Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Exploring the structures of xenon-containing crystallites      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Noble gases have a reputation for being unreactive, inert elements, but more than 60 years ago Neil Bartlett demonstrated the first way to bond xenon. He created XePtF6, an orange-yellow solid. Because it's difficult to grow sufficiently large crystals that contain noble gases, some of their structures -- and therefore functions -- remain elusive. Now, researchers have successfully examined tiny crystallites of noble gas compounds. They report structures of multiple xenon compounds.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Scientists achieve more than 98% efficiency removing nanoplastics from water      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in people, nanoplastics continue to build up, largely unnoticed, in the world's bodies of water. The challenge remains to develop a cost-effective solution to get rid of nanoplastics while leaving clean water behind. That's where Mizzou comes in. Recently, researchers created a new liquid-based solution that eliminates more than 98% of these microscopic plastic particles from water.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the Shaker family of ion channels were present in microscopic single cell organisms well before the common ancestor of all animals and thus before the origin of the nervous system.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Breakthrough in nanotechnology: Viewing the invisible with advanced microscopy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of nanotechnology. They have developed a novel microscopy method that allows for the unprecedented visualization of nanostructures and their optical properties.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Why carbon nanotubes fluoresce when they bind to certain molecules      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Nanotubes can serve as biosensors. They change their fluorescence when they bind to certain molecules. Until now, it was unclear why. Researchers have gained new insights into the cause of the fluorescence.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General
Published

Innovative study unveils a new path in green chemistry      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have introduced a new advancement in the fight against climate change. Their study showcases a novel method for understanding the mechanisms of carbon dioxide re-utilization leading to fuels and chemicals. This work paves the road for the further optimization of this catalytic process driven by renewable electricity.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular
Published

Taking a 'one in a million' shot to tackle dopamine-linked brain disorders      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With the help of a tiny, transparent worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, researchers have identified novel players in dopamine signaling by taking advantage of a powerful platform generated via the Million Mutation Project (MMP) for the rapid identification of mutant genes based on their functional impact. They can seek insights from simpler organisms whose genes bear striking similarity to those found in humans and where opportunities for genetic insights to disease can be pursued more efficiently and inexpensively.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Precise stirring conditions key to optimizing nanostructure synthesis      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Stirring allows for homogenization and efficient gas exchange -- this fact has been known for decades. Controlling the stirring rate during the nanocluster synthesis is pivotal in achieving nanostructures with well-defined sizes, structures, optical properties, and stability.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Mix of factors prompts owl monkeys to leave their parents      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

There comes a point in the lives of young owl monkeys when they leave their parents and strike out on their own to find a mate. In a new study of a wild population of Azara's owl monkeys in northern Argentina, researchers reveal that a combination of social and ecological factors influences when these tree-dwelling monkeys peel away from their parents and siblings. According to their findings -- which were based on 25 years of genetic and demographic data for several generations of owl monkeys, covering more than 330 individuals -- none of the individuals, regardless of their sex, reproduced in the same group where they were born. In all cases, the researchers found, the animals either departed from their natal group or died before reproducing.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Lemurs use long-term memory, smell, and social cues to find food      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

How do foraging animals find their food? A new study shows that lemurs use smell, social cues, and long-term memory to locate hidden fruit -- a combination of factors that may have deep evolutionary roots.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

X-ray imagery of vibrating diamond opens avenues for quantum sensing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists at three research institutions capture the pulsing motion of atoms in diamond, uncovering the relationship between the diamond's strain and the behavior of the quantum information hosted within.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology
Published

Researchers find gene which determines marsupial fur color      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fur is a defining characteristic of mammals, coming in a wide variety of colors and patterns -- thanks to a world-first study, we now know which genes make a marsupial's coat black or grey.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: General
Published

Soft gold enables connections between nerves and electronics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Gold does not readily lend itself to being turned into long, thin threads. But researchers have now managed to create gold nanowires and develop soft electrodes that can be connected to the nervous system. The electrodes are soft as nerves, stretchable and electrically conductive, and are projected to last for a long time in the body.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Concept for efficiency-enhanced noble-metal catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The production of more than 90 percent of all chemical products we use in our everyday lives relies on catalysts. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions, can reduce the energy required for these processes, and in some cases, reactions would not be possible at all without catalysts. Researchers developed a concept that increases the stability of noble-metal catalysts and requires less noble metal for their production.

Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General
Published

Novel ultrafast electron microscopy technique advances understanding of processes applicable to brain-like computing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team developed a new microscopy technique that uses electrical pulses to track the nanosecond dynamics within a material that is known to form charge density waves. Controlling these waves may lead to faster and more energy-efficient electronics.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Fossil shows how penguins' wings evolved      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A tiny fossil penguin plays a huge role in the evolutionary history of the bird, an international study shows.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary
Published

Climate anomalies may play a major role in driving cholera pandemics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research suggests that an El Nino event may have aided the establishment and spread of a novel cholera strain during an early 20th-century pandemic, supporting the idea that climate anomalies could create opportunities for the emergence of new cholera strains.