflammation and aids recovery from diabetic wounds in mice
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have designed a regenerative medicine therapy to speed up diabetic wound repair. Using tiny fat particles loaded with genetic instructions to calm down inflammation, the treatment was shown t.....»»
Using hybrid nanotubes to enhance cancer treatment with intracellular protein delivery
The intracellular delivery of proteins is an important technique for unveiling the cellular functions, protein complex structure, and therapeutics. However, conventional delivery methods have several limitations......»»
Researchers harness blurred light to 3D-print high-quality optical components
Canadian researchers have developed a new 3D printing method called blurred tomography that can rapidly produce microlenses with commercial-level optical quality. The new method may make it easier and faster to design and fabricate a variety of optic.....»»
Researchers develop tiny droplets that harness laser light to detect disease markers
A team of researchers led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has created tiny droplets that, when activated by laser light, can detect viral protein biomarkers indicating the presence of certain diseases......»»
New signaling pathway decoded in the decomposition of damaged lysosomes
Lysosomes are surrounded by a lipid bilayer that separates the acidic environment and the digestive enzymes of the organelle from the cytoplasm. Damage to this layer—lysosomal membrane permeabilization, or LMP for short—can trigger inflammation a.....»»
Researchers discover two vesicle fusion mechanisms while studying vesicle movement in living cells
Cells intake substances from the outside world by encapsulating them in vesicles called endosomes, which are subsequently transported throughout the cell. During the transport process, vesicles fuse with other intracellular organelles. However, obser.....»»
Must mRNA be cloaked in a lipid coat to serve as a vaccine?
The Uchida Laboratory of Innovation Center of NanoMedicine has demonstrated that intradermal administration of mRNA alone (naked mRNA) without protection by nanoparticles induced robust vaccination against SARS CoV-2, a virus causing COVID-19, in mic.....»»