Ultraviolet metasurfaces can discriminate the handedness of biomolecules with attomolar sensitivity
Researchers at LSU, in collaboration with Zuse Institute in Berlin, Germany, have developed an ultraviolet metasurface that discriminates between left- and right-handed amino acids with attomolar sensitivity......»»
Research team develops a wireless sensor for spotting chemical warfare agents
The urgent need for advanced detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) to ensure global security has led to the development of a novel gas sensor. This sensor is distinguished by its rapid response, high sensitivity, and compact size, crucial for t.....»»
How molecular "handedness" emerged in early biology
Molecules often have a structural asymmetry called chirality, which means they can appear in alternative, mirror-image versions akin to the left and right versions of human hands. One of the great mysteries about the origins of life on Earth is that.....»»
Polymer-based tunable optical components allow for metasurfaces that can switched with light
A material coating, whose light refraction properties can be precisely switched between different states, has been developed by an interdisciplinary research team from the Chemistry and Physics departments at the University of Jena. The team, led by.....»»
Accurate quantitative analysis of information loss from digital metasurfaces caused by mutual coupling
Research by Dr. Ruiwen Shao and Prof. Junwei Wu (Institute of Electromagnetic Space, Southeast University, Nanjing, China) teaches us about how digital metasurfaces lose information......»»
Angle-dependent holograms made possible by metasurfaces
Recently, a research team from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has employed metasurfaces to fabricate angle-dependent holograms with multiple functions. This technology allows holograms to display multiple images based on the ob.....»»
Exotic cats" ability to recognize familiar human caregivers" voices
In a recent PeerJ study, Professor Jennifer Vonk from Oakland University presents compelling evidence that exotic cats possess the remarkable ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar human voices......»»
New NASA mission will study ultraviolet sky, stars, stellar explosions
As NASA explores the unknown in air and space, a new mission to survey ultraviolet light across the entire sky will provide the agency with more insight into how galaxies and stars evolve. The space telescope, called UVEX (UltraViolet EXplorer), is t.....»»
A new optical metamaterial makes true one-way glass possible
A new approach has allowed researchers at Aalto University to create a kind of metamaterial that has so far been beyond the reach of existing technologies. Unlike natural materials, metamaterials and metasurfaces can be tailored to have specific elec.....»»
Sensors made from "frozen smoke" can detect toxic formaldehyde in homes and offices
Researchers have developed a sensor made from "frozen smoke" that uses artificial intelligence techniques to detect formaldehyde in real time at concentrations as low as eight parts per billion, far beyond the sensitivity of most indoor air quality s.....»»
Neural network assisted high-spatial-resolution polarimetry with non-interleaved chiral metasurfaces
Polarimetry plays a key role in wide applications from remote sensing and astronomy to biology and microscopy. Traditional polarimetry systems are equipped with a set of polarizers, waveplates, beam-splitters or filters, making the systems bulky and.....»»
Submonolayer biolasers: Lower gain, higher sensitivity
Designing sensitive and single-use biosensors for early diagnosis remains a major challenge. Scientists in China have invented submonolayer lasers on optical fibers as ultrasensitive and disposable biosensors......»»
New method spots cosmic threats by extracting 3D direction of plasma ejections from sun"s 2D ultraviolet images
A team of scientists has unveiled a novel method for the early estimation of coronal mass ejection (CME) direction in 3D space. The groundbreaking technique, named DIRECD—"Dimming InfeRred Estimate of CME Direction"—will provide crucial data to m.....»»
New research shows that the arrangement of bacteria in biofilms affects their sensitivity to antibiotics
Bacteria are traditionally imagined as single-cell organisms, spread out sparsely over surfaces or suspended in liquids, but in many environments the true bacterial mode of growth is in sticky clusters called biofilms......»»
Engineers unmask nanoplastics in oceans, revealing their true shapes and chemistry
Millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. The sun's ultraviolet light and ocean turbulence break down these plastics into invisible nanoparticles that threaten marine ecosystems......»»
A cholesterol precursor mediates sensitivity to cell death by ferroptosis
A team of scientists from the University of Ottawa and researchers from other universities and research centers around the world has discovered that 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) is an endogenous suppressor of ferroptosis, which could have important i.....»»
Physicists develop novel concept for detecting chiral molecules
In contrast to conventional mirrors, light can be reflected on surfaces known as metasurfaces without changing its polarization. This phenomenon has now been proven by physicists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Ma.....»»
Researchers slow down light in metasurfaces with record low loss
The speed of light can be intentionally reduced in various media. Various techniques have been developed over the years to slow down light, including electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), photonic crystals, a.....»»
Study reveals mechanisms behind how growing cells maintain their mojo by scaling up biosynthesis
Similar to the way expanding companies increase their work forces, cells must boost their production of internal biomolecules when they grow in size in order to stay healthy. In the 1970s, biologists showed that this scaled-up biosynthesis hinges on.....»»
LipidOz: New software enables identification of lipid double bond locations
Lipids are a class of biomolecules that play an important role in many cellular processes. Analyses that seek to characterize all lipids in a sample—called lipidomics—are crucial to studying complex biological systems......»»
Fingerprinting biomolecules with the help of sound
A team of researchers from the Institute for Optoelectronic Systems and Microtechnology at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) has designed a biosensor capable of identifying proteins and peptides in quantities as low as a single monolayer. For.....»»