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.....»»
From antiquity to adaptation: Tracing the genetic journey of east Asian chestnut varieties
Uncovering the genetic saga of Castanea trees, a study maps their evolutionary journey and local climate adaptations. This research reveals the genetic markers and molecular mechanisms that have allowed these nut fruit trees to adapt and flourish acr.....»»
Controlling molecular electronics with rigid, ladder-like molecules
As electronic devices continue to get smaller and smaller, physical size limitations are beginning to disrupt the trend of doubling transistor density on silicon-based microchips approximately every two years, according to Moore's law. Molecular elec.....»»
Researchers synthesize molecular aggregates for solar energy applications
No molecule stands alone—they need others, at least when it comes to being able to display useful photophysical, electronic, and chemical properties. When individual molecules combine into an aggregate, or a complex of two or more molecules, they b.....»»
A small molecular glue that increases P53 level and suppresses tumor growth in vivo
Molecular glues are typically small chemical molecules that act on the interface between the target protein and the degradation machinery to trigger ternary complex formation. Identification of molecular glues is challenging, and there has been a lac.....»»
Physicists observe key minuscule molecular interactions in ultra-fast atomic processes
An international team of scientists is the first to report incredibly small time delays in a molecule's electron activity when the particles are exposed to X-rays......»»
Twisted molecular wires exhibit high single-molecule conductance
From the high-voltage wires that carry electricity over long distances, to the tungsten filaments in our incandescent lights, we may have become accustomed to thinking that electrical conductors are always made of metal. But for decades, scientists h.....»»
Newly discovered, free-living eukaryote is the first known to have lost its mitochondria
An international team of geneticists and molecular biologists has discovered the first-known, free-living eukaryote to have lost its mitochondria. In their study, published in Nature Communications, the group found the eukaryote while investigating t.....»»
Proteins for skin strength also control cell signaling, study suggests
An extensive family of proteins that gives human skin mechanical strength also appears to organize molecular signals that control skin cell activity, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows. The team's findings, published in D.....»»
Organized youth sports are increasingly for the privileged: Study finds generational shifts in who plays
A sweeping study of U.S. youth sports participation over the past 60 years has found that there has been a significant increase over time in kids playing organized sports—but particularly among more privileged, educated families......»»
Sea anemone study identifies potentially regenerative stem cells linked to conserved genes
The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis is potentially immortal. Using molecular genetic methods, developmental biologists led by Ulrich Technau from the University of Vienna have now identified possible candidates for multipotent stem cells in the se.....»»
Morphable materials: Researchers coax nanoparticles to reconfigure themselves
A view into how nanoscale building blocks can rearrange into different organized structures on command is now possible with an approach that combines an electron microscope, a small sample holder with microscopic channels, and computer simulations, a.....»»
AI, computation, and the folds of life: Supercomputers help train a software tool for the protein modeling community
Form follows function, and this is especially true for life's building blocks—proteins. The folds and shape of molecular proteins reveal their function in supporting life......»»
Modified solvents achieve vastly increased potentials for oxidation
A team of scientists headed by Professor Ingo Krossing, Professor of Molecular and Coordination Chemistry at the University of Freiburg's Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, has succeeded in significantly increasing the potential for oxi.....»»
Researchers discover new material for optically-controlled magnetic memory
Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have made unexpected progress toward developing a new optical memory that can quickly and energy-efficiently store and access computational data. While studying a.....»»
A new mechanism for shaping animal tissues
A key question that remains in biology and biophysics is how three-dimensional tissue shapes emerge during animal development. Research teams from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, Germany, the Exce.....»»
The molecular shield: How tea plants combat drought through protein phosphorylation
Drought stress poses a significant challenge to agriculture, causing substantial yield losses in many crops. Tea plants, known for their rich flavonoid content which enhances both quality and health benefits, are particularly affected. Under drought.....»»
Study reveals how intermittent fasting regulates aging through autophagy
Recent research at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), at the Paris Cité University, and at the University of Graz, published today in Nature Cell Biology, sheds l.....»»
Chemists develop new sustainable reaction for creating unique molecular building blocks
Polymers can be thought of like trains: Just as a train is composed of multiple cars, polymers are made up of multiple monomers, and the couplings between the train cars are similar to the chemical bonds that link monomers together. While polymers ha.....»»
Ancient grains of dust from space can be found on Earth—and provide clues about the life cycle of stars
In space, there are clouds that contain gas and dust ejected from stars. Our solar system was formed 4.6 billion years ago from such a molecular cloud. Most of these dust grains were destroyed during solar system formation. However, a very small amou.....»»
Breakthrough in molecular control: New bioinspired double helix with switchable chirality
The deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA, the molecular system that carries the genetic information of living organisms, can transcribe and amplify information using its two helical strands. Creating such artificial molecular systems that match or surpass DN.....»»