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.....»»
Fluidizing the cell membrane: Effective internalization of lipid nanoparticles for photodynamic cancer therapy
In order to deliver cancer therapeutics to tumor cells, the cells' membranes must be overcome. A team of researchers have discovered a simple way to achieve this using lipid nanoparticles containing the reagent EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)......»»
Scientists use TikTok to explain, fight climate change
With his moustache caked in icicles and frozen droplets, glaciologist Peter Neff shows his 220,000 TikTok followers a sample of old ice excavated from Antarctica's Allan Hills......»»
Purification of DNA nanostructures from hydrophobic aggregates
Researchers in Japan have developed a new method for purifying cholesterol-modified DNA nanostructures that could be used to functionalize molecular robot bodies (lipid vesicles). The study was a collaboration between Yusuke Sato of Kyushu Institute.....»»
Light-induced acceleration of intracellular delivery
Cell membranes are barriers that maintain cellular homeostasis, and the intracellular delivery of biologically functional molecules, including peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids to manipulate cellular functions. Conventional intracellular uptake p.....»»
Sharpshooter Insects Use "Superpropulsion" to Catapult Their Pee
Sharpshooter insects use a physics phenomenon called superpropulsion to efficiently fling away droplets of pee at extremely high speeds.....»»
Watch these glassy-winged sharpshooters fling pee bubbles with anal catapult
This "superpropulsion mechanism" could help remove water from smartphones, watches. Insects called glassy-wing sharpshooters have an "anal stylus" capable of flicking pee droplets at very high speeds. The glassy-winged sharpshooter.....»»
Food quality matters for southern resident killer whales
Not all Chinook salmon are created equal, and this has a major impact on the energetics for southern resident killer whales. A recent study quantified the lipid content in Fraser River Chinook salmon—the southern resident's preferred meal—and fou.....»»
The first model to describe the ways variously sized particles can jam together
The ways in which particles, such as sand or liquid droplets, behave during various mechanical processes is well studied. Typically, in situations where space is constrained, jams can occur, and understanding this can be useful in various industries......»»
How protein-rich droplets form
Using a new method, terahertz (THz) calorimetry, a research team from the Cluster of Excellence Ruhr Explores Solvation (RESOLV) in Bochum shed new light on the spontaneous phase separation into a protein-rich and a protein-poor phase in a solution......»»
How intracellular fluid flows influence the formation of complex patterns
The formation of patterns is a universal phenomenon that underlies fundamental processes in biology. An example are the concentration patterns of proteins, which direct vital cellular processes, including cell division, polarity, and movement. These.....»»
New study highlights the impact of two new marine gases on climate models" accuracy
In addition to oxygen, nitrogen or carbon dioxide, the air we breathe contains small amounts of organic gases, such as benzene and toluene. These oxidize into small particles or aerosols that contribute to the condensation of water in the droplets th.....»»
Rapid production of antibubbles with a jet
University of Twente researchers succeeded in the rapid fabrication of microscopic "antibubbles." Previous methods to produce these liquid droplets surrounded by an air layer were either lacked controllability or were prone to clogging and were much.....»»
RNA lipid nanoparticle engineering stops liver fibrosis in its tracks, reverses damage
Since the success of the COVID-19 vaccine, RNA therapies have been the object of increasing interest in the biotech world. These therapies work with your body to target the genetic root of diseases and infections, a promising alternative treatment me.....»»
Chlamydiae expand our view on how intracellular bacteria evolve
All chlamydiae today live inside the cells of hosts ranging from amoeba to animals. A team of scientists from the University of Vienna and the Wageningen University & Research found that the ancestor of chlamydiae likely already lived inside host cel.....»»
The clever glue keeping the cell"s moving parts connected
Researchers from Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have discovered how proteins in the cell can form tiny liquid droplets that act as a smart molecular glue. Clinging to the ends of filaments called microtubules, the glue they discovered ens.....»»
Christmas-colored droplets hint at solutions for fog harvesting
When two water droplets merge on an inclined super-hydrophilic wire, their movement speed increases......»»
Overexpression of gene endows diatom P. tricornutum with high lipid content and grazing resistance
Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a commercially important species that is widely used in aquaculture. It also has the potential to be used as biofuel......»»
Research explains basics of aerosol formation at the vocal folds
Very small exhaled droplets, so-called aerosol particles, play an important role in the airborne transmission of pathogens such as the coronavirus. Researchers in the field of fluid mechanics used a model to investigate how exactly the small droplets.....»»
Droplets in cells found to determine the accumulation of proteins in age-related diseases
Tiny droplets in cells can accelerate the accumulation of protein deposits in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, but they can also hinder this accumulation. While they will worsen the accumulation if the proteins stick to the edge.....»»
Researchers develop a safer carrier for cancer vaccines
Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines have recently emerged as a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of cancers, as well as infectious diseases. LNPs are carriers that safely and effectively deliver.....»»