Shedding light on a decades-old protein sorting mystery
Christian de Caestecker, a Ph.D. student in the lab of Ian Macara, Louise B. McGavock Professor and chair of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, has proposed and validated a mechanism that addresses a decades-old mystery surrounding epi.....»»
Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures
Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki, is getting a brand new subway system that will showcase archaeological discoveries made during construction that held up the project for decades......»»
Using light to create bioelectronics inside living organisms
Bioelectronics research and development of implants made of electrically conductive materials for disease treatment is advancing rapidly. However, bioelectronic treatment is not without complications. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have tak.....»»
tRNAs help some mRNAs get lost in translation
Scientists have discovered that tRNAs can determine how long mRNAs exist in a cell, causing some messages to be stabilized and translated into more protein, while directing others to be degraded and limiting how much protein can be made. They publis.....»»
Rocket Report: Next Vulcan launch slips into 2025; Starship gets a green light
"Constellation companies and government satellite operators are desperate." Welcome to Edition 7.20 of the Rocket Report! This is a super-long version of the newsletter because we.....»»
Quantum-inspired design boosts efficiency of heat-to-electricity conversion
Researchers at Rice University have found a new way to improve a key element of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems, which convert heat into electricity via light. Using an unconventional approach inspired by quantum physics, Rice engineer Gururaj Naik.....»»
"Genetic time machine" reveals complex chimpanzee cultures
In recent decades, scientists have clearly demonstrated that chimpanzees, like humans, pass on complex cultures such as tool use from generation to generation. But human culture has become vastly more sophisticated, from the Stone Age to the Space Ag.....»»
Video: Our sun is the star in a new simulation
NASA supercomputers are shedding light on what causes some of the sun's most complex behaviors. Using data from the suite of active sun-watching spacecraft currently observing the star at the heart of our solar system, researchers can explore solar d.....»»
Origin of life research finds RNA can favor both left- and right-handed proteins
The mystery of why life uses molecules with specific orientations has deepened with a discovery that RNA—a key molecule thought to have potentially held the instructions for life before DNA emerged—can favor making the building blocks of proteins.....»»
Are fast radio bursts caused by interstellar objects crashing into neutron stars?
Every now and then, astronomers will detect an odd kind of radio signal. So powerful it can outshine a galaxy, but lasting only milliseconds. They are known as fast radio bursts (FRBs). When they were first discovered a couple of decades ago, we had.....»»
Astronomers take first close-up picture of a star outside our galaxy
Located a staggering 160,000 light-years from us, the star WOH G64 was imaged thanks to the impressive sharpness offered by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (ESO's VLTI). The new observations reveal a star puffi.....»»
Staggering temperature rise predicted for the Middle East and North Africa
The Middle East and North Africa, which already include some of the hottest and driest spots on Earth, are undergoing accelerated climate change and will reach warming thresholds two to three decades earlier than the rest of the world, a new study re.....»»
New structure gives insight into mRNA export and cancers, and how viruses hijack the process to infect their host
The central dogma of biology defines the flow of genetic information: It describes how proteins are made from mRNA templates, which are in turn made from DNA. Exporting the mRNA from inside the nucleus to the site of protein translation in the cytopl.....»»
Spatial interactomics tool maps protein interactions to fight lung cancer
As Ahmet F. Coskun and his team of researchers continue their mission to create a 3D atlas of the human body, mapping cells and tissues, they're making discoveries that could lead to better treatments for the most common type of lung cancer......»»
Report sheds light on human rights abuses worldwide
In the last quarter century, most countries around the world have failed to adequately protect the human rights of their citizens. In that time, nations' efforts to protect human rights have been stagnant—with the number of countries receiving fail.....»»
New organic molecule design can lead to long-lasting, durable OLEDs for displays
Scientists have developed a method to improve the stability and efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), a technology used in smartphones, TVs, and other electronic displays......»»
DNA repair by cooperation between proteins: A look inside the cell"s repair hub
New research from the Kind Group at the Hubrecht Institute sheds light on how cells repair damaged DNA. For the first time, the team has mapped the activity of repair proteins in individual human cells......»»
AI-assisted sorting system automates detection of aluminum-tolerant microbes in acidic soils
Researchers from the Single-Cell Center at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, developed an artificial intelligence-assisted Raman-activated cell sorting (AI-RA.....»»
Using matter waves, scientists unveil novel collective behaviors in quantum optics
A research team led by Dominik Schneble, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has uncovered a novel regime, or set of conditions within a system, for cooperative radiative phenomena, casting new light on a 70-year-old problem.....»»
NASA"s Swift reaches 20th anniversary in improved pointing mode
After two decades in space, NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is performing better than ever thanks to a new operational strategy implemented earlier this year. The spacecraft has made great scientific strides in the years since scientists dreame.....»»
Light-activated, drug-carrying liposomes show potential for minimally invasive glaucoma treatments
More than 4 million people in the U.S. have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that can damage the optic nerve and lead to vision loss. It's the second-leading cause of blindness worldwide and there's currently no cure, but there's a way to help preve.....»»