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Categories: Chemistry: Organic Chemistry, Ecology: Animals
Published Research team developing a nano-sized force sensor and improving high-precision microscopy technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Recent research in cell biology highlights groundbreaking results. An international team of researchers have recently established a tool they developed to study the mechanics of the cell. The tool can be used to study the inner forces of the cell, for example, the stretching of the nuclear membrane. The microscopic force sensor, only about 0.00002 mm long, is constructed of exotic ingredients such as spider web protein parts, fluorescent proteins from jellyfish, and antibodies from alpaca. In addition, the multidisciplinary team of researchers has developed further the sensitivity of super-resolution microscopy technique.
Published Groundbreaking green propane production method
(via sciencedaily.com) New research reveals a promising breakthrough in green energy: an electrolyzer device capable of converting carbon dioxide into propane in a manner that is both scalable and economically viable.
Published Scientists zero in on timing, causes of ice age mammal extinctions in southern California
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Radiocarbon dating on bones in the La Brea Tar Pits lead archaeologists to warn that history may be repeating itself.
Published Urban great tits have paler plumage than their forest-living relatives
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that urban great tits have paler plumage than their countryside counterparts. Since the yellow pigment of the breast feathers of great tits comes from the food they eat, the paler yellow plumage of urban birds indicates that the urban environment affects the entire food chain.
Published Pollutants are important to biodiversity's role in spread of wildlife diseases
(via sciencedaily.com) Conventional wisdom among ecologists holds that the more species there are inhabiting an ecosystem, the less vulnerable any one species will be to a threat like a parasite. A new study of tadpoles illustrates how overlapping biological and environmental factors can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities. The researchers found that environmental pollutants like road salt influence whether increased biodiversity helps or hinders disease outbreaks in wildlife, which can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities.
Published It's not just humans: City life is stressful for coyotes, too
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Though cars are the biggest threat to coyotes taking up residence in U.S. cities, a new study suggests urban living poses a different kind of hazard to coyote health -- in the form of chronic stress. Researchers examined the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair of almost 100 coyotes living in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Results showed that coyotes that lived in the most-developed areas had higher cortisol levels -- a proxy for chronic stress -- than animals living in suburban or natural areas.
Published Scientists reveal how sensory protein changes shape with nanometer resolution
(via sciencedaily.com) The sensory receptor PIEZO1 changes shape in response to mechanical stimuli. The super high-resolution microscopy technology used in this discovery is a breakthrough in enabling protein structures to be studied within the cellular environment.
Published Decoding how molecules 'talk' to each other to develop new nanotechnologies
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists recreate and compare molecular languages at the origin of life -- opening new doors for the development of novel nanotechnologies.
Published Researchers develop versatile and low-cost technology for targeted long-read RNA sequencing
(via sciencedaily.com) In a development that could accelerate the discovery of new diagnostics and treatments, researchers have developed a versatile and low-cost technology for targeted sequencing of full-length RNA molecules. The technology, called TEQUILA-seq, is highly cost-effective compared to commercially available solutions for targeted RNA sequencing and can be adapted for different research and clinical purposes.
Published Gold buckyballs, oft-used nanoparticle 'seeds' are one and the same
(via sciencedaily.com) Chemists have discovered that tiny gold 'seed' particles, a key ingredient in one of the most common nanoparticle recipes, are one and the same as gold buckyballs, 32-atom spheres that are cousins of the Nobel Prize-winning carbon buckyballs discovered in 1985.
Published Weaker transcription factors are better when they work together
(via sciencedaily.com) Bioengineers have developed a generalizable method to address 'off-target' binding, a significant problem in the field of synthetic biology. Taking a cue from nature, the researchers showed they could all but eliminate off-target gene activation by designing weak transcription factors that cooperatively assemble.
Published Researchers design efficient iridium catalyst for hydrogen generation
(via sciencedaily.com) Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers converts surplus electric energy into transportable hydrogen energy as a clean energy solution. However, slow oxygen evolution reaction rates and high loading levels of expensive metal oxide catalysts limit its practical feasibility. Now, researchers have developed a new tantalum oxide-supported iridium catalyst that significantly boosts the oxygen evolution reaction speed. Additionally, it shows high catalytic activity and long-term stability in prolonged single cell operation.
Published Nanoscale material offers new way to control fire
(via sciencedaily.com) High-temperature flames are used to create a wide variety of materials -- but once you start a fire, it can be difficult to control how the flame interacts with the material you are trying to process. Researchers have now developed a technique that utilizes a molecule-thin protective layer to control how the flame's heat interacts with the material -- taming the fire and allowing users to finely tune the characteristics of the processed material.
Published Chromium replaces rare and expensive noble metals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Expensive noble metals often play a vital role in illuminating screens or converting solar energy into fuels. Now, chemists have succeeded in replacing these rare elements with a significantly cheaper metal. In terms of their properties, the new materials are very similar to those used in the past.
Published Arrays of quantum rods could enhance TVs or virtual reality devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Using scaffolds of folded DNA, engineers assembled arrays of quantum rods with desirable photonic properties that could enable them to be used as highly efficient micro-LEDs for televisions or virtual reality devices.
Published Researchers 'film' novel catalyst at work
(via sciencedaily.com) A novel catalysis scheme enables chemical reactions that were previously virtually impossible. The method is also environmentally friendly and does not require rare and precious metals. The researchers recorded the exact course of the catalysis in a kind of high-speed film. They did this using special lasers that can make processes visible that last only fractions of a billionth of a second. The results allow them to further optimize the catalyst.
Published Making molecules dance to our tune reveals what drives their first movements
(via sciencedaily.com) Bringing ultrafast physics to structural biology has revealed the dance of molecular 'coherence' in unprecedented clarity.
Published Materials research: biocatalytic foams of tremendous stability and activity
(via sciencedaily.com) Industrial biocatalysis with enzymes is deemed to be a 'game changer' in the development of a sustainable chemical industry. Enzymes can be used to synthesize an impressive range of complex molecules, including pharmaceutical substances, under environmentally compatible conditions. Researchers have now developed a new class of materials by producing enzyme foams of tremendous stability and activity.
Published Human scent receptors could help 'sniff out' nerve gases in new sensor
(via sciencedaily.com) By some estimates, the human nose can detect up to a trillion different smells with its hundreds of scent receptors. But even just catching a quick whiff of certain chemicals known as nerve agents can be lethal, even in tiny amounts. Researchers have now developed a sensitive and selective nerve gas sensor using these human scent receptors. It reliably detected a substitute for deadly sarin gas in simulated tests.
Published AuNi alloy on Au electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction: Towards a cleaner tomorrow
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Gold (Au)-based electrocatalysts used for hydrogen production via water electrolysis exhibit high chemical stability but low hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Alloying them with nickel (Ni) can improve their HER activity. A recent study investigated the HER activity and surface properties of AuNi alloy prepared on single crystal Au surfaces, revealing the atomic structural changes and surface sites responsible for enhanced HER activity of AuNi/Au catalyst during electrolysis.