Some RNA molecules have unexpected sugar coating
In a surprise find, scientists have discovered sugar-coated RNA molecules decorating the surface of cells......»»
Study finds unexpected interactions in formation of secondary organic aerosols in the atmosphere
Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) consists of extremely small particles generated in the atmosphere from natural and human-made emissions. It is a major constituent of PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers) worldwide th.....»»
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.....»»
Discovering unique microbes made easy with new software platform
Microbes are foundational for life on Earth. These tiny organisms play a major role in everything from transforming sunlight into the fundamental molecules of life. They help to produce much of the oxygen in our atmosphere. They even cycle nutrients.....»»
A method to change the mechanical and transport properties of conductive polymers
Conductive polymers, synthetic substances with large molecules that can conduct electricity, can have a broad range of valuable applications. For instance, they have been used to create sensors, light-emitting diodes, photovoltaics and various other.....»»
Designer molecules may help valuable minerals float
Critical Materials Institute researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Arizona State University have studied the mineral monazite, an important source of rare-earth elements, to enhance methods of recovering critical materials for energy, defe.....»»
How T-shaped clusters drive lanthanide separation during liquid-liquid extraction
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have zoomed in on molecules designed to recover critical materials via liquid-liquid extraction, or LLE—a method used by industry to separate chemically similar elements......»»
An open-source stopwatch to time interactions between molecules inside living cells
A stopwatch to investigate what happens inside living cells at a thousandth of a millisecond scale: this is the open-source platform BrightEyes-TTM developed by the research team led by Giuseppe Vicidomini at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Ital.....»»
California wants to ban the toxic chemical that gives chrome its classic shine
For decades, hexavalent chromium has provided the silvery showroom finish to countless consumer products, from automobile bumpers and grilles to kitchen faucets and light fixtures. It has also served as an indispensable rust-resistant coating for avi.....»»
By learning to hunt otters, wolves decimate a deer population
On an Alaskan island, wolves adapted to hunt an unexpected aquatic prey. Enlarge / So cute yet—for some animals—so tasty. (credit: Arthur Morris) People love otters, wolves, and deer. Respectively, they’re crafty,.....»»
Cardboard with a more sustainable coating
On average, we open seven packaged items per day, most of them food items. All of this together makes for a mountain of plastic. But more and more often our tomatoes, apples and cookies are packaged in cardboard. To help speed up the transition of pl.....»»
Actin found to affect the spread of cancer in several ways
Metastases occur when cancer cells leave a primary tumor and spread throughout the body. For this to happen, they have to break connections with neighboring cells and migrate to other tissues. Both processes are promoted by signaling molecules releas.....»»
An online tool can help researchers synthesize millions of molecules
Enzymes are substances that cause chemical reactions. Certain types of enzymes, such as polyketide synthases and nonribosomal peptide synthetases, have the ability to shuffle their parts, allowing them to produce new chemicals. If scientists can unde.....»»
Organic chemists develop new catalyst to selectively activate carbon-hydrogen bonds
Substituted aromatics are among the most important building blocks for organic compounds such as drugs, crop-protecting agents, and many materials. The function of the molecules is determined by the spatial arrangement of the different building block.....»»
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.....»»
How a sugar cane pathogen is gearing up a new era of antibiotic discovery
A potent plant toxin with a unique way of killing harmful bacteria has emerged as one of the strongest new antibiotic candidates in decades......»»
New enzyme could mean better drugs
Just as a choreographer's notation tells a dancer to strike a particular pose, an enzyme newly discovered by Rice University scientists is able to tell specific molecules precisely how to arrange themselves, down to the angle of single hydrogen bonds.....»»
Simulations and experiments reveal unprecedented detail about water"s motion in salt water
In salt water solutions, water molecules rapidly move around salt ions at a scale of more than a trillion times a second, according to both experiments and simulations led by scientists at New York University and the Sorbonne......»»
Aggressive shrimp and surprising predators make life tough for spanner crabs
For years, fishers have suspected sharks of stealing their spanner crab catch. Now a University of the Sunshine Coast study has cleared sharks and instead uncovered three unexpected culprits taking a bite out of Australia's commercial crab industry......»»
Sensing odor molecules on a graphene surface layered with self-assembled peptides
Graphene-based olfactory sensors that can detect odor molecules based on the design of peptide sequences were recently demonstrated by researchers at Tokyo Tech. The findings indicated that graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) functionalized wit.....»»
New "chain mail" material of interlocking molecules is tough, flexible and easy to make
University of California, Berkeley, chemists have created a new type of material from millions of identical, interlocking molecules, that for the first time allows the synthesis of extensive 2D or 3D structures that are flexible, strong and resilient.....»»