Showing 20 articles starting at article 241
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Physics: Optics
Published Advancing toward a preventative HIV vaccine
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A major challenge in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates fast -- very fast. Although a person initially becomes infected with one or a few HIV strains, the virus replicates and mutates quickly, resulting in a 'swarm' of viral strains existing in a single body.
Published Nuclear spectroscopy breakthrough could rewrite the fundamental constants of nature
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Raising the energy state of an atom's nucleus using a laser, or exciting it, would enable development of the most accurate atomic clocks ever to exist. This has been hard to do because electrons, which surround the nucleus, react easily with light, increasing the amount of light needed to reach the nucleus. By causing the electrons to bond with fluorine in a transparent crystal, UCLA physicists have finally succeeded in exciting the neutrons in a thorium atom's nucleus using a moderate amount of laser light. This accomplishment means that measurements of time, gravity and other fields that are currently performed using atomic electrons can be made with orders of magnitude higher accuracy.
Published Optoelectronics gain spin control from chiral perovskites and III-V semiconductors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research effort has made advances that could enable a broader range of currently unimagined optoelectronic devices.
Published Bacteria detected in tattoo and permanent makeup inks, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study detected both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in tattoo and permanent makeup inks.
Published Research shows how RNA 'junk' controls our genes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made a significant advance in understanding how genes are controlled in living organisms. The new study focuses on critical snippets of RNA in the tiny, transparent roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The study provides a detailed map of the 3'UTR regions of RNA in C. elegans. 3'UTRs (untranslated regions) are segments of RNA involved in gene regulation.
Published An ant that selectively amputates the infected limbs of wounded sisters
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Saving lives through surgery is no longer exclusive to humans. Scientists now detail how Florida carpenter ants, a common, brown species native to its namesake, selectively treat the wounded limbs of fellow nestmates -- either by wound cleaning or amputation. When experimentally testing the effectiveness of these 'treatments,' not only did they aid in recovery, but the research team found the ants' choice of care catered to the type of injury presented to them.
Published Study illuminates cues algae use to 'listen' to their environment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows how a small group of single-celled algae are able to use chemical cues to communicate stress information. Understanding this ability, once thought unique to plants, helps illuminate the complex evolutionary history of plants and algae.
Published Light targets cells for death and triggers immune response with laser precision
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new method of precisely targeting troublesome cells for death using light could unlock new understanding of and treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Published Shrinking glaciers: Microscopic fungi enhance soil carbon storage in new landscapes created by shrinking Arctic glaciers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Shrinking glaciers expose new land in the Arctic, creating unique ecosystems. Researchers studied how microbes colonize these barren landscapes. The study reveals a crucial role for specific fungal species in capturing and storing carbon in the newly formed soil. These findings suggest fungi are essential for future carbon storage in the Arctic as glaciers continue to recede.
Published Degradation of cell wall key in the spread of antibiotic resistance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study provides new clues in the understanding of how antibiotic resistance spreads. The study shows how an enzyme breaks down the bacteria's protective outer layer, the cell wall, and thus facilitates the transfer of genes for resistance to antibiotics.
Published Researchers thwart resistant bacteria's strategy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bacteria are experts at evolving resistance to antibiotics. One resistance strategy is to cover their cell walls in sticky and gooey biofilm that antibiotics cannot penetrate. A new discovery could put a stop to this strategy.
Published This desert moss has the potential to grow on Mars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising candidate for Mars colonization thanks to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms. The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers now report that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as 196 C, high levels of gamma radiation, and simulated Martian conditions involving these three stressors combined. In all cases, prior dehydration seemed to help the plants cope.
Published 'World record' for data transmission speed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have sent data at a record rate of 402 terabits per second using commercially available optical fiber. This beats their previous record, announced in March 2024, of 301 terabits or 301,000,000 megabits per second using a single, standard optical fiber.
Published New computational microscopy technique provides more direct route to crisp images
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new computational microscopy technique solves for true high-resolution images without the guesswork that has limited the precision of other techniques.
Published Light-controlled artificial maple seeds could monitor the environment even in hard-to-reach locations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a tiny robot replicating the aerial dance of falling maple seeds. In the future, this robot could be used for real-time environmental monitoring or delivery of small samples even in inaccessible terrain such as deserts, mountains or cliffs, or the open sea. This technology could be a game changer for fields such as search-and-rescue, endangered species studies, or infrastructure monitoring.
Published New mathematical model sheds light on the absence of breastfeeding in male mammals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mathematicians ave put forward a hypothesis which suggests that the reason male mammals don't breastfeed might be driven by the rich community of microbes that lives in breast milk and which plays an important part in establishing the gut microbiome of the infant.
Published Long-standing marine mystery solved: How algae get nitrogen to grow
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists shed light on an unexpected partnership: A marine diatom and a bacterium that can account for a large share of nitrogen fixation in vast regions of the ocean. This symbiosis likely plays a key role for global marine nitrogen fixation and productivity, and thus uptake of carbon dioxide. The newly-discovered bacterial symbiont is closely related to the nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia which live in partnership with many crop plants and may also open up new avenues for engineering nitrogen-fixing plants.
Published To protect corals from summer heatwaves, we should help their microbial symbionts evolve heat tolerance in the lab
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Most coral reef restoration efforts involve restocking reefs with nursery-grown corals. However, if these corals are of the same stock as their wild counterparts, they will be equally vulnerable to the heat stress that caused the bleaching event in the first place. Researchers discuss the potential of improving corals' chances by inducing the evolution of heat tolerance in their symbionts -- the mutualistic microbes that provide corals with nutrients in exchange for shelter and that are expelled during coral bleaching.
Published Common plastics could passively cool and heat buildings with the seasons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By restricting radiant heat flows between buildings and their environment to specific wavelengths, coatings engineered from common materials can achieve energy savings and thermal comfort that goes beyond what traditional building envelopes can achieve.
Published Bird flu stays stable on milking equipment for at least one hour
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source H5N1 virus in unpasteurized milk is stable on metal and rubber components of commercial milking equipment for at least one hour, increasing its potential to infect people and other animals.