Showing 20 articles starting at article 161
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Categories: Biology: Botany, Physics: General
Published Algae offer real potential as a renewable electricity source
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The need to transition away from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy production is critical. That's why a team of researchers is looking at a potential power source that not only produces no carbon emissions but removes carbon as it works: algae.
Published New technique could help build quantum computers of the future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have demonstrated a new method that could enable the large-scale manufacturing of optical qubits. The advance could bring us closer to a scalable quantum computer.
Published Semiconductor doping and electronic devices: Heating gallium nitride and magnesium forms superlattice
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study revealed that a simple thermal reaction of gallium nitride with metallic magnesium results in the formation of a distinctive superlattice structure. This represents the first time researchers have identified the insertion of 2D metal layers into a bulk semiconductor. By carefully observing materials through various cutting-edge characterization techniques, the researchers uncovered new insights into the process of semiconductor doping and elastic strain engineering.
Published Switching nanomagnets using infrared lasers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Physicists have calculated how suitable molecules can be stimulated by infrared light pulses to form tiny magnetic fields. If this is also successful in experiments, the principle could be used in quantum computer circuits.
Published Fine-tuning leaf angle with CRISPR improves sugarcane yield
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A CABBI research team has used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to optimize leaf angle in sugarcane, increasing the amount of sunlight it captures and the amount of biomass it produces.
Published Early life exposure to weed pollen could increase childhood asthma risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has found children who are exposed to tree and weed pollen in urban environments are at increased risk of respiratory health problems, including asthma. While green areas in urban settings decrease exposure to air pollution, allow kids to be active, and offer positive contact to a diverse microbiota -- which in turn may help the positive development of a child's immune system -- they can also lead to the development of childhood asthma. Thankfully, trees can help mitigate this effect to some degree, thanks to their canopy.
Published 'Quantum optical antennas' provide more powerful measurements on the atomic level
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A multi-institutional team has created atomic optical antennas in solids. The team used germanium vacancy centers in diamonds to create an optical energy enhancement of six orders of magnitude, a regime challenging to reach with conventional atomic antenna structures.
Published Changes Upstream: RIPE team uses CRISPR/Cas9 to alter photosynthesis for the first time
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists used CRISPR/Cas9 to increase gene expression in rice by changing its upstream regulatory DNA. While other studies have used the technology to knock out or decrease the expression of genes, this study, is an unbiased gene-editing approach to increase gene expression and downstream photosynthetic activity. The approach is more difficult than transgenic breeding, but could potentially preempt regulatory issues by changing DNA already within the plant, allowing the plants to get in the hands of farmers sooner.
Published Perturbations simplify the study of 'super photons'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Thousands of particles of light can merge into a type of 'super photon' under suitable conditions. Physicists call such a state a photon Bose-Einstein condensate. Researchers have now shown that this exotic quantum state obeys a fundamental theorem of physics. This finding now allows one to measure properties of photon Bose-Einstein condensates which are usually difficult to access.
Published Better farming through nanotechnology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Advanced technologies enable the controlled release of medicine to specific cells in the body. Scientists argue these same technologies must be applied to agriculture if growers are to meet increasing global food demands.
Published Novel diamond quantum magnetometer for ambient condition magnetoencephalography
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A highly sensitive diamond quantum magnetometer utilizing nitrogen-vacancy centers can achieve millimeter-scale resolution magnetoencephalography (MEG). The novel magnetometer, based on continuous-wave optically detected magnetic resonance, marks a significant step towards realizing ambient condition MEG and other practical applications.
Published Pushing an information engine to its limits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The molecules that make up the matter around us are in constant motion. What if we could harness that energy and put it to use? Over 150 years ago Maxwell theorized that if molecules' motion could be measured accurately, this information could be used to power an engine. Until recently this was a thought experiment, but technological breakthroughs have made it possible to build working information engines in the lab. Researchers have now teamed up to build an information engine and test its limits.
Published Uptake of tire wear additives by vegetables grown for human consumption
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Car tires contain hundreds of chemical additives that can leach out of them. This is how they end up in crops and subsequently in the food chain. Researchers have now detected these chemical residues in leafy vegetables for the first time. Although the concentrations were low, the evidence was clear, a finding that is also known for drug residues in plant-based foods.
Published AI approach elevates plasma performance and stability across fusion devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fusion researchers have successfully deployed machine learning methods to suppress harmful plasma edge instabilities without sacrificing plasma performance.
Published Towards next-gen functional materials: direct observation of electron transfer in solids
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nanoscale electron transfer (ET) in solids is fundamental to the development of multifunctional materials. However, ET in solids is not yet clearly understood. Now, researchers achieved a direct observation of solid-state ET through X-ray crystal analysis by fabricating a novel double-walled non-covalent crystalline nanotube, which can absorb electron donor molecules and maintain its crystalline structure during ET. This innovative approach can lead to the design of novel functional materials soon.
Published Observing ultrafast photoinduced dynamics in a halogen-bonded supramolecular system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers uncover how the halogen bond can be exploited to direct sequential dynamics in the multi-functional crystals, offering crucial insights for developing ultrafast-response times for multilevel optical storage.
Published Shining a light on molecules: L-shaped metamaterials can control light direction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Polarized light waves spin clockwise or counterclockwise as they travel, with one direction behaving differently than the other as it interacts with molecules. This directionality, called chirality or handedness, could provide a way to identify and sort specific molecules for use in biomedicine applications, but researchers have had limited control over the direction of the waves -- until now.
Published Frequent mowing puts poisonous weed into survival mode
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has found that frequent mowing of Solanum elaeagnifolium, also known as silverleaf nightshade, may help create a 'superweed.' A professor of entomology and plant pathology has been studying silverleaf nightshade for more than a decade. New findings have shown that the more silverleaf nightshade was mowed, the more it developed ways to avoid destruction. The taproot went down further, nearly 5 feet deep, in the first generation of mowed plants. More spikes popped out on the stem as a defense against caterpillars feeding on the flowers. The flowers became more toxic to caterpillars, leading to less pressure from natural predators.
Published Key nutrients help plants beat the heat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered some of the molecular mechanisms controlling how plants -- including important crops like soybean and rice -- will respond to rising global temperatures, finding higher temperatures make root systems grow faster, but sustaining this increased growth speed depends on high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil. The discoveries point to the necessity of nitrogen and phosphorus-rich soil to promote crop growth and create nutritious crops, in addition to aiding a mission to create more resilient crops in the face of climate change.
Published Scientists develop 'x-ray vision' technique to see inside crystals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has created a new way to visualize crystals by peering inside their structures, akin to having X-ray vision. Their new technique -- which they aptly named 'Crystal Clear' -- combines the use of transparent particles and microscopes with lasers that allow scientists to see each unit that makes up the crystal and to create dynamic three-dimensional models.