News
Cell batteries: condensates charge the membrane
7+ hour, 38+ min ago (365+ words) Original story from Scripps Research (CA, USA). "Tiny biological batteries" can change the cell membrane"s electrical properties " a discovery that has big implications for health, as many essential cellular processes hinge upon precise electrical activity. The team showed that…...
'Forever chemicals' face fresh foe: material uses light to destroy PFAS
1+ week, 1+ day ago (276+ words) Original story from Rice University (TX, USA). Engineered material uses light to destroy PFAS and other contaminants. Materials scientists at Rice University (TX, USA) and collaborators have developed a material that uses light to break down a range of pollutants…...
High-speed AFM captures dynamic nature of nuclear pore complexes
2+ week, 2+ day ago (338+ words) Original story from the University of Basel (Switzerland). Nuclear pore complexes are more dynamic than previously thought, reshaping our understanding of a vital transport process in cells. Imagine the cell's nucleus as a bank vault protected by a highly sophisticated…...
Lights, camera, action: molecular film captures an RNA molecule building itself
4+ week, 1+ day ago (486+ words) Original story from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL; Grenoble, France). Researchers have visualized how a large RNA molecule assembles itself into a functional machine. "Determining RNA structures is a challenging task " the inherent flexibility and negative charge make RNA…...
Cryo-EM captures the protein that recruits its own bodyguards
1+ mon, 4+ day ago (447+ words) Original story from the University of Chicago (IL, USA). Research captures how the GRP94 protein shields itself to make sure it forms properly and suggests a way to target it for future disease treatments. Proteins are often called the building blocks…...
An introduction to atomic force microscopy
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (180+ words) What is atomic force microscopy (AFM) and what can it tell us about a biological sample? Find out in this introductory video." From generating 3D images of sample"surfaces to characterizing their"nanomechanical properties, AFM offers researchers a comprehensive tool for…...
Who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025?
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (470+ words) Metal-organic frameworks, a near boundless group of functional materials that faced years of apathy, are the focal point of this year's prize. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University, Japan), Richard Robson (University of…...
Traveling at the speed of protons
3+ mon, 1+ week ago (403+ words) For the first time, researchers have measured the speed at which protons move through charged water molecules, shedding light on one of the most fundamental chemical reactions. Researchers at Yale University (CT, USA) have measured how quickly protons move through…...
The bacterium turning plant waste into power
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (572+ words) Original story from Northwestern University (IL, USA). New study shows how bacteria juggle energy needs while digesting complex carbons. For years, scientists have marveled at bacteria's ability to digest the seemingly indigestible, including carbon from lignin, the tough, woody material…...
Mathematical modeling reveals the rules governing tissue organization
5+ mon, 2+ week ago (563+ words) Original story from ChristianaCare and the University of Delaware (both DE, USA). Every day, your body replaces billions of cells " and yet, your tissues stay perfectly organized. How is that possible? A team of researchers at ChristianaCare's'Helen F. Graham Cancer Center…...