Physicists harness electrons to make "synthetic dimensions"
Our spatial sense doesn't extend beyond the familiar three dimensions, but that doesn't stop scientists from playing with whatever lies beyond......»»
Improving industrial scale lactoferrin production with synthetic biological systems
Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional glycoprotein of the transferrin family, is naturally expressed in human and cow milk. The name "LF" is derived from its ability to bind to iron (ferrin, a suffix indicating iron-binding protein)......»»
Advancing synthetic Ephedra-type alkaloids with a two-step enzymatic approach
Ephedra-type alkaloids, a class of naturally occurring compounds derived from plants in the genus Ephedra, have long held interest in the pharmaceutical industry due to their stimulant and airway widening effects. These alkaloids are used for the tre.....»»
Morphology study paves the way for spider fang-inspired cutting tools
When we think of spiders, the first thing that comes to mind is their ability to weave intricate and robust webs. But their ability to cut their own silk—the toughest natural material—and strong or tough synthetic fibers such as carbon or Kevlar,.....»»
Graphene at 20: Still no sign of the promised space elevator, but the material is quietly changing the world
Twenty years ago this October, two physicists at the University of Manchester, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, published a groundbreaking paper on the "electric field effect in atomically thin carbon films." Their work described the extraordinar.....»»
Human urine could be used as eco-friendly crop fertilizer: Study
Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers—making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study......»»
New results from the CMS experiment put W boson mass mystery to rest
After an unexpected measurement by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) experiment in 2022, physicists on the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment (CMS) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) announced today a new mass measurement of the W boson, one of n.....»»
Analysis of heterostructures for spintronics shows how two desired quantum-physical effects reinforce each other
Spintronics uses the spins of electrons to perform logic operations or store information. Ideally, spintronic devices could operate faster and more energy-efficiently than conventional semiconductor devices. However, it is still difficult to create a.....»»
New material with wavy layers of atoms exhibits unusual superconducting properties
MIT physicists and colleagues have created a new material with unusual superconducting and metallic properties, thanks to wavy layers of atoms only billionths of a meter thick that repeat themselves over and over to create a macroscopic sample that c.....»»
Tracking plasma progression in a picosecond: Physicists develop ultra-fast laser method to study high-density plasmas
In a few picoseconds (trillionths of a second), a small, thin piece of copper momentarily becomes dense plasma, specifically a state called warm dense matter, warm being a relative term—the metal is nearly 200,000 degrees Fahrenheit. With the short.....»»
Physicists reveal evolution of shell structure using machine learning
A research team has used a machine learning approach to investigate the evolution of shell structure for nuclei far from the stability valley. The study, published in Physics Letters B and conducted by researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics.....»»
Black hole pairs may unveil new particles
In a paper published in Physical Review Letters this week, physicists from Amsterdam and Copenhagen argue that close observations of merging black hole pairs may unveil information about potential new particles. The research combines several new disc.....»»
Scientists decipher the energy patterns in our cells
Our cells harness energy for essential functions such as division, wound healing, and our immune response to diseases including cancer. But until now, the mechanics of how that energy affects cell behavior—and how this relates to health outcomes—.....»»
Synthetic mini-motor: Researchers convert chemical energy into rotational energy at the supramolecular level
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed an artificial motor at the supramolecular level that can develop impressive power. This wind-up motor is a tiny ribbon made of special molecules. When energy is applied, this ribb.....»»
Physicists discover “hidden turbulence” throughout van Gogh’s Starry Night
Scientists measured scaling of the brush strokes to arrive at their conclusions. Enlarge / Many have seen a reflection of Vincent van Gogh's inner turmoil in the swirling vortices of The Starry Night. (credit: Public doman).....»»
Early dark energy could resolve cosmology"s two biggest puzzles
A new study by MIT physicists proposes that a mysterious force known as early dark energy could solve two of the biggest puzzles in cosmology and fill in some major gaps in our understanding of how the early universe evolved......»»
Generating spin currents directly using ultrashort laser pulses
An international team of physicists has found that it is possible to generate spin currents directly using certain kinds of ultrashort laser pulses. In their study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group used a linearly polarized.....»»
Study highlights role of computational biology in microbial community design
How can computer models help design microbial communities? A research team comprising members from Aachen, Düsseldorf and East Lansing/U.S. examined the development perspectives of so-called synthetic biology. In an article published in the journal.....»»
Floquet engineering tunes ultracold molecule interactions and produces two-axis twisting dynamics
The interactions between quantum spins underlie some of the universe's most interesting phenomena, such as superconductors and magnets. However, physicists have difficulty engineering controllable systems in the lab that replicate these interactions......»»
New findings in a decade-long study of enzyme catalysis
Synthetic chemistry provides an essential material basis for our clothing, food, housing, transportation, and medicine and is an important driving force for economic development. However, traditional chemical synthesis has bottleneck problems such as.....»»
Scientists cool positronium to near absolute zero for antimatter research
Most atoms are made from positively charged protons, neutral neutrons and negatively charged electrons. Positronium is an exotic atom composed of a single negative electron and a positively charged antimatter positron. It is naturally very short-live.....»»