Optimality in self-organized molecular sorting
The eukaryotic cell is the basic unit of animals and plants. Through the microscope, it looks highly structured and subdivided in many membrane-bound compartments. Each compartment has a specific function, and its membrane is populated by specific mo.....»»
Novel role for metabolites in cellular metabolism discovered
Investigators led by Issam Ben-Sahra, Ph.D., associate professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, have discovered how cellular metabolism fluctuates in response to changes in levels of pyrimidines, metabolites used by cells to make DNA and RNA.....»»
Memories of mitosis: Molecular mechanism that detects defects during cell division could aid cancer treatment
Every day, our cells are hard at work multiplying. Cell division is a precise process, but sometimes this process is impaired and diseases like cancer occur. Mitosis is one of the most important phases in the cell cycle. During this phase, a cell's D.....»»
Team modulates electronic state of single-atom catalysts by CO molecular decoration for efficient methane conversion
Direct methane conversion has advantages such as low energy consumption, fewer processes, and better economics. However, it is difficult to activate methane at room temperature due to the high dissociation energy of C-H bonds of methane. Additionally.....»»
Researchers challenge the limits of molecular memory, opening the door to the development of molecular chips
Some molecules respond to external light pulses by changing their structure and holding certain states that can be switched from one to another. These are commonly referred to as photoswitches and usually have two possible states. Recently, however,.....»»
New method to measure entropy production on the nanoscale
Entropy, the amount of molecular disorder, is produced in several systems but cannot be measured directly. An equation developed by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, now sheds new l.....»»
Uncovering the mysteries of microproteins
Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a method to identify and characterize microproteins—a development that opens the door for understanding physiology and disease at a molecular level of detail not previously possible, according to find.....»»
Breaking the ice: Molecular insights into saltwater droplet freezing
In a new study, researchers have observed the freezing of saltwater droplets at a molecular level, offering new insights for de-icing and anti-icing technologies. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these droplets don't conform to the typical freezing p.....»»
Decoding the plant world"s complex biochemical communication networks
A Purdue University-led research team has begun translating the complex molecular language of petunias. Their grammar and vocabulary are well hidden, however, within the countless proteins and other compounds that fill floral cells......»»
How cells in plant leaves organize themselves to ensure optimal area for photosynthesis
Plant leaves need a large surface area to capture sunlight for photosynthesis. Dr. Emanuele Scacchi and Professor Marja Timmermans from the Center for Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Tübingen, together with an international team, have n.....»»
Molecular crystal motors move like microbes when exposed to light
At first glance, Rabih O. Al-Kaysi's molecular motors look like the microscopic worms you'd see in a drop of pond water. But these wriggling ribbons are not alive; they're devices made from crystallized molecules that perform coordinated movements wh.....»»
System detects microorganisms that mar the quality of beer
With the aid of molecular biology, the quality of Brazilian beer—the country's most popular alcoholic beverage, especially during the summer—may soon be significantly enhanced......»»
Sequencing the blue whale and Etruscan shrew genomes
The blue whale genome was published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, and the Etruscan shrew genome was published in the journal Scientific Data......»»
Google Drive could add a smart new way to keep your files organized
Google Drive could be adding a new feature similar to the labels system available to Workspace users......»»
Automated high-throughput sorting of living cells using laser light and AI
Tests on living cell cultures are becoming increasingly important for personalized medicine, drug development and clinical research. The Aachen-based Fraunhofer Institutes for Laser Technology ILT and for Production Technology IPT have developed an A.....»»
Rice paddy snake diversification was driven by geological and environmental factors in Thailand, molecular data suggest
A University of Kansas study of rice paddy snakes in Southeast Asia gives key details to their diversification and natural history, adding molecular evidence that the rise of the Khorat Plateau and subsequent environmental shifts in Thailand may have.....»»
Muscaris grapes: Molecular secret of lychee aroma revealed
A team of researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has succeeded for the first time in identifying the odorants responsible for the characteristic lychee note of Muscaris grapes......»»
"Molecular Rosetta Stone" reveals how our microbiomes "talk" to us
Researchers from Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego have uncovered thousands of previously unknown bile acids, a type of molecule used by our gut microbiome to communicate with the rest of.....»»
New biology unveiled for fundamental cellular machinery
Cellular communication relies on receptor molecules on the cell surface. The periodic uptake and sorting of these receptors, critical for their degradation or recycling, are governed by an elaborate machinery prominently featuring the Commander compl.....»»
Aroma compound found to reduce the effects of drought, improve productivity of tomato plants
Tomato plants emit a scent to resist bacterial attacks. This aroma—or volatile compound—is hexenyl butanoate (HB). A team from the Research Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP), a joint center of the Universitat Politècnica.....»»
Scientists reveal molecular mysteries to control silica scaling in water treatment
Collaborative research that combined experiments at Yale University and molecular dynamics simulations at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides new insights into solving a major technical obstacle to efficient and sustaina.....»»