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.....»»
Molecular clouds extend their lives by constantly reassembling themselves, say astronomers
Astronomers have recently discovered that giant clouds of molecular hydrogen, the birthplace of stars, can live for tens of millions of years despite the facts that individual molecules are constantly getting destroyed and reassembled. This new resea.....»»
Researchers identify important molecular switch for hearing development
In the inner ear, there are two different types of sensory cells that are responsible for hearing. An MHH research team has now identified the molecular switch for the formation of these inner and outer hair cells and thus found an important building.....»»
James Webb peers into icy cloud to learn about exoplanet formation
Researchers using James Webb have peered into a molecular cloud to look for these ices which could be formed into future exoplanets......»»
The best grocery list apps for iPhone and Android in 2023
Always forgetting something at the store? Keeping a digital grocery list on your phone helps you stay organized and on budget. These are our top picks......»»
Study links nano and macro aspects of everyday force
Without the force called friction, cars would skid off the roadway, humans couldn't stride down the sidewalk, and objects would tumble off your kitchen counter and onto the floor. Even so, how friction works at a molecular scale remains poorly unders.....»»
Spin transport measured through molecular films now long enough to develop spintronic devices
Information processing devices such as smartphones are becoming more sophisticated because their information-recording density constantly increases, thanks to advances in microfabrication technology. In recent years, however, we are rapidly approachi.....»»
Study shows how cells prevent harmful extra copies of DNA
A protein that prepares DNA for replication also prevents the replication process from running out of control, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The work, published Jan. 5 in Molecular Cell, solves a mystery that has lon.....»»
Advancing our mastery of stereoselective photoredox reactions to produce mirror-image molecules
Researchers of the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung have expanded the molecular toolbox for efficient, targeted syntheses: To do so, they use a very special catalyst—and the energy of light. The result of their work has now been published i.....»»
DNA detector exposes hidden Antarctic krill
Like forensic investigators, scientists can use molecular techniques to detect evidence of Antarctic krill in seawater samples collected in the Southern Ocean. The revolutionary technology can identify Antarctic krill DNA within the alphabet soup of.....»»
Host-cell factors involved in COVID-19 infections may augur improved treatments
Researchers at University of California San Diego and UC Riverside have further elucidated the molecular pathway used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect human lung cells, identifying a key host-cell player that may prove a new and enduring therapeutic.....»»
Scientists reveal the molecular mechanism of miRNA biogenesis complex in C. elegans
The study of microRNAs (miRNAs), small RNAs that play important roles in gene regulation in animals and humans alike, have long been a topic of research interest. How these miRNAs control and regulate gene expression is believed to hold the key to th.....»»
From octopus to elephant: A molecular zoo of epigenetics
Our genes are encoded in the DNA sequence of the genome, which is highly similar across the diverse cell types of our body. Yet, each cell can only access those genes that are in an epigenetically permissive state. The epigenome thus provides a form.....»»
CO molecular tilting detected by red-shifted TERS
The invention of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques, including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), has led to a paradigm shift in the visualization and understanding of surface structures and related propert.....»»
The effects of tightening a molecular knot
A study conducted by Anne-Sophie Duwez and Damien Sluysmans from the NANOCHEM group at the University of Liège (Belgium) has made it possible to decode the mechanical response of small-molecule synthetic overhand knots by single-molecule pulling exp.....»»
How the last 12,000 years have shaped what humans are today
While humans have been evolving for millions of years, the past 12,000 years have been among the most dynamic and impactful for the way we live today, according to an anthropologist who organized a special journal feature on the topic in the Proceedi.....»»
Building better enzymes—by breaking them down
Enzymes have the potential to transform the chemical industry by providing green alternatives to a slew of processes. These proteins act as biological catalysts, and with the help of molecular engineering, they can make naturally occurring reactions.....»»
Now on the molecular scale: Electric motors
Electric vehicles, powered by macroscopic electric motors, are increasingly prevalent on our streets and highways. These quiet and eco-friendly machines got their start nearly 200 years ago when physicists took the first tiny steps to bring electric.....»»
Protecting biocatalysts from oxygen
Certain enzymes from bacteria and algae can produce molecular hydrogen from protons and electrons—an energy carrier on which many hopes are riding. All they need for this purpose is light energy. The major obstacle to their use is that they are des.....»»
Study shows circadian clock helps cells recover during starvation
Cells with a functioning molecular clock are better able to adapt to changes in glucose supply and can recover faster from long-term starvation, according to a study published today in eLife......»»
Insights into the formation of ATP synthase: A new important function of the folding helper Hsp70
Scientists led by Prof. Thomas Becker, Director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), have gained new insights into the formation of ATP synthase, the turbine of the cells' power plants, the mit.....»»