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.....»»
Using light to connect molecules
Molecular clusters are aggregates of molecules that are held together non-covalently, by relatively weak forces. When these clusters are excited, normally one would expect the cluster to simply break apart. However, a fascinating question is whether.....»»
New testing approach diagnoses COVID-19 with near-perfect accuracy
By inspecting the body's immune response at a molecular level, a research team has developed a new way to test patients for COVID-19. Their method can potentially catch infections a matter of hours after exposure—far earlier than current COVID-19 t.....»»
Gun violence spills into new neighborhoods as gentrification displaces drug crime, according to new study
Gentrification doesn't erase drug crime and gun violence. Instead, research from West Virginia University economist Zachary Porreca shows that when one urban block becomes upwardly mobile, organized criminal activity surges outward to surrounding blo.....»»
A new 3D-printed molecular model to teach students about nucleobase pairing
Molecular models are a tried-and-tested tool for teaching chemistry to students of all ages. By enabling users to visualize the three-dimensional structure of a molecule and how its atoms are arranged, they can accelerate the learning process for ess.....»»
Nanosatellite shows the way to RNA medicine of the future
The RNA molecule is commonly recognized as messenger between DNA and protein, but it can also be folded into intricate molecular machines. An example of a naturally occurring RNA machine is the ribosome, that functions as a protein factory in all cel.....»»
As COVID vaccine patent dispute drags on, Moderna forks over $400M to NIH
Moderna called the sum a "catch-up payment" for borrowing a molecular technique. Enlarge (credit: DeFodi Images ) Vaccine maker Moderna has forked over $400 million to the National Institutes of Health for using a molec.....»»
Locking and unlocking molecular structures on demand
Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Angewandte Chemie International Edition how the formation and deformation speed of interlocked molecular structures called rotaxanes can be tuned—a discovery that may lead to an enhanced functionality of.....»»
Hydrophobic molecular sieve developed for humidity-resistant hydrogen sulfide sensor
A research team led by Prof. Meng Gang from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has used polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in the research of high performance humidity resistant hydrogen sulfide (H2S) sensors, paving.....»»
A 5-minute PCR, faster than self-diagnosis kits
PCR technology is a molecular diagnostics technology that detects target nucleic acids by amplifying the DNA amount. It has brought marked progress in the life sciences field since its development in 1984......»»
Researchers reveal molecular mechanism of crown ether microsolvation effect on gas-phase native-like protein structure
A research group led by Prof. Wang Fangjun from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Prof. Shun Feng from Southwest Jiaotong University, has revealed the molecular mechanism o.....»»
Accelerating molecular diffusion by constructing hierarchical Murray zeolites for maximized catalytic activity
Introducing interconnected mesopores and macropores into microporous zeolites with the rationalized pore size at each level is an effective strategy to suppress the diffusion limitations, but remains highly challenging due to the lack of rational des.....»»
Scientists observe high-speed star formation
Gas clouds in the Cygnus X Region, a region where stars form, are composed of a dense core of molecular hydrogen (H2) and an atomic shell. These ensembles of clouds interact with each other dynamically in order to quickly form new stars. That is the.....»»
Examining how bacteria manipulates the immune response to spread unnoticed
Bacterial toxins have always been seen as dangerous molecules—but may also act as negotiators between bacteria and the host immune response to enable long-term infection. Anna Bergonzini, at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University,.....»»
Contents of containers of fossils from 1909 expedition reconstructed nondestructively
Between 1909 and 1913, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin organized and financed the German Tendaguru Expedition (GTE) to southern Tanzania, at that time still the German colony of Deutsch-Ostafrika. With the participation of more than 500 local Afric.....»»
"Tadpole" molecular cloud appears to be playing around black hole
A peculiar cloud of gas, nicknamed the Tadpole due to its shape, appears to be revolving around a space devoid of any bright objects. This suggests that the Tadpole is orbiting a dark object, most likely a black hole 100,000 times more massive than t.....»»
RNA"s "joints" play key role in our gene expression, scientists find
University of Chicago scientists have discovered a new wrinkle in our understanding of how our genes work. The team, led by Chuan He, the UChicago John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, shed l.....»»
Autophagy: The molecular regulation of self-eating
Autophagy, or "self-eating", is an essential cellular quality control mechanism that clears the cell of protein aggregates and damaged organelles. This mechanism is inactive under normal conditions and only triggered upon persistent cellular stress......»»
Scientists develop graphene aerogel particles for efficient water purification
Writing in the Journal of Molecular Liquids, a team led by Professor Aravind Vijayaraghavan based in the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have produced three-dimensional particles made of graphene, of many interesting shapes, using a variation of th.....»»
Mapping molecular funnels with X-rays: Precise timings of non-adiabatic excited state dynamics
Time-resolved spectroscopy is a tool that provides access to the time-scale of chemical reactions as they happen. With the help of ultra-short light pulses, it is possible to observe conformal changes in molecules on the time-scale of the atomic moti.....»»
Cells routinely self-cannibalize to take out their trash, aiding in survival and disease prevention
Don't let the textbook diagram of a simplified two-dimensional cell fool you—within this tiny structure of life is a complex universe of molecular machinery that is continually being built, put into motion and eventually broken down......»»