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.....»»
Novel complex may help to modulate lipid metabolism
A research team led by Prof. Wang Guangce from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered that the complex of phycobiliproteins, fucoxanthin, and krill oil (PFK) can modulate lipid metabolism and improve obesity......»»
Researchers find junction is key in how pore space geometry impacts transport of substances through fluids
What laws govern how chemicals pass through filters? How do droplets of oil move through layers of stone? How do blood cells travel through a living organism? A team of researchers led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck In.....»»
Researchers reveal the structure of the IFT-B complex, essential for formation of the cilium organelle
Cilia are organelles that provide eukaryotic cells with motility, sensory reception and intracellular transduction of external stimuli. They are constructed and maintained by the bi-directional movement of 22 different proteins that organizes into IF.....»»
Exploring the key gene networks that control magnetite biomineralization in prokaryotes
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are phylogenetically and morphologically diverse prokaryotes that share an ancestral capability of producing intracellular magnetite (Fe3O4) or/and greigite (Fe3S4) nanocrystals within organelles called magnetosomes......»»
Plankton zombies: Intracellular development and impact of a marine eukaryotic parasite on its host
It's a tale as old as time. A parasite feeds on another species, taking what it needs and eventually leaving a host-organism corpse in its wake......»»
Enzymatic reactions: Researchers reveal a regulatory mechanism by which life controls and organizes itself
Inside cells, molecular droplets form defined compartments for chemical reactions. Not only sticky interactions between molecules, but also dynamic reactions can form such droplets, as was found by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynami.....»»
Controlled bouncing, evaporation and transport of droplets on a liquid-repellent surface
The research team from Hunan University has proposed a facile and industrially applicable method to fabricate an extreme wettability surface on an Al-based superhydrophobic surface by a composite process of electrochemical mask etching and micro-mill.....»»
How the Ancient Viral DNA in Our Genome Affects Disease and Development
Human endogenous retroviruses make up 8 percent of the human genome. Researchers are studying how active they are.....»»
Robotic intracellular electrochemical sensing for adherent cells
A research team from Southern University of Science and Technology developed an automated intracellular sensing system, which provides a high-efficiency approach to reveal cellular intrinsic characteristics and heterogeneity for better investigation.....»»
The fountain of life: Water droplets hold the secret ingredient for building life
Purdue University chemists have uncovered a mechanism for peptide-forming reactions to occur in water—something that has puzzled scientists for decades......»»
Glass beads in lunar soil reveal ancient asteroid bombardments on the moon and Earth
In 2020, China's Chang'e 5 mission sampled more than a kilogram of moon rock and soil and brought it back to Earth. The samples contain countless tiny beads of glass, created when asteroids hit the moon and splashed out droplets of molten rock aroun.....»»
Inhibitor of lipid kinase PI3KC2a identified as potential new treatment of thrombosis
The lipid kinase PI3KC2a is a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of thrombosis and, possibly, cancer. Researchers from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) have now identified a potent inhibitor of its ac.....»»
Dense liquid droplets act as cellular computers
An emerging field explores how groups of molecules condense together inside cells, the way oil droplets assemble and separate from water in a vinaigrette......»»
Novel smart material enables high-performance and reliable light control of droplets
The ability to manipulate droplets plays a vital role in fundamental research and practical applications from chemical reactions to bio-analysis. Light control of droplets enables remote and contactless control with remarkable spatial and temporal ac.....»»
Revealed missing step in lipid formation could enable detection of past climates
The missing step in the formation of a lipid molecule that allows certain single-celled organisms to survive the most extreme environments on Earth has now been deciphered. This new understanding, uncovered by a team of biochemists from Penn State an.....»»
Big splash: Scientists present a new model for predicting droplet splashing behavior on solid surfaces
The study of liquid droplets and their behavior upon impingement is of major importance in many fields, including agriculture, engineering, and medicine. Droplet behavior prediction has use in spray painting and pesticide sprays, inkjet technology fo.....»»
Wobbling droplets in space confirm late professor"s theory
At a time when astronomers around the world are reveling in new views of the distant cosmos, an experiment on the International Space Station has given Cornell researchers fresh insight into something a little closer to home: water......»»
Complex coacervate droplets as a model material for studying the electrodynamic response of biological materials
Manipulating solid particles of a few micrometers in size using an electric field has been of great interest to physicists. These controllable particles can be assembled into dynamic chains that can effectively control the flow of liquids in thin tub.....»»
Endogenous ceramide phosphoethanolamine modulates circadian rhythm and longevity in Drosophila
The circadian clock entrains rhythmic patterns in behavioral and physiological processes to temporally coordinate systemic metabolism with the rising and setting of the sun. In previous investigation on human subjects, sphingomyelins (SMs) exhibited.....»»
Intracellular nanothermometer has unprecedented versatility
Body temperature is a basic indicator of health. Intracellular temperature is also a basic indicator of cellular health; cancer cells are more metabolically active, and thus can have a slightly higher temperature than healthy cells. However, until no.....»»